By Brentan Debysingh

Whether on a fast break, on a set play or just wide open, making an NBA three-pointer is not as easy as the players make it look. The factors that determine a make or miss are countless, ranging from the defensive spacing, the time remaining on the clock, or the called play. But when the decision to take a shot from "downtown" is made, the motion of getting their bodies to create the actions, which will result in a made three-point field goal, is the end product of an amalgamation of professional habits.
At its furthest distance, the NBA three-point line stands at 23' 9" away from the rim. At the corners, that area is reduced to 22'. To find out the keys to success from those distances, we asked three Miami HEAT sharpshooters: forward Shane Battier, guard Mario Chalmers and the reigning NBA three-point champion, forward James Jones. These marksmen explained how they attain success behind the arc.

SHANE BATTIER'S ADVICE: 1. REPETITION: It's literally tens of thousands of three-pointers in the summer in the gym with a coach, with a friend or by yourself. 2. BALANCE: Get your feet set and grounded. Maintain a good foundation to set yourself up for a good shot. 3. SEE THE RIM: Your eyes have to find your target. 4. FOLLOW YOUR ROUTINE: Do what you've trained yourself to do in practice. "It's such an instinctual process. You know how quick your own shot is. You know in a nanosecond if you have a good shot."

MARIO CHALMERS' ADVICE: 1. BALANCE: Don't lean in to the hoop or lean away from it. Maintain a medium. 2. STAY SQUARE: Keep your body square to the basket. Face the hoop to line up your shot correctly. 3. SIGHT: Keep your eyes on the target; you have to see the basket. 4. REPETITION: Take a lot of shots before, during and after practice. "You can't think about it too much. Once you start thinking about it too much, that's when it throws you off. With all the hard work in practice you put in, it should just be second nature."

JAMES JONES' ADVICE: 1. WATCH THE BALL: The ball can come to you in many different ways. You can be off balance, or in shooting position. Catch the ball in a position to shoot it. 2. LOCATE THE BASKET: Taking a shot is a split-second decision. Make sure you know where you're aiming. 3. BALANCE: You try to get your feet down and stay in the middle. When you catch the ball with good balance, it increases your chances of making the basket. 4. REPETITION: The more you do shoot three-pointers, the better you get at it. I used to start at 100 three's a day. Then 100 became easy, so I pushed it up to 200. On a shooting day it's 500. Somewhere around the 350 mark, you get tired, but the last 150, you dig deep and knock them down. "Late in the game, the three-point ball becomes a dangerous weapon. In the last six minutes of the game you want to make sure you have enough endurance to shoot the same shot in the fourth quarter, that you shot in the first quarter."