The Fadeaway: Basketball technique, drills and fixes

The fadeaway is a two-foot jump shot where you jump up and slightly back, away from your defender, to buy space for the release. It usually comes from the post after a back-down, fake and turn, and it is associated with Michael Jordan, whose turnaround fadeaway skills coaches still break down. It costs you power, accuracy and rebounding position, so build it on a solid straight-up jumper. From the side the app reads your footwork, your backward lean and your shooting mechanics; it can't see the defender or whether the shot went in.

Set up and create space

Own the straight-up jumper first. Only add the fade once your two-foot jump shot holds up from mid-range, and start it close to the basket. For most young players the fadeaway is a low-percentage shot that often comes up short.

the fade is an add-on, not your base shot.

Get a first bit of space before you fade. From the post, catch in a low, wide stance and back down with one or two dribbles, then sell a quick ball-and-shoulder fake to the middle. Facing up, a head-and-shoulder fake does the same job.

the defender moves first, then you go.

End the dribble with both feet on the floor so either foot can be your pivot. Keep the ball chest or shoulder high, ready to shoot.

two feet down, ball up, ready to turn either way.

Turn and rise

Pivot and swing your free leg around toward the side you are turning. Learn it over both shoulders so the defender can't sit on one direction.

a quick, short turn.

Point your far foot away from the defender as you drop your hips. Skills coach Gary Maitland describes Jordan setting that foot at about 45 degrees to the baseline, so he had less to turn and was already lined up.

hips low, body already half-facing the rim.

Jump off both feet, up and away from the defender. Most of the jump goes up; take only as much backward drift as you need for space.

up first, back second.

Finish squaring to the rim in the air if you turned. Some players kick one foot out toward the basket as a counterbalance so the hips don't over-rotate.

shoulders square to the rim at the top.

Release and finish

Keep your head and shoulders going forward and up toward the rim while your hips drift back. Leaning your shoulders back is the fault that kills the shot.

legs go back, chest and eyes stay on the rim.

Time the release to the distance. On mid-range shots let it go just before the top of your jump; on short shots in the paint, release at the top to get over the defender.

the ball leaves while you're still rising on longer shots.

Extend your elbow fully, elbow in, on an arc of about 45 to 60 degrees. A short-armed release is a common reason the shot falls short.

a full, high reach.

Hold the follow-through until the ball reaches the basket.

arm up, still holding as you come down.

Stay legal

Release before your feet come back down. Under NBA and FIBA rules you may jump off your pivot foot to shoot, but the ball must leave your hands before that foot returns to the floor; if you jump off both feet, release before either lands. Other leagues may word this differently.

the shot is gone before you land.

Land safe

Check the floor behind you is clear before you practise it. You land behind your takeoff spot, where you can't see.

no balls, chairs or players in your landing zone.

Land on both feet. In a lab study, one-leg backward landings hit the ground about 16% harder than one-leg forward landings, while two-foot backward and forward landings peaked at about the same force.

both feet down together.

Land softly, knees over your toes, and bend your knees and hips on purpose. People bend less at the hip and knee when they land backward, so you have to choose to sink into it.

a quiet landing that sinks, not a stiff stop.

Build the landing up gradually and stop the session if a knee or ankle hurts. Landing practice works best 2 to 3 times a week at an intensity where your technique stays excellent.

controlled every rep, never just survived.

Feel it

A small, controlled jump up and away, with your legs drifting back while your head, shoulders and shooting arm stay forward and up toward the rim. The release is a full, high reach you hold until the ball arrives, and the landing is two feet, soft and bent. If you feel yourself falling backward or the ball keeps landing short, the fade is bigger than your legs can support: shrink it. The app reads your footwork, lean and shooting mechanics from the side; it can't see the defender, the ball's flight or the make.

Fix-its

The shot comes up short The usual causes are not using your legs, an incomplete follow-through or an uneven rhythm. Move closer, make the fade smaller and finish the follow-through.
You fade too far and lose balance Jump up first and back second. Take only the drift you need for space, and go back to the straight-up jumper when your form breaks.
You lean your shoulders back Send your head and shoulders forward and up toward the rim as you follow through, and keep the arc at 45 to 60 degrees.
You over-rotate on the turn and miss to the side Point your far foot away from the defender before you rise so there's less to turn, and square up in the air. A small foot kick toward the basket can act as a counterbalance.
You land stiff or on one foot Land on both feet, softly, knees over toes, with a deliberate bend at the knees and hips.

Drill

Jump Shot Warm-Up (no fade): start about 9 ft out, 10 attempts with correct form. After 5 makes in a row move to 12 ft, then 15 ft. This is your base.
No-ball backward landings: from a balanced stance, take small two-foot hops up and slightly back. Land softly on both feet, knees over toes, knees and hips bent, and hold the landing. Make the hop bigger only while every landing stays clean.
Close-range fade: shoot small fadeaways a few feet from the rim. Use the warm-up's rule: 5 makes in a row before you step back.
Post fade from both blocks: catch low and wide, one or two dribbles to back down, ball-and-shoulder fake to the middle, pivot, swing the other leg, jump up and away, square in the air. Practise over both shoulders.
Add a defender: first a passive hand up, then live. Film from the side now and then to check that your head and shoulders stay forward and you land on two feet.

By position

Post players and wings who score with their back to the basket use it most: it is a standard option off a back-down and turn. Younger players should treat it as a practice-first shot, since it is low-percentage for most of them and often comes up short. Whoever shoots it, it takes you out of rebounding position for your own miss.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-30.