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and respect your privacy. 1. Welcome from the Coach Articles are written about this dilemma,
and people are looking for an answer. I feel I can provide that
answer. If you agree with what I'm saying, please help me get
my coaching methods out there. Refer people to my Website and
be in communication with me. Thanks. He said he can show players what it is they need to do, be it a better way to pivot or an improved way to shoot, and when he turns his back, the players have reverted back to old habits. There doesn't seem to be much motivation to learn in some players at high levels. I was wondering what the problem is. I have seen remarkable learning take place with players old and young, both in basketball and in another sport I coach, golf. I know learning is natural and achievable by people of any age. But, yes, there has to be strong motivation because it requires a lot of awareness, patience and persistence. Old habits are hard to break. I would guess that many of today's highly paid players don't feel the need to work so hard once they get their big contracts. Learning takes concentration, attention, observation ... it takes, in a word, "work." It's easier and more "fun" to just play around and goof off, rather than to work at something. Let raw athletic ability take over. But to people who truly want to develop themselves, learning is discovered to be extremely enjoyable, to be the "real" fun. One of my mentors came to the realization that learning and enjoyment could really be looked at as one word, "learningandenjoyment," they go together so well. From his experience and mine, when we're learning something, there is incredible joy and pleasure. I worked one time with a pro player who could not shoot well. In a lesson of an hour and a half, he followed my coaching and made tremendous strides in his shooting. I kept reinforcing what was happening, making sure he was aware at each point how his shot was changing and getting more effective. There was even a third party, a good friend of his, observing and confirming what I was saying about his progress. The next time I saw him, however, a couple days later, it seemed that 80-90% of what we had, together, developed was gone. He had regressed back almost totally to where he had been. Now I wasn't surprised by that. I know from my own experiences in learning something new in golf that, under pressure, I would almost always revert to old habits for a time, until gradually the new motion was learned and trusted. I needed on-going coaching for awhile to help me truly integrate a new motion. So I expected this player to revert. It's just part of the package. But what I didn't expect was that he wouldn't ask for more coaching. He knew it was my knowledge of shooting that was helping him, and he knew that my coaching method had helped him integrate the new shot and shoot so well by the end of that session. But something in his makeup has prevented him from calling me back in ... so far. (I haven't given up hope.) When I was with him, he was very aware and coachable. That wasn't the problem, but afterward he didn't take the steps needed to keep the learning going. As a professional player, we might think that the ability for him to shoot better would be given high value and priority, and anyone or anything that could be proven to help in that area would be desirable. It's taken me a long time to learn the value of humility when it comes to learning. That I don't have all the answers. That I can't figure everything out for myself. At least not if I want to excel at something. (Mediocrity can be achieved by anyone on his or her own.) So I can't judge these players who are reluctant to see it the way I see it and do not ask for coaching. Something in us wants to take credit for everything that works and avoid the blame for anything that doesn't. That same thing wants to be the source for all growth and development, though we know it's impossible. And that same thing likes things the way they are, too. We need coaching to grow, we need teachers
and coaches throughout our lives if we want to master things.
To ask for coaching is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign
of wisdom and humility. It's a necessity for greatness. But
our whole culture is being whipped into the frenzy of instant
success, instant rewards. People who are into training "for
the long run" are few and far between. Most want to achieve
quick rewards or they're off to the next "thing." Q: Now that basketball season is in full swing, I'm finding that my daughter tends to regress to the way she shot before. Specifically, over the summer, she probably shot over 10,000 shots using your method, with me actively coaching her... and her shooting % was fantastic! Whenever we shoot in practice, she quickly gets into the rhythm of shooting the correct way. However, in games, it all comes unraveled... she doesn't use her legs, she extends her arms up, then stops the shooting process, then she flicks/throws the ball using her hands and arms. The result is a hard, flat shot. She can see what she's doing on video, but has real difficulty correcting. I know one factor is that the pace and defensive intensity of a real game cause her to feel more pressure. Any suggestions? A: My guess is that the pressure creates fear and the fear causes her to revert to old patterns. It's pretty interesting that she has practiced the new shot so much but still the fear can take over and block the new, desired shot. This is a very common, normal experience. Does she shoot well in practice games, only to change in real games? Or is it any time she's under pressure to make shots in games, practice or not? One way to approach it is to face the fear and identify the level of it. Fear blocks the new possibility, freezes her legs and causes the flicking/throwing kind of motion that she and we know doesn't work. It's a natural, survival mechanism that we all employ to protect our identities. If you could somehow, say in practice, ask her to rate the fear after each time period when she got to shoot, she might see it start to diminish. Maybe she could just write down on paper what went on in her head during that scrimmage. Identify the fear from 1 to 10 when she took shots. Maybe she'll notice that one time there was no doubt or fear and she was able to shoot from UpForce and let it fly. That would be a "Breakthrough." Other times she may note that the fear was really big, perhaps a 7 or 8, and she reverted. Maybe a later shot was only a 3 or 4, and she