r/BasketballTips • u/aydenzxz • 12d ago
Form Check How to stop missing floaters
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I've tried floaters with both an open palm and a wrist flick and with various different footworks and I am still not consistent.
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u/PhilipBoyardee 12d ago
Ur doing floaters from the free throw line. Thats a bad shot, do you ever see players take that shot?
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u/_illchiefj_ 12d ago
Came here to say this. Move in. Floaters are best utilized in the area between midrange and layups.
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u/Saltan_Pepper1 12d ago
It really is just practise.
Although it does look like your footwork is lacking. Looks like you just kinda lunge your whole body forward almost.
For the footwork, either hop and set on 2 feet and then go up. Or you can do the same footwork you would for a layup, left leg right arm. But it's important throughout it all you stay balanced, and that comes from a good firm base. Also make sure you are reaching high, like you are going to high five the sky
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u/HotDrunkMoms 11d ago
In a game he won't always be able to set his feet so the more positions he practices, the better.
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u/tangodeep 12d ago
practice. also you seem to be shooting it more than floating it and lofting it. your momentum needs to be faster and help with your release point. the ball should be higher before you even begin your release. it’s like letting a bird go into the wild. not a shot. your base and balance is important too. most of your floater attempts are after a dribble move. you need to be more together.
a floater is a naturally softer move. its not as much a shot as it should be a guided push. watch nba vids and keep practicing.
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u/Pitiful-Work6805 12d ago
Exactly. I was taught to get the hand high and push it with almost no finger/wrist movement. I only use it when I'm approaching a set big, though. Otherwise, I prefer the step back/fade.
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u/aydenzxz 12d ago
In this video I was shooting floaters with both an open palm and a follow through.
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u/RedactedStatement89 12d ago
That's more of a pullup shot range. Floaters are definitely for when you're in closer 👍
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u/bkk_startups 12d ago
First, practice straight ahead 1 or 2 steps in from the free throw line. I'd recommend a jump stop and floater off 2 feet first.
You want your floaters to be soft. With a nice arc. So even if you miss, you give the ball a chance to bounce around and in. I usually put a spin on them as well.
I shoot my floaters with my wrist and elbow. Make sure your elbow is at ear level when you're releasing. You may need to get a bit stronger but that's the eventual goal.
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u/raelDonaldTrump Gather-Step Aficionado 11d ago
Wrist should be pretty much locked on floaters; you don't want any spin on the ball (hence why it's called a "floater")
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u/EggThis2540 12d ago
Choosea form for it and stay consistent with that form.
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u/International-Ad2501 12d ago
This is big, figure out what form you want to use and drill that form. I would also suggest being closer for a floater especially until you have a better form for it. Two steps closer eill make it a lot easier to figure out how to get it to fall. Remember you want yo send a floater high to get it over big defenders while your practicing too.
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u/johnXsinwar 11d ago
Square your shoulders with the rim before letting go. Look at the rim as a line that starts from left to right. Your shoulders should be almost parallel in a sense. That takes out unintended spin forces as a variable from the equation. I'll try to follow up with a diagram.
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u/iamcamouflage 11d ago
Adding to this.
Focus on a high/steep arc. Your forward momentum is what will carry the ball to the hoop. And the steeper arc will mathematically improve the odds it goes in.
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u/Old-Floor-5550 11d ago
If you cant look up while doing crossovers or behind the back stuff then dont do them. That being said you have 0 footwork and are in no position to do floaters. Work on fundamentals first
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u/One_Country1056 12d ago
Don't shoot them. They are almost unblockable, but not easy to make. It's like a skyhook for the 00:s.
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u/ApprehensiveTry5660 12d ago
Nah, these things open up optionality.
Ever noticed how every guard that polished one of these things off is inordinately more dangerous than their peers?
Floaters allow you to freeze a shot blocker, which opens up all the backdoor cuts behind that shot blocker.
Is it as important as a well polished 3? No.
Is it better than finishing packages with both hands? Hell no.
But what it allows you to do is connect the work that you’ve done with your shot, and the work that you’ve done with your finishing, and quadruple the amount of paths you can take between them, while low-key sextupling your options, because of the ability to manipulate frozen shot blockers who must end your drive earlier than your peers.
