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what I know about shooting. I see the game in deep trouble because
there are very few great shooters any more, and few people know
how to coach great shooting. Coaches and players everywhere lament
the decline in this master skill. Wonderfully designed plays
are run to perfection, a player is opened up for a 10-15' shot
or a 3, and then the shot is missed. It even happens so often
that coaches and players aren't surprised when the shot is botched.
Failure is kind of expected, but it's still disappointing. Articles
are written about this dilemma, and people are looking for an
answer. I wish to provide that answer. We met coaches, players, scouts and agents and worked with a number of the players. The Camp is truly remarkable. Pete's contribution to the game with this Camp is huge. It shows big men how to position themselves, how to move, set their feet, pivot, dribble, go up, etc. etc. It shows them how to use their size and strength to gain an advantage. One of Pete's great things is teaching "counter" moves, both on offense and defense. When I read "A Good Man," the biography of Pete by Dan Jenkins, it told how his teams were so prepared and so able to adjust to (counter) opponents' actions, they didn't need time outs. In fact, they worked to force the other team to call the "first" time out, thus showing a sign of weakness. There weren't the television time outs there are today. I played on the Stanford team in the year when Cal won the National Championship, and I remember how difficult they were to play against. We knew exactly what they were going to run against us, but their execution was so great we couldn't stop them. At the Camp, Pete and his wonderful coaching staff teach that kind of thinking and independence, the various counter moves possible with each position. Shooting was my main focus, however, and I observed 78 big guys that don't shoot very well (36 pros and 42 college guys). There were a few guys I'd call "good" shooters, a couple exceptional, and the rest were mediocre to poor. I didn't see one pro whom I'd call a "great" shooter. Austin Croshere from the Pacers was the best of the pros, but he's streaky some times. He has fairly high arch and a relaxed wrist and hand, but he looks a little mechanical to me, and could shoot quicker. Pat Garrity and Michael Doleac of the Orlando Magic are what I would call "good" shooters, and a couple more could shoot well at times. As I saw last year, I saw more college guys who could shoot than the pros. I saw 5-6 with nice form and maybe two who were consistently lighting it up. The problem was they were almost all shooting flat and using too much wrist and hand. It's probably the way they were coached, and since everyone's doing it, they don't think they're that bad. A funny thing happened with a sports reporter
Mike and I met in the stands, Wayne La Velle, from KGU radio.
He heard us talking about Kenyon Martin, the top draft pick of
the New Jersey Nets, and got my opinion that his shot needs some
work. He also heard others say the same thing, but when he talked
to Kenyon's agent later and asked him about Kenyon's shot, the
agent said he doesn't have a problem. His shot is "just
fine." When the reporter pushed back, saying he's heard
it from several people, he got the same answer. I realize the
Agent's job is to inflate his client, so it's not surprising
to hear that kind of denial. My guess is that Kenyon might think
his shot is okay, too, because he shoots about as well as the
rest of the guys out there. He's a fantastic athlete and will
do well in the NBA. Work on his shooting will add to his value
and success. I hope somebody is reading this who can connect
me with him. This summer I did a marathon series of clinics around the country. For 47 days from Seattle to Pennsylvania, L.A. to East Tennessee, plus Minnesota, Indiana and Dallas, I did shooting clinics for about 600 kids. I wish to thank Ed and Terry Pepple, Glenn Turner and Lou Hobson from Washington state, Dan DeNoia from Pennsylvania, Rex Harris, Sam Reed and Steve Georgescu from Indiana, Lindell Singleton, Rick Allison and Chelly Quinn from Dallas, Mark and Andy Thelander from Minnesota, Wes Wilcox from L.A., and Roger Wells from East Tennessee for helping organize clinics and host me. It was a pleasure and honor to be with you. It was hard on my body to travel that much, with all the air travel, waiting in airports, time zone changes, sleeping in strange beds, etc. But it was extremely interesting and rewarding. Next year I'll do a lot more in my own neck of the woods, the Bay Area of California, but this summer I took it on the road. A highlight was spending time with the families of the coaches who sponsored me. Thanks, Rex and Dan and Roger! Kids who were serious about their games learned how to become great shooters. They saw and felt and understood the things they need to master to control the flight of a basketball. I saw remarkable improvement everywhere I went. The kids learned to shoot quicker and higher, how to minimize variables and rely more on the larger muscles of the middle and lower body. They learned a "repeatable" Release action and how to control distance, the final variable. When I introduce my clinics, I say I'll reveal the "secrets" of Great Shooting, but I quickly tell the kids these aren't secrets. When you can see a player like Jeff Hornacek or Detleff Schrempf or Chris Mullin or Dirk Nowitski doing this stuff on national television whenever they shoot, it can't be a secret. It's just that people don't see what these few great shooters do. My mission, apparently, is to show the truth about what's happening. My vision is to shift the way shooting is taught in this country (and the world). Basketball needs a fresh approach to coaching this critical skill. The coaching that's been going on the past 25 years has not been working. From what I see and hear, most coaches