To be a top basketball player you will need to develop some specific skills. One of the more important skills is to shoot the ball with accuracy. If you are not scoring points on a fair amount of the shots you make, you need to improve on this skill. Part of learning this skill is how to handle the ball and how to play defense. But the bottom line is that to be a valuable asset to your team, you must be able to score the points.
Use proper shooting form and what is considered proper form can be debated by players and coaches alike. Many players have developed their own variation and others have been taught from an early age what is considered to be correct. All young players should have been taught the basic skills of shooting the basketball so they at least know what the basic mechanics of shooting are, then built on those skills.
12 Volt Drill
Some pointers are. When you are holding the ball in your shooting hand, hold it far enough back in your hand so that your wrist will bend back. Push the ball toward the hoop with your hand directly behind the ball. Proper form would have your arm following through after releasing the ball. Let your arm extend outward with your wrist flopping downward as if limp wristed.
If you jump while making your shot, try to land in the same spot. This will help improve your balance and accuracy. But this is not always possible to do if you are on the run or a defender in on you.
Being able to make shots while under pressure from the defense is an important skill that must be learned. The defense will do what-ever it takes to make it difficult for you to make a shot. Being forced to make bad shots or make ball handling mistakes is something for you to avoid. If you can reduce the time that it takes you to make a shot, it will reduce any chance for the defense to block or interrupt your shot.
Being able to make that quick release will help you avoid having pressure put on you. One way to practice getting you shots off quicker is to stage some balls at various points on the floor. Have someone time you and run from one station to the next making your shots with proper form but at a faster pace than normal for you. If you can increase your speed in subsequent runs and keep some accuracy it will go a long way in building your confidence.