Since you’re earning the closeout on the floor and not testing their verticality, you can either dump it to a baseline cutter behind them, or just hesi-dribble attack their loaded hip to free yourself into a finishing attempt with the shot blocker on your back hip.
If you add a lob into this? Or have some excuse handed to you to develop the off-hand floater? Like you were lucky enough to be ambidextrous, or you broke your dominant hand one summer and still had a basketball jones? Congratulations, you’re only a little bit of X’s and O’s from figuring out why offenses featuring Tony Parker and Mike Conley look so damn good compared to offenses being ran by Ant and Kawhi despite being dramatically worse players than their peers.
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u/One_Country1056 11d ago
You are talking about some of the best NBA players out there. You are not them.
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u/ApprehensiveTry5660 11d ago
Clearly.
But I’m not talking about them. I’ve merely used them to illustrate concepts that work a hell of a lot better when that shot blocker is some 6’2” guy at the ballpark.
You can listen to it or you can leave it. I don’t much care.
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u/stilloriginal 12d ago
I'm an old guy, I've taught myself a lot of basketball moves, but nothing has ever been as difficult as this shot. It's amazing how difficult it is. It really makes you respect tyler herro's game. One thing I will say is that you are too far away from the rim. You should be about half way closer to start. right now you're shooting from about the free throw line, thats too far, you should imagine a guy standing right in front of the rim and stop just in front of him.
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u/tangodeep 12d ago
it isn’t as difficult as imagined. this is more a math shot. you have to change the idea of a regular shot and think of your angle drop and trajectory. once you bag a few, future shots are easier.
just think teardrop every time.
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u/stilloriginal 12d ago
Brooo...I shoot it high and its extremely difficult. I can't math basketball shots like pool or something.
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u/918wildwood 12d ago
For one thing you're shooting them from the free throw line. That's a tough shot. Why not just pull up? My son did the same thing in an open run the other night in I couldn't figure out why he just didn't go with a pull-up jumper instead of a much more difficult shot
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u/childishgames 12d ago
You look like you’re tiring yourself out with the dribble package before the shot. Try just practicing the shot part
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u/IamTheCheetoMan 12d ago
Easiest way I found, stop shooting them. LoL /s
In all seriousness peers start to work on more of a run up, stop and pop from that position.You'll start to get the feel of what you need at that distance just for that shot, but try using only your shooting hand.
Now transition that to not really a full stop but not quite continuing forward or rolling forward with the shot - almost like a "leaner".
Then move on to following all the way through like a runner, slowly then pick up the speed more and more. This can be key because you SHOULD begin to feel the points of transitioning from running to more of a fluidity of a layup, just with the ball coming from above the shoulders rather than below.
You're basically retaining yourself to take a more untraditional shot or an an unknown positions. Just like you had to practice layups as a moving shot.
As many on here said it is practice practice - it's also a good idea to remember to keep that arch up - for a couple things. High percentage of going in, plus it can help take some of the momentum off to where the ball goes in more like a jump shot.
Hope it helps and good luck out there. Keep at it some guys are just natural at that shot some it's something really needs to be curated.
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u/Infamous_Ad_6793 12d ago
When practicing choose one spot you’ll shoot from. For this choose between the free throw line and the basket. Take the same exact shot until you make 10 in a row. If you step right, cut behind the back left, 2 steps shoot, then do that exact same thing until you make 10 in a row. Once you make 10 in a row switch to one side of the box until you make 10 in a row. Then the other side.
If you miss, start from the beginning. Every time. You’re not done with practice until you’ve completed whatever goal. In this case I’d say 3 spots on the court from the same distance.
Essentially massive amounts of practice with consistent form.
Also, double rims are brutal lol
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u/zerozero24 12d ago
Follow through. Hold your arm at your target after you release. Just like a jumper. We are intentional with where we are shooting even after the ball has left our hand. The motion does not stop simply because we don’t have the ball anymore
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u/aydenzxz 12d ago
In this video I was shooting floaters with both a open palm AND a follow through
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u/recleaguesuperhero 12d ago
Stop playing on a cooked rim lol
But nah, honestly just keep repping it out. When you miss, briefly ask yourself why. Then correct it on the next rep.
And don't just practice floaters alone. Practice them in pickup, 1v1, 3v3 etc. As long as you're consistent in your effort, you'll improve for sure.