don't even try to coach shooting any more, and, if they do, they appear to just repeat the gospel of "Square Up, Shoot at the Top of the Jump, and Wrist Flip or Drive with the Fingers." They might add something about Concentration and Following Through a certain way. Some might even suggest "Reaching Your Hand in the Cookie Jar" to coach the Follow Through. This latter instruction is very curious. If you actually "reach" your hand over and into something like an imaginary cookie jar, isn't that a "downward" action? Would you really want to have a downward action while you're trying to shoot an upward shot? I feel it's indicative of how low the coaching of this skill has fallen. If you agree with what I'm saying, please help me reach more people. My video is one of the best ever produced on this skill. No shooting coach I've heard of has the endorsements of both Bill Sharman, Boston Celtic legend and considered one of the greatest shooters of all time, and Pete Newell, probably the best coach of all time. My work with NBA players Dale Davis of the Pacers (now with the Portland Trailblazers), Adam Keefe of the Jazz (now with the Golden State Warriors), and Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen of the Lakers proves this Method works with athletes at the highest level. Coaches are asking me more and more to train them to coach the Method. If you know of a Coaches' Convention I can speak at, let me know. I'm available to do some traveling this season. If you can get 50-60 kids or more together for a weekend or over a holiday, I can come and put on 3-4 Clinics. If you want to learn how to coach this Method, I'll spend time with you on how to do that. Examine my writings and get my video. If you have it and like it, invite your friends to purchase it. If you're a coach, learn the Method yourself, become a good shooter using the principles, and then start to coach it and be in communication with me your experiences and questions. I'm sure you'll find this is a remarkable and effective Method for coaching this critical skill. A lot can be figured out on your own, and I can be brought in to enhance it even more. Please forward this Newsletter to basketball friends and encourage them to visit my Website ... "www.swish22.com" (also "www.basketballshooting.com" works). Invite them to subscribe to this Newsletter. This great game of basketball is in desperate need of a universal and powerful way to learn and coach shooting. I believe this is such a Method. I'll appreciate your help in getting the word out. COLLEGE COACHES: Consider having me in
for 2-3 days this fall to give coaching to your team and also
do a detailed analysis of each player and what s/he needs to
develop to become a great shooter. Depending on the technology
available, I can also video each player and give you a single
video or personalized videos for each player and what, specifically,
needs to be worked on. I'll also coach your coaches in how to
sustain the development after I leave -- what to look for and
how to coach it. Let me know if this interests you. Good to great
shooting is possible for every player on your team. Think how
effective your offense will be if everyone can knock down the
shot! Good luck as the school year starts! Your practice and skill development this summer will be paying off for you now as team workouts approach. You are probably stronger from the exercise and games you did. If you've been observing your shot and working on it, you should be feeling more confident when you go to shoot. From my experience this summer, the kids who really paid attention learned the most. I told them I could only lead them the water ... I couldn't make them drink. Together we dipped our toes into the water and some waded up to their waist or neck, and some dove totally in. But after the clinic, they were out of the water and left with their own powers of intention, commitment, awareness, discipline, etc. to keep the learning going. I showed them what's important in shooting, and they all had "breakthroughs" of some kind. Those who really listened and did the exercises "got" what I coach and saw dramatic changes. But most of them had the breakthrough and then lost it. That's to be expected. I coached the principles over and over in different ways, so the learning was fairly deep. My message to them was to "re-create" it each time they practice shooting. It's not difficult stuff. They can rediscover it, as I did many years ago, but now they know where to look. Spend a lot of time in close, learning how to develop a simple, natural and repeatable Release motion that puts the ball into the basket over and over, with great consistency. Make it a pushing action rather than a throw or flip. Watch and feel what happens when you shoot. Watch where the ball lands and then shoot again and again. Your remarkable body will learn from the experience. The most important "key" to my Method is that Release. If it is complicated, learning will be slow. If it's simple and repeatable (it does the same, measured thing over and over), then you're ready and you can move back slowly and start to add leg power to the equation. Your shots will drop easily and effortlessly if you approach it this way. If you can't make 90% or more from 3-5 feet from the basket, then don't move back and start to add legs, hoping you will make your shots. Hope doesn't cut it. True awareness and experience does. If you go to the 3-point line too quickly, you'll lose it and be back where you were before -- a big guessing game. Develop the Release and THEN add the legs,
not the other way around. You'll find it is very easy to do,
in that sequence. But if the Release is all over the place and
not consistent, stay in close until it is! Again, the path is
Awareness. His Site address is: It's mostly in German, but you can figure
some things out. To see the list, click on "LINKS"
and you'll see a link to "Basketball Movies und Films."
