BASIC SHOOTING SKILLS - HEAD AND ELBOW (MALE). Coach Cedric Carter teaches the proper use of the head and elbow when shooting. You don't need a basket to shoot at for this drill, as you just want to ensure that you have the correct hand position and release, and that your ball goes straight up and lands directly in front of you. Start in an athletic stance. Place the ball in your shooting hand with your fingers spread out. Make sure the ball is not resting on the palm of your hand, but is in the fingers. Next, make sure your elbow is directly under the ball forming a 90 degree angle. Once you self check these things, extend up through your legs, while extending your elbow straight up into a locked position while following through with your wrist on your shot. The ball should go straight up in the air and fall directly in front of you. Practice this until you can do it hundreds of times with the ball landing in the same spot.