How To Shoot A Fadeaway In Basketball
In order to be an effective and good Fadeaway jump shooter in basketball, you need to have good balance, footwork, touch, and antiquate strength in order to master the Fadeaway in basketball.
You will also have to figure out the style of fadeaway you would like to shoot. A stronger more athletic player, might lean towards doing a two motion Fadeaway. While a not so athletic player would lean towards a one motion fade-away shot. In this article I will be breaking down the differences and what you need to do to shoot a better Fadeaway in basketball depending on the type of player you happen to be.
What is A Fadeaway- A reason I want to break this down is because I think there is a lot of misconception about the Fadeaway jumper that needs to be cleared up in order for you to be a more effective Fadeaway shooter in basketball. A Fadeaway is any type of shot where your leaning back or your momentum is going away from the basket. So a Fadeaway does not just have to be in the post but a lot of times it is used as a hybrid of a pull up jumper as well.
A lot of people mix up the sway with a Fadeaway. But a sway is when only your shoulders go back to relax yourself, where a Fadeaway is when your whole bodies momentum is going away from the basket.
1. Two Motion Fadeaway Jumper
What is A Two Jump Shot- A two motion jump shot is when you release the ball at the top of your jump. You first jump then you shoot hence the name two motion jump shot.
For tips on a two motion jump shot check the link below
https://www.detailedhooper.com/post/how-to-shoot-a-two-motion-shot-for-basketball
So a two motion Fadeaway jump shot is the more typical jump shot you see from guys like Micheal Jordan or Kobe Bryant, this is the Fadeaway most people think of when they think of a Fadeaway.
This style of Fadeaway realizes heavily on your jumping, and strength, as the main proponents to get this shot off are the power you generate from your jump, and the strength you have from your arms and upper body.
How To Get Good At a Two Motion Fadeaway Jumper
Strength- Now it is very important when having this style of jump shot to have the antiquate level of strength since you are going to be using your arms as the driving force behind your shot.
A couple ways you can work on this is by your workout routine. For most players I would advice against a body building type of workout especially for basketball, but if your a player who is going to be taking a lot of two motion Fadeaways or two motion shots in general than some body building workouts might be for you
Examples of these types of workouts
2-3 days a week full body
Doing the 5 main exercises in a body builder type of workout
Squat, to work Quadriceps
Row- to work Back, biceps
Overhead press, to work shoulders, triceps, traps
Bench incline or regular bench, chest, triceps
Dead-lift, hamstrings, and posterior chain
Also mix in calf's and abs if you can.
I only recommend this if you really want to be able to shoot a fadeaway like this, I was a player who wanted to shoot like this and these exercises gave me the necessary strength to do so.
Vertical- Now this one isn't as big as strength, since you are fading away from people, your not going to have to rise up as much. But a certain height of vertical might be required.
A reason I only say certain is because if you have too high of a vertical, you actually can effect your shot negatively, Micheal Jordan didn't jump as high as he could on his shot. and we see this with players like Westbrook, although he has the vertical and strength, he jumps so high that he makes his shot more strained and tight.
But for 99.9% of you reading you will not have to worry about that on your Fadeaway. Just know getting some elevation might be required.
Momentum- Know if your going to shoot a two motion Fadeaway, your going to need some type of momentum. Since your using so much of your jumping ability for your shot you almost need to treat your jump shot like a jump.
For example, you wouldn't do your max jump from a standing position with no momentum right. Well its the same with a jump shot. Guys like Micheal Jordan could do it but if you notice even he would get some type of step to spring him up on his jump shot. That is why some of the best times to shoot a two motion Fadeway is off the dribble or even off a screen when you are running and having more momentum
Wrist Flexion- I know this is kinda a weird one, but this is just a little pro tip I notice when I attempt this shot. Realize your also going to be using a lot of wrist on this type of shot . So being able to flex your wrist to get this shot off is going to be a vital part of making them more and more.
You might have to get used to flexing your wrist hard on this Fadeaway too especially at the beginning since your muscle memory will not quite be there
Squaring Up In Mid Air- I will admit this shot might not be for beginner hoopers as most likely you will be having to square up your jump shot in mid air. Squaring up for most hoopers means getting their shooting shoulder and hip aligned with the basket, but on a Fadeaway(especially a two motion Fadeaway) you will be having to do this after turning around to the hoop while also waiting to take your shot till your all lined up to shoot.
Pro Tip: This changes dramatically depending on which side of the court your on. For Example on the right side it is going to be harder. Since a right handed player is used to squaring up with his right hip and shoulder facing the hoop, they will have to glide there body in mid air in order to get that proper alignment. See the image below for an example of what I mean by squaring up your Fadeaway.
Practicing A Fadeaway
One thing I really learned while shooting this Fadeaway is you have to warm up before you do this in a game. So you should always start off close and get the basics down before moving on and do it farther and father away from the basket
While you do need to have functional strength to get this shot off in rhythm and consistently, it is a muscle in it self that you have to learn. Practicing more and more develops this type of muscle. Its like how a body builder cannot climb like a rock climber, while a body builders strength certainly helps him, there are specific strengths required for certain movements. Same goes for basketball as well.