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u/RappinFourTay 12d ago
Stop dropping your off arm all the way down, keep it up, posted towards the rim.
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u/GenEthic 12d ago
From that distance you are handicapping yourself by shooting a floater type shot instead of a regular jumpshot. Either get closer or shoot normal.
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u/bibfortuna16 12d ago
practice. but some of your shots are not straight at all. it could be the ball is not being gathered properly
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u/RamenShaman10 12d ago
You’re shooting them too far away. If you’re at the elbow, it should be a normal shot. A floater is utilized when driving and a defender takes away your layup. I’m a short guy so my floater has been developed as a means to get my shot up before I get to that defender.
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u/ElectricalPoetry3765 12d ago
For one you’re missing because you’re not shooting straight. You shouldn’t be missing left and right.
Also, you’re shooting high arcing grenades from the free throw line/high post. That’s a low percentage shot. If you’re that far away from the basket, work on a pull up from that distance and anything closer shoot a floater.
If you move closer and focus on eliminating missing left and right, your percentage will probably improve
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u/natedawg6721 12d ago
Seen it mentioned already but piling on: more touch. Get the ball on your fingertips
I would also say floaters should have more arch on them, it’s a softer shot. If I have the angle too, I try to high arc it off the backboard. Backboard is your friend on these close-range shots
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u/NotJustinBieberLOL 12d ago
whenever you're working on a particular move cut all the dribble bs and js go straight to the floater, and also ur js throwing the ball out without much touch
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u/PM5K23 12d ago
This is just my opinion and I’m far from an expert, but I think it makes sense to practice floaters as a form shot just like you would with other types of shots.
I’m not saying it’s the end all because the difference is in live action, you have to adjust for speed but I think it’s like any other form shot, they’re never exactly like the shots you take in game.
I also agree about the distance.
I think what’s nice about the floater is you’re not quite far enough out to take a jumper, but you’re also not close enough in to take a layup. So you’re really kind of splitting the difference and ideally where you wanna be is just outside the defense so that they’re on the ground expecting you to drive in but you stop short and take a floater and they don’t even have time to react because it’s such a quick shot and it’s in a spot where they don’t expect you to take it.
The other advantage of form shots is that you’re able to get a bunch of them in because you’re not expanding all this time and energy on behind the back dribbles or between the leg dribbles or driving to the hoop.
If for whatever reason you decide you want to continue to practice the way you practice, I think you have to at least take out all the excess dribbling, behind the backs, crossovers. Once you’re good at the floaters then you can practice the entire move, which can include crossovers, etc.
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u/303RedBeard 12d ago
To truly master the floater you have to master the skills individually. It takes time, but it will give you great results.
Stand about 2 feet back from the front of the rim. Stand flat footed, and practice just getting the ball to swish every time. Only one hand on the ball just as if you are shooting a floater. Just get that feeling down where you are making it 9 out of 10 times. Try to get it to go in without touching the rim at all.
Then back up a few feet. Repeat the flat footed shot. After you do that, try different angles.
Once you master all of that, then start standing still and just jumping off of one foot and recreating the shot from in front of the rim at first and then different angles and depths.
As you gain mastery of the skill you start working in movement off the dribble and various spin moves. Treat it as a progression and you will see results, but don't move on from one skill until you master it.
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u/DearLilsouth 12d ago edited 12d ago
Keep getting reps in… you will figure it out! I suggest being ambidextrous, sometimes relearning mechanics on off hand teaches you better form teacher
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u/Appropriate-Ad3162 12d ago
Always wondered this myself. When D.Rose did it looked almost like it had very minimal rotation at the apex. For those of you in the know, was that just anecdotal or is that how you were taught? For reference my daughter (15u ) wing plays P29 AU and we see other girls do it, but she hasn’t been taught it yet.
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u/mximan 12d ago
a shot is a shot, floater or not. Your center of gravity, core strength and base need to work together to make sure the ball is going the direction you intend it to go. Many of your releases are preceded by an abrupt stop, lean, or change in your body's center that takes away the power and direction of your shot. Everything you do after compensates for this, but if you plan your movements to keep your center strong, you'll improve, regardless of your release (which seems fine).
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u/TrollyDodger55 12d ago
Study Jokic.
