What do you mean by angle of release?

When you release the basketball you no longer have any control over the path it will follow. In order to properly guide the ball into the basket you need to rely on your body's motion to send the ball into flight at the correct angle of release. Athletes often make a mistake in the angle at which they release a basketball. There are some body motions that are very similar to the motions needed to place any ball in flight. For example when you pass a football your passing hand should snap with your thumb and index finger pointed down and in. A basketball shot and a football pass have essentially the same hand and wrist release motions, but the targets are different, and so should the methods of release. I have seen many players who demonstrate their lack of understanding the differences in the angles of release between a basketball shot and a football pass(as an example).
Think of the differences between a basketball shot and a football pass as you might if one was a rifle and the other was a cannon. Throwing a football pass (or throwing a baseball) is like shooting a rifle. To hit the target you should point at it on a horizontal plane. That is because the target is usually straight out in front of you at about your same height. So, with a football pass you are throwing the ball in a line to a target the is on your same plane.
Shooting a basketball at a 10 foot high rim presents a different problem. You should shoot a basketball like you fire a cannon at its' target (see figure #2).

You mean the angle of release on a basketball shot is like shooting aCannon ?

The rim is 10 feet high and it is your target. Getting the ball over the top of the rim and down into the net in order for points to be awarded to your team is a skill that involves some knowledge of angles, geometry, and physics. This knowledge is best explained in understanding a cannon shot. The idea behind a cannon shot is to fire the cannonball at an angle of release that creates a a path for the ball that is called a parabolic curve (see figure #1). The parabolic curve is defined here as a path followed by a ball in flight. As you can see from the diagram the ball takes the same path on its' way up as it does on its' way down (look at figure #1). So, the angle of release is very important, because it determines the path the ball will follow. The ball will reach a point where the force of gravity will cause it to return to the ground, but it does not just drop straight down it follows that same curved path on its' way down. That path is very important in getting the ball high enough to come down on the target at a good angle. If you will look at figure #1, any force after the ball reaches its' highest point is free energy provided by gravity.
Those who fire a cannon realize that they must angle the barrel of the cannon up to achieve the ideal parabolic curve to reach their target. They know that the angle of release gives them the vertical and horizontal lift necessary for the cannonball to reach its' target. Shooting a basketball is like shooting a cannon in that it gives the player the same vertical and horizontal lift to reach a target that is 10 feet above the ground. If a player shoots a basketball with the proper angle of release the ball will create a parabolic curve that will influence the angle at which the ball can enter the rim with a great amount of success. We call the angle at which a ball enters the rim its'angle of entry. What is the proper angle of release? About 54 º degrees. Shooting with a high angle of release will improve your shooting percentage. To understand this concept better examine figure # 3. Shooters with great shooting form have developed a clear mental picture of the proper angle of release. This enables them to use their mind to train their muscles on the correct shooting form.

What is angle of entry?

It is very important that you learn the value of shooting the ball with a high arch. That comes from releasing the ball while you extend your elbow of your shooting arm up at about 54 º degree angle. By doing so, you can help prevent the short shot. If you look a the angle of entry diagram below you will notice that a ball coming down on the rim from a 90 º angle has best chance of entering the basket. Unless, you are standing directly over the rim it is next to impossible (in game like conditions) to shoot a ball that will enter the rim at 90 º. It is possible to give your shot a very good chance to enter the rim by having an angle of entry at about 48 º. That angle of entry is best achieved when you release the ball at about a 54 º angle when you shoot. See figure # 3 it shows the concepts of angle of release, the parabolic curve, and the angle of entry.
It would be nice if you could shoot the ball at the proper angle and you could score every time, but you must realize that there are other factors that determine where the basketball travels when you shoot. If however you practice shooting the ball with enough arch to give it a chance to clear the rim you will greatly improve your shooting skills. As you can see, from the angle of entry diagram, a ball that has been release with a flat arch has less of a chance of making it into the rim.
I have seen in my coaching career many players who lack the patients, and really, the competitive desire to learn to shoot the ball properly. It takes time to retrain your muscles to make adjustments to your shot, so that you can improve. In order for you to get better something has to change. If you want to change you must take the time and effort to work on your shooting skills.
                                                                                                              
Do you shoot the ball with the proper angle of release?

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