From Steph Curry to Michael Jordan, the NBA has always had a basketball player who inspired kids to pick up the sport. Basketball is the most important sport among kids in the U.S. therefore it would come as no surprise that most parents would want to train their children from an early age how to shoot hoops. Being taught the fundamentals of basketball by a parent will ensure your child stands out from the crowd when they are among their peers.

Learning to shoot basketball is not as simple as just throwing a ball into a basket, it is rather technical. The process involves a lot of practice, wrist control, proper balance and form, all of which are taught and learnt overtime. Below are some top tips you can use to make your child to become proficient in this skill.

Teach Them Proper Balance

Balance is everything, especially in sports. Balance in your limbs is the first step to learning how to shoot. The feet should be straight and pointing the rim and about shoulder length apart. How the feet are positioned highly influences how your general balance will be.

Take Note of the Shooting Hand

After getting the balance in check, the next step is identifying which hand your child uses to shoot. Is your child right or left-handed? This could potentially save you a lot of problems in the coming future. The shooting hand is the dominant hand and it does most of the technical work while the guide hand is there to assist. If you want to help your child excel in basketball, it is recommended that you identify your child’s shooting hand from a young age and build on that strength.

Choose the Right Size Hoop To Practice With

For children 4-7 years old, pick a smaller ball and hoop to practice with. Pick a junior basketball known as a Size 4 or 25.5. This ball is actually lighter and easier to move around with, and this gives your child the confidence to shoot the ball. For the rim, pick a 6-foot or an 8-foot rim if they are a bit older and bigger for their age.

Shoot the Ball!

While shooting the ball, remind your child the basics of balancing. Tell them to bend their knees and keep the arms at a 90-degree angle, pushing the arms forward and letting the ball fly. What follows after is following through to the rim. This often times gets ignored yet it is a very important part of the process as it helps your child to make straighter shots.

Do Not Duplicate What the Pros Do!

This is probably one of the hardest things to do, but it is extremely important. Teach your kids to practice and be patient with the process. Make sure they understand that they don’t need to make 3-pointers their first shot like the pros. Most kids put too much pressure on themselves because they do not understand that basketball is an art that takes time to perfect. Everyone started from somewhere and with time they got better.