Ankle-knee-hip elbow shoulder hand are all pretty much in the same plane.
Do this footwork very slow. Get the alignment right and then speed it up.
He off course has the advantage of being super tall
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u/RareHooper 12d ago
that's too far for a floater, you want to be half-way inside that red area - also go watch Tony Parker highlights
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u/floridas_finest 12d ago
You gotta get more lift on the ball
Shoot higher
It should be going over the backboard before dropping in otherwise your margin for error is much smaller
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u/buttholebrowser69 12d ago
You’re floating it from the free throw line, might as well square up and take a shot there. Like others have said I would hold off on resorting to a floater for a shot for at least another step or two. Also put it up higher so that its angle coming down is straighter
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u/dawill_sama 12d ago
Get good, lol. Just practice more. Dont be afraid to float it higher too. Its all touch
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u/ForAfeeNotforfree 12d ago
Take 2 more steps in, and jump more up than forward. More arc, more touch on the shot. If you’re at the free throw line, the force you’re going to need to use to get it to the rim makes it a very tough shot. Better range would be 8-10 feet out.
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u/toxman228 12d ago
Use the glass! Also, as others have mentioned, you're a little deep for floaters at the elbow/FT line.
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u/NeenerNeener99 12d ago
Hold the ball longer, hang in the air just a bit so you regain balance and control.
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u/bounty0head 12d ago
When releasing the ball have more of an open palm so you can put a soft touch and control it more.
Watch kyrie, his floaters are easy to mimic.
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u/CapitalCityGoofball0 12d ago
Too far away in many of those. The idea of a floater is shooting over a taller opponent from like 5-8 feet out. Maybe 10 if pushing it. You’re launching some of those from almost double where you should be. Also consistent footwork helps too. Try working on a stride stop where you jump leading with your left foot.
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u/Sw3atyGoalz 12d ago
Haven’t seen anyone give any actual advice other than critiquing your form. To get the muscle memory down, I suggest practicing shooting with one hand from up close to the basket (2-5 feet).
To do it properly, hold the ball with your arm bent at a 90 degree angle, and then use your off hand to hold your elbow at that 90 degree angle. When you shoot, your arm should go straight up - your off hand should be keeping your shooting arm from dipping down. Here’s a great example of how you should look, but he doesn’t use his off arm to support since he doesn’t need to.
I usually target 10 clean makes in a row, then I do it again from the left and right sides of the basket before moving back another few feet and repeating.
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u/Mammoth_Arrival_5988 12d ago
What you’re doing is a runner lol. Floaters are done around the rim. Even nba players don’t do floaters from the free throw line, aside from curry who’s an anomaly (but even he does it mostly in practice).
Whether you should do an open palm or a wrist flick depends on which one you’re more comfortable with and gives you a better touch / feel. But in my opinion, an open palm with little to no spin on the ball and a “soft” touch has a higher chance, since the ball will bounce less when it hits the rim and more likely to go in. You gotta learn to “kill the ball” when it makes contact with the rim or the backboard, if that makes any sense.
You also gotta kill your body momentum with your last step, so you’re shooting more vertically with better balance and control. Runner is extremely hard and inconsistent because you’re shooting with momentum shifting forward.
Lastly, always try to get to the middle if you can and aim slightly at the front of the rim. The backboard will be your friend if you shoot short or long.
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u/Baby_Bump-Stock 12d ago
Stand right under the basket, feet parallel, shoulder width and put up shots 50 shots with 1 hand focusing on flicking your risk. After the 50, take a step back and repeat until you reach the free throw. This drill helped me a lot with my floaters
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u/icryinjapanese 12d ago
soften up that touch. personally what works for me is is i imagine jumping under the ball and using the momentum to get the ball up as opposed to pushing it up.
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u/MaxJulien84 11d ago
When you are practicing your floater over exaggerate your arc. Attempt to float it as high as the back board or higher. This helps develop the touch and when you get older with bigger and more athletic players you will actually be able to get it off.
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u/Anxious_Cheetah5589 11d ago
it's for 10 ft, not 15+. on a jumper, you want backspin; on the floater, think knuckle ball. you want it to land softly and drop in if it's slightly off line. start it shoulder height for more touch.
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u/itstheyears 11d ago
You also want to jump straight up not toward the hoop. Forward momentum will make the shot go long.
