France Ligue 1 Matches Today

Let me tell you something about the elbow shot that most casual players overlook - it's not just about mechanics, it's about mentality. I've spent countless hours watching NBA games, breaking down film, and what strikes me most isn't the physical execution but the mental discipline these players demonstrate. When people say NBA players are the best for a reason, they're not just talking about their vertical leap or hand size. Their discipline together with their talent and their work ethic is second to none. It's not just on the court. I've seen footage of players like Chris Paul arriving at arenas three hours before tip-off, methodically working through hundreds of elbow jumpers while most of us are still thinking about what we're having for dinner. That's the level of commitment we're talking about here.

The elbow area, those sweet spots about 16-18 feet from the basket on either side of the key, represents basketball's forgotten art in today's three-point obsessed game. Yet when I analyze championship teams, about 42% of their half-court offense still generates from these mid-range areas during playoff games. The numbers might surprise you, but what surprises me more is how few amateur players dedicate practice time to mastering this shot. I remember my own basketball journey - for years I'd spend 80% of my practice time on three-pointers, until a veteran coach pulled me aside and showed me how developing my elbow game would open up everything else. He was absolutely right. Now when I step onto that elbow, there's a different kind of confidence, a different rhythm to my release.

Perfecting the elbow jumper starts with footwork that most players never truly master. I'm talking about the subtle details - how your lead foot should be pointed slightly toward the basket at about a 15-degree angle, how your weight transfers from your heels to the balls of your feet in one fluid motion. Most coaching will tell you to square up, but after working with dozens of players, I've found that a slight turn actually creates better balance and rotation. The catch-and-shoot mechanics here are different from other spots on the floor because you're often receiving the ball while moving laterally or coming off screens. Your body needs to be under control even when everything around you is chaotic.

What separates good shooters from great ones at the elbow is their ability to create space. I've charted this extensively - the difference between a contested and uncontested elbow shot can be as little as 1.2 feet of separation, but that small gap increases shooting percentage by nearly 18 percentage points. The best players I've studied don't rely solely on screens; they use hesitation moves, shot fakes, and pace changes to create that precious breathing room. My personal favorite is the one-dribble pull-up, where you attack the closeout, take one hard dribble toward the baseline, and rise up before the defense can recover. It's a move that's won me more games than I can count.

The release point at the elbow requires special attention because the angles are different than shooting from straight on. I always tell players to focus on their follow-through - your shooting hand should finish with fingers pointing directly at the rim, not drifting left or right. The rotation on the ball needs to be tighter than on three-pointers because you're shooting from closer range. When I'm really locked in, I can feel the perfect backspin leaving my fingertips, that beautiful rotation that either swishes through or gives you a friendly bounce if it hits the rim. It's a sensation that becomes addictive once you experience it consistently.

Practice routines matter tremendously here. I'm not a fan of mindless repetition - shooting 100 elbow jumpers in a row from the same spot doesn't translate to game situations. What works better, in my experience, is what I call "contextual repetition." Start by taking five shots from each elbow, then incorporate movement - come off imaginary screens, practice catching and shooting in rhythm. Then add defensive pressure, even if it's just in your mind. Visualize a defender closing out and work on getting your shot off quickly. The NBA players we admire don't just practice the shot itself; they practice the circumstances surrounding the shot.

The mental aspect of elbow shooting is what truly separates the masters from the novices. There's a certain confidence that comes with knowing you own that area of the court. When I see a defender sag off me at the elbow, there's almost an instinctual trigger that goes off - this is my shot, my territory. The great mid-range assassins like DeMar DeRozan or Kawhi Leonard approach these shots with what I can only describe as quiet violence - there's no hesitation, no second-guessing, just pure execution born from thousands of hours of deliberate practice. That level of certainty doesn't happen overnight; it's built through failure and refinement.

What most players don't realize is how the elbow shot opens up the rest of your game. When defenders have to respect your mid-range jumper, they close out harder, which means you can blow by them for layups or kick-outs to open three-point shooters. In my own games, I've found that hitting two or three early elbow jumpers completely changes how the defense plays me for the rest of the game. Suddenly they're up in my space, worried about the jumper, and that's when the driving lanes open up. It creates a beautiful cascade effect that makes you a more complete offensive threat.

The evolution of basketball analytics has unfortunately led many to undervalue the elbow shot, but the truth is that it remains one of the most efficient shots in the game when taken by the right player in the right situation. I've crunched numbers from my own games and found that my effective field goal percentage on elbow jumpers is actually higher than my percentage on corner threes, despite what analytics might suggest about shot selection. The key is knowing your range, your capabilities, and practicing until the shot becomes second nature. There's a reason why championship teams still rely on these shots during crunch time - they're available when the defense collapses and the three-point line gets taken away.

Mastering the elbow shot requires embracing the grind in a way that modern basketball often discourages. While everyone's practicing 30-footers, you'll be working on footwork, balance, and that sweet mid-range release. But when the game is on the line and you need a bucket, there's nothing more reliable than that practiced, perfected elbow jumper. It's a shot that has stood the test of time, through every era of basketball, because fundamentally, it works. The satisfaction of seeing that perfect arc and soft rotation time after time makes all those hours of practice worthwhile. That's the beauty of this game - sometimes the most effective weapons are the ones everyone else has forgotten about.