Newbie needs advice...again

Need some basketball advice. I've been shooting with a 85 f/1.8 in a variety of modes (manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, sports mode) using a center focus point. I've tried AI Servo and AI Focus. No matter what I try, there are many more out-of-focus shots than there are in-focus shots. Is this because shooting wide open allows no margin of error on focusing or am I doing something wrong? Is it usual to only get a handful of keepers out of dozens of shots? I don't know how many shots I have of a blurred player and an in-focus background.

jmiller66 wrote in post #2337975
No matter what I try, there are many more out-of-focus shots than there are in-focus shots.

Not at all uncommon when using an f1.8 lens and trying to keep track of a moving subject ....

Your DOF is just razor thin, and if your focus point slips off of your subject even briefly then you'll have the back wall in focus instead of a player ....

Practice, practice, practice ....

But I would stick with manual mode (no automatic mode), AI Servo (no AI Focus). And did I say "practice" ..... ? That's the only way you get better at tracking and maintaining focus is to just shoot a lot.

Thanks, I'll keep at it.