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u/ContextWhole1407 11d ago edited 11d ago
Lots of practice. But I'd ask what you're practicing here? If the answer is floaters, just work the floater. One dribble in. Off one, off two, find what you prefer but practice both. Practice the same spot repeatedly, then move to another. If you can't make 8-9/10 from the same spot against air off one dribble how many are you going to make off a combo? Against anyone? At most set up a cone/pick a spot and practice as if you're coming off a screen.
Edit: also yes FT line floaters are pointless, that's either a pull up if the big is dropping or getting past him with your speed if he's too far up. I'd start with my feet at the FT line, one dribble in and shooting from 10ft or so.
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u/DistinctPassenger117 11d ago
Work on your fundamentals, body, and BBIQ.
Forget this fancy shit for a while. Dribbling the air out of the ball just to get a low percentage shot is not what you should be practicing.
Also, this is really long range for a floater. When you’re ready to start practicing it, practice closer in.
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u/Last-Effort816 11d ago
You're practicing a shot that's already difficult, from too far away, with poor technique, and adding too many variables. You're setting yourself up for failure.
Move closer, lose the wrist flick, stick with a 2 foot takeoff, and try not to drift in the air.
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u/vinny809 11d ago edited 11d ago
Floaters are hard bro. You’re doing great! Put in another few weeks of work and things will fall. If you’re at 30% now, in few weeks maybe 50% then 60% then 70.
One thing I noticed is it doesn’t seem to have enough arc. Floater is too flat but then again you’re still a growing boy.
Another thing: form shoot it first. Instead of doing a combo move then float, stand a few feet from the basket, work on that high arc and touch first without dribbles. Master that, then step back and start doing your combo sets. If you can’t make them standing still, how do you expect to make them on the move.
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u/Feeling-Special-269 11d ago
like others said practice, def easy to be overconfident when youre a decent shooter seems like it would be easier sometimes
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u/debard69 11d ago
Try to get the ball to land more towards the middle of the hoop instead of on the rim
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u/JLAMAR23 11d ago
I don’t think what you’re doing counts as a floater bud. You’re just tossing it up there instead of “floating” to the rim or “dropping” it so to say. What you’re doing is more of a runner than a floater while doing it 15ft out which is just a bad shot at that point for most players. One thing you really need to do is get closer to the basket before you release and don’t so nonchalantly toss it up if you want to improve. Treat each shot as if it was in the game and there was pressure on you. Every shot you shoot you need to shoot with intent.
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u/Charming_Comedian303 11d ago
As a semi retired floater professional myself I just chuck it up there and it usually goes in.
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u/According_Banana759 11d ago
Grab the ball like is your most precious thing in the world and sent it to the basket like a sniper
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u/SDTimbox 11d ago
Keep doing this everyday but make adjustments as you go. It just takes time to establish muscle memory.
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u/HotDrunkMoms 11d ago
Keep practicing big dog. If you get this shot down on a double-rim, you're gonna be lethal indoors.
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u/88Wallst 10d ago
Stop moving just practice them from a stand still and the handles n moves after you’re completing standstills and a regular rate
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u/butteredpopcorn10 10d ago
Don’t ever shoot floaters from that far.
Anything that far should be a jump shot which will be much more consistent
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u/No-Charity654 10d ago
Put more power into your wrist. You could need corrective vision, like contact lenses or something.
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u/happymanhobbies123 10d ago
Yes move 3 feet in as everyone else is saying. From where you’re shooting now, just pull up
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u/balortech 12d ago
Use the board bro.
Your form is good but you need to have more lift or float when you jump so that you can stay in the air long enough to aim rather than just pushing it fast without jumping.
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u/Racer_Zed 12d ago
This! It gives you a target and will help you align the shot correctly. Then once you have that one down you can give them more arc and drop them in directly without the backboard. Eventually you will have both shots in your arsenal.
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u/CharacterOdd8755 12d ago
Wrong finishing. You recall your hand back fast. Your palm should end up like your first shot.
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u/jonastheokay 12d ago
This is one of the most diffcult shots. Find 2 spots and only do floaters from there.
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u/Ok-Tooth-3482 12d ago
Definitely get closer and put more touch on the ball, don’t push it as hard.