A jump hook is a short, one-handed shot taken side-on to the basket. The post player steps into the lane, turns so his off shoulder points at the rim, keeps the ball back and protected by his body, and releases it with the arm farther from the defender. A baby hook is the shortest version, taken right at the rim.
Why coaches use it
Because it is hard to block. With the body between ball and defender, the defender has to reach across the shooter to get to it, which is usually a foul. A post player with a jump hook can score over a taller defender without needing to face up.
It is also the counter that goes the other way from the drop step: when the defender plays the baseline side, the hook goes to the middle.
How it is done
Hal Wissel’s technique, from Basketball: Steps to Success and republished on Coach’s Clipboard:
- Look over the shoulder. See the rim and the defender before you move.
- Step away from the defender. With the foot opposite the shooting hand.
- Ball back and protected. The off hand stays on it until the release.
- Hook ear to ear. Lift the shooting-side knee and release over the top. Bank it from an angle.
ACTIVE.com’s article on the jump hook adds a step-in drill: from about 1.5 metres at 45 degrees, step into the lane and hook, then step toward the baseline and hook with the other hand.
Drills
Wissel’s warm-up starts under the rim with alternating hands, the same rhythm as the Mikan drill. Our jump hook drill starts on the block with a coach feeding from the wing, one block per hand, and it is tagged from U12.