Who Do I recommend This For
If your a really strong player, or a very good athletic player with good positional size I recommend this type of Fadeway for you. As you will probably see very good improvements with this style. It might not be for everybody, but ultimately you have to decide what works best for you, many players who do not have crazy verticals or great strength shoot this type of Fadeaway effectively.
2. One Motion Fadeaway Jumper
What is a one motion shot- A one motion shot is when you shoot on the way up, and use your legs as your main source of power.
This is the classic Dirk Fadeaway that we all know about. Their are some tricks and tips guys like Dirk used to perfect his Fadeaway. That you can use even if aren't 7 feet tall.
Balance- Balance as with any form of shooting is extremely important especially on a difficult shot like a Fadeaway. It might seem like some of the great Fadeaway shooters like dirk, or even Kyrie might be off balance, but in reality a Fadeaway can get you on balanced a lot easier especially if your more one motion like dirk.
Note: Dirk is not a perfect example of a one motion shooter he is actually more of a hybrid one motion shooter
A reason mid range can be hard for one motion shooters is because they have too much power from that range. A Fadeway gives you less power so actually fading back gives you more control. I recommend having a certain amount you fade back to get in a sweet spot, where you have enough power to get the ball to the rim but while also fading back enough where you have optimal power control. Getting control and balance like this will help account for less misses that are long or short.
Footwork- During this shot your likely going to be having your back away from the basket, in order to shoot a Fadeaway effective you have to have the right footwork in order to get in good shooting position. Keeping your pivot foot down and moving till you feel comfortable shooting is a great way to help improve your Fadeaway jumper.
Ways To work On Footwork For Your Fadeaway
Having a partner, start in the mid-post, or wherever you feel like you will be taking the most Fadeaways. And have them pressure up on you. During this focus on keeping your pivot foot down and moving your leg in different positions. Also focus on how your moving the ball around as you do this. I could give you an exact formula but basketball is an art for and if you want to improve your Fadeaway you have to learn what works for you best. Your skills an abilities are a blank canvas and you need to be able to paint it.
Squaring Up Your shot- Just like a two motion Fadeaway, even on a one motion you will need to learn how to square up with your back to the basketball or with your body facing away from the basket, in order to improve your Fadeaway jump shot.
Since most players shoot to the their dominant hip facing the basket you need to learn to turn your body with your pivots, and then shoot when your hip and shooting shoulder are aligned with the rim. This can help at the beginning of learning your Fadeaway as this allows you to get a gauge of where you need to be before you take your shot on a Fadeaway
A simple way to practice this is by learning how to turn and get your self in shooting position on the Fadeaway. This does't even have to involve shooting, because if your hips and body are there then the shot is the easy part. Again if your right handed you will notice it will be harder fading on the right side than the left since you dont have your shooting shoulder and hip perfectly aligned with the hoop. So practice this side more in order to improve your Fadeaway and shoot like Dirk out their.
3. Moves For Fadeaway Shooting
If you want to be a better Fadeaway shooter, knowing when to shoot and how to get space are just as important as the mechanics of the shot.
Step Back- The step back is a great move for a Fadeaway ,as this allows you to get your shot off virtually every time. Use this if your playing against a much taller player and you need to get your shot off. A step back combined with a Fadeaway are unguardable moves especially if used in tandem.
For More Info on a step back check out this link below
https://www.detailedhooper.com/post/how-to-shoot-a-step-back-in-basketball
2. The Bump- as we see in our example here, a bump is when you use your shoulder to push into the defender to get your Fadeaway off.
This works great as a post player since it creates space and a rhythm for you to make more Fadeaway jumpers in your basketball game.
3. Pump Fake- This will be used more as a counter to your Fadeaway jumper. If you made a couple Fadeaways in a row, your defense is going to play to that .Since a Fadeaway is usually a slower shot you can sell this easier and draw more fouls, while also keeping your defender off balance and not able to predict when you will shoot your next shot.
Pro Tip: It is also important to note while a Fadeaway is an effective move if you want to be better at it, you also need to mix in other things, like anything in basketball being unpredictable, makes defenses more hesitant to what your going to do next.
When To Use A Fadeaway
Using a Fadeaway comes down to your comfort level and your ability to knock it down. This can be a great shot against taller and shorter players. It all comes down to what you want to do out there on the basketball court. Like anything it comes down to personal preference.
Some people like to take Fadeaways against taller players, some like to use it against shorter players. It is all up to you. To become better at Fadeaways you need to see what works best for you, some like using one leg, some like to jump, whatever it is if you want to improve, do it often and practice constantly and you will improve as a Fadeaway shooter.
If you got this far I appreciate you, thank you for reading, I hope this article gave you some useful tips and tricks to become a better Fadeaway shooter.
Like always keeping hooping my friends.
