“BEEF” is a principle in basketball that encodes four essential elements of good shooting form. It is an acronym for several things, including Balance, Eyes, Elbow, and Follow-through. Let’s examine each of them in detail to understand how this principle helps basketball beginners in mastering their skills.
Balance
In basketball, any type of shot requires balance if you want to be successful because it gives you a foundation to throw the ball. For a perfectly balanced position to make a shot, you extend your legs to a comfortable distance to maintain your balance before taking the shot. You have to balance yourself before even receiving the ball from your teammates to make a shot as quickly as possible.
Eyes on the Target
Basketball needs a peek level of focus from the player, and to maintain your focus, you need to put your eyes on your target. Although players must know about their opponent, to make a successful shot, you will need to keep the focus on your target during the game. At least take a second to focus on your target before taking the shot.
Elbows Aligned
While taking a shot, the strength of your wrists and hands depends on the position of your arms. To make the ball travel in your desired path towards the net, you have to be sure that your elbows and hands are positioned steadily. Your lower arm should be vertical, forming a 90-degree angle, and then raise your elbows slightly but don’t angle them too far in or out.
Follow Through
As you know, the shot is guided by the player’s hands, which also affects the trajectory in the air. Follow through is the last and final component of the principle. In following through, you extend your arms completely before making a shot but keep in mind that your wrists should flick forward as you keep your hands firmly on the ball to drive the ball toward the goal. The ideal arch is created by fully extending the arms and wrists, which will launch the ball upward rather than outward.
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