How To Shoot A Post Hook In Basketball ( Step By Step)

The post hook is one of the best go-to shots for a post player. A post hook allows you to quickly get a shot off, while also giving you the ability to shoot over taller defenders.

This can also be a great move for guards and does not have to be a shot limited to only post players. Many players use a post hook even off the dribble in order to get the ball over the team's center.

In this article, I will be going over a few tips as well as some drills you can use in order to shoot this shot with more efficiency and accuracy.

How To Do It

1. Balance

One thing that always makes a post hook easier is when a player is on balance.

This can mean many different things depending on the type of player and the type of shot you like to take.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure you have both feet planted to the ground and you are in a good athletic stance.

2. Positioning

Like anything in the post half of the battle is getting good post positioning. Good post positioning means you get the ball in a place you are comfortable with relatively close to the basket.

A great to do this is by getting lower which allows for leverage and optimal center of gravity.

Another great way of doing this is by throwing your defender of and initiating contact explosively and quickly.

3. FootWork

Footwork is the foundation that allows you to successfully shoot any shot in basketball especially a post hook.

To start one thing you will have to do and be comfortable with is learning how to pivot and open your body up for your shot.

As you pivot out it's important that you adjust your feet while the shot is in motion. For example, on many post hooks, you will start with your feet parallel with the baseline.

As the shot is forming you will then need to turn your feet and your body to then square up and take your shot.

Pro Tip: It sometimes helps to just practice the movement of the pivot before you take any shots. This can be done by yourself in practice and can be a great foundational workout to perfect your post hook.

4. Squaring Up

As I said before the best way for you to make sure your post hook is accurate is to make sure you square up to the basketball. This can be done in two different ways and this will depend on the type of ways you shoot your post hook.

One way is making sure your shooting shoulder is aligned directly with the hoop. This is for players who like to keep their bodies between them and their defenders. A lot of the time this can look very similar to a skyhook.

The second way of squaring up is by having your body and shooting arm aligned with the basket. This is more for players who like to elevate on their post hook and is more similar to a jump hook.

5. Touch

What makes the post hook such a difficult shot for so many players is that this type of shot requires a lot of touches. Which can be difficult so close to the basket.

One way of overcoming this problem is by using your body's momentum as your force versus just using your arm for all the power.

The reason this can work so well is that this allows players to get better control and gauge how much power they need on a particular shot.

To do this as your going up to realise your shot use your body momentum to flow through your arm and out to your shot.

This can also be called one motion. The key is to have one fluid motion from the time you load up to the time your release the ball on your shot.

6. Use Your Hands Effectively

Since a post hook is almost always used with one hand it's even more important that you use your guide hand and shooting hand effectively in order to be accurate on your shot.

Guide hand

A great way to make your guide hand as effective as possible in the post hook is to make sure you use this off-hand to shield against your opponent.

You can use this off-arm to create contact with your defender by bumping your shoulder against them. Or simply shielding your shooting hand away from your defender's arms.

Shooting Hand

In order to be the most accurate on a post hook, your shooting hand must have your palms and fingers facing toward the rim as you go up to shoot it.

Many players like to actually point their fingers as they go up for their shot while others just do it off feel and repetition.

Pro Tip: One tip I have found works for many players is keeping their hand on top of the ball when shooting the post hook. This can allow for an extra spin and more power control as you go up into your post hook.

Frequently Asked Question

Question: What is the difference between a post hook and a jump hook?

Answer: A jump hook is basically the same thing as a post hook but the main difference is that on a jump hook your jump first before you take a shot.

A post hook is a one-motion shot, where a jump hook is a two-motion shot.

Question: The best way to practice a post hook?

Answer: There are two great ways of practicing the post hook I would recommend.

One way is practicing by yourself perfecting the movements and the footwork of the move.

And the other way would be playing post one on one against other players. This way you can get more used to doing the move against other competition.

Conclusion

Even though today's modern game is seeing fewer and fewer post-ups, the post hook is still a great move any player can quickly go to down low.

I hope this article gave you some helpful and useful information.

Thank you for reading and as always keep hooping my friends.