You'll also see links to my Website, as Coach Brannfors thinks
highly of my video. Feel free to ask his opinion of it and my
coaching Method. Q. What is the biggest problem in shooting today and why aren't there more great shooters? ...O.Phillips, Minneapolis, MN A. Flat shooting WINDSHIELD OR SUNROOF? HOME EXERCISE: To give you an idea of how most players shoot and a new possibility, imagine you're sitting in a car or truck with a high windshield. Most players bring the ball overhead and then shoot as if they're throwing the ball through the upper part of the windshield. Notice that this shot motion is forward and has a fairly low arch. Now imagine your vehicle has a sunroof.
Better shooters shoot with an upward and pushing action like
they're shooting up through the sunroof. The shooting arm extends
upward, almost straight up. The eyes are kept looking forward
at the target, but the action of the arm is upward, out of sight.
This creates a flight like a rainbow, rather than a rope. The
ball goes "UP" in order to come "DOWN." And
this allows gravity to slow the ball's motion down, creating
a softer shot. When you go to a gym, start to notice how you
shoot - Windshield or Sunroof? - and see what you can do to shoot
more upward. Shooting earlier in the jumping motion gives you
the upward flight of the ball you want. Then relax wrist and
hand, letting the power come from the legs and body, and you've
got a new way to shoot! Sites are being considered for the fall.
Call or Email me if you're interested in hosting a series of
clinics in your area. Contact me for more information. I'll put new status on my Website and in this Newsletter as it becomes firm. BAY AREA COACHES/PARENTS: I'm available to coach half day shooting clinics in the Bay Area of northern California. If you have 10 or more kids and a gym, contact me and we'll design a clinic. The cost is $75/player* for a 3 1/2 hour experience in becoming a Great Shooter (price includes a copy of my Swish video, a $37 value). If you have already purchased the video, the price is reduced to $55. OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY: I'd love to come to your city to put on Clinics. My rate for 2-3 days of coaching is a minimum of $2,000 plus expenses. If we do at least 3 Clinics of about 17-18 players at a cost of $75/player*, that would pay for the visit. The Clinics would be 3 1/2 hours each, max. 20 kids, giving enough time for lots of individual coaching in addition to the powerful group exercises. Also, a school or basketball association could engage me to coach their team or a couple teams for an extended period for the flat rate. Call for details and to set up such a visit. (*Price includes the Swish video plus an administration fee for the organizer(s).) Keep checking my Website at http://www.swish22.com or call or Email me if you'd like more details. I'll update the schedule on my Website when it changes. TRAINING COACHES: If this interests you, please contact me. I expect eventually to have a Directory of coaches around the country who are skilled in coaching the Swish Method and to whom I can refer people who want clinics or private coaching. One way of beginning the process will be to add Coaches' Training sessions when I travel to various cities to put on Shooting Clinics. If you would like to help set up a series of Shooting Clinics and a Coaches' Training in your area, contact me. I will also have Trainings here in the Bay area eventually, too. PRIVATE COACHING: AUDIO TAPE ANALYSIS OF VIDEO: VIDEO ANALYSIS: Voice over will be used to assist the coaching.
Approx. cost $200 for up to 6 players. As I have to drive a long
way to do this and use a friend's digital video system, it is
not cheap or easy to do. When I have my own equipment and software,
then this will become more reasonable. Call or Email for further
information. Go to the Swish Website, find the section about the "Shooting Newsletter," key in your Email address and click on the "JoinList"graphic. An Email will be sent automatically back to you asking that you confirm that you want to be on the List. Reply in the affirmative and you will be added to the list and receive a password. There is no need to save or record the password because ListBot will always quickly Email it back to you when asked. It's needed only to change your Email address or to Unsubscribe. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this Newsletter: If you ever want to Unsubscribe, please
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