kind of used the new technique. Please ask her to suspend judgment (good or bad) with this and just notice the fear and what happened. She knows how to shoot ... obviously. It's just that her mind creates interference, probably in the form of fear that she'll miss the shot badly, or something like that. Once she can catch the fear in the act, it will start to lessen its hold on her. She's a really good shooter, so this old, mediocre shot that is appearing, is no longer needed. Test this to see if it has any merit for her. Awareness is very powerful and will lead to learning and improved performance. Maybe some kind of mantra, like "Legs, shoot early, quick and strong, let it fly!" could help. That's kind of like a band aid, but if it helps remind her what she wants to do, it could be powerful, too, for awhile. But I like the "catch it in the act" thing, where she just notices what is blocking the new shot and identifies when it appears and how strong. With repetition, it will appear less and less often, and diminish in power because it's not what she wants. It's going to take awareness and patience, but this works. Awareness always works! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Q #1: I really struggle with my shot because I use too much left hand (I'm a right handed shooter). I can't get the left hand to hold back. it always wants to go with the ball and right hand when I shoot." A: The answer is simple. AWARENESS!!! Become VERY aware of your left hand as you shoot. Watch it and feel it. Notice what it does and when. If it's something you do not want, it will slowly stop interfering ... IF you can simply observe it in action. This takes what you can call Acceptance, too. Accept that that is what it does and has been doing for a long time. And it's okay! It is WHAT IS! That doesn't mean it has to stay that way. If it's something you don't want, awareness and feedback will lead to change. Don't force it. Don't buy some device that will hold it in a different position or block it if it tries to do something. Awareness is what you need. Awareness and Intention. Your intention (or goal) is for it to hold back and not be involved in the shot. Focus your awareness on it and be patient. It may take 100 shots, or maybe only 10, or maybe 200, before the change happens. How quickly you learn is a function of how acute your awareness is and how much you trust yourself to learn. Make it a game, and laugh when you catch yourself interfering. We all interfere with ourselves in different ways. It's how we survive. But the human body is very intelligent, and once you apply simple awareness with a goal in mind, change always happens until the goal is reached. Check this out and let me know what you see and feel. This "self discovery" and learning is very exciting stuff, because it shows you can change anything you're doing that is not desired ... through awareness. Knowing that, you can tackle any thing and grow and develop faster than you thought you could. Q #2: I use too many little muscles. How do I get the legs and arms and hands to work together for a nice smooth shot? A: Same answer. Awareness, Observation! Observe what you do. Find a way to quantify the use of the "little muscles." The body works best in learning if it has a feedback system to tell it what's happening. Be as precise as possible. Feedback like "Big" versus "Small" isn't precise enough. Nor is "Too many" versus "Just right." A suggestion is to put a number from 1 to 10 on the use of the little muscles, 10 being very active little muscles, and 0 or 1 being little or no action by them. Then, with a goal of shooting more from the bigger muscles of the legs and middle body (what I call UpForce), shoot and observe and give precise feedback. Do this for a bit and see what you observe and see if there is any change. Even if you don't know exactly what you wish to achieve, awareness will cause change and experimentation and growth. If you have an idea where you want to end up, the learning gets even more specific. A suggestion that I can offer is to shoot earlier and earlier in your shot motion! From experience, I know this will engage more the bigger muscles of the body, and the little guys can relax and do less. As you learn to shoot from bigger muscles, the result will be a more "effortless" shot, at least it feels that way. There will still be plenty of effort, but it will be coming from the bigger muscles and it will feel like you're doing less overall. Another example of an approach would be to give a number to the "smoothness" of your shot, with 10 being totally smooth and effortless, and 0 or 1 being non-smooth, jerky, uncomfortable. Then shoot and observe. The body will gradually learn to shoot with a more comfortable and effective shooting motion. I can't tell you how to do it, but your body can learn to do it. Awareness is the key, again, as with every learning situation. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: I don't understand your method of not flipping your wrist. When you shoot the ball, you have to flip your wrist to propel the ball up. Could you explain this better to me? A: The wrist flips or bends, but it is not FLIPPED intentionally. By that I mean that the wrist flexes and the hand bounces if they are relaxed, and that is the goal. When you do that, you have the fewest possible variables. The "flip" or "flopping action" is created by the arm straightening quickly. Note the power is coming from the legs and from the arm straightening, not any wrist or hand power. It's a different way to shoot, but you'll find it's the way most great shooters shoot. Yes, you can get more power by flipping (intentionally) the wrist, but it is a horizontal power source and adds variables. Q: What could I do to better align my elbow to the rim? A: I don't advocate aligning the elbow. Align, instead, your shooting hand, the palm, get that pointed directly on line with the target. When you do, the elbow will be out to the right a bit. That's normal. Forget the elbow. If you have the hand in line and push it directly on the line, the elbow will start to the right and just normally straighten. Test it. Q: Could you give me all the steps of a correct follow-through? A: Just relax the wrist and hand, straighten the arm directly in line with the target, and hold the follow through until the ball gets to the basket, approximately. The "completion" of the shot is very important for that last bit of power and control. The hand will flop forward, if wrist and hand are totally relaxed. If they are doing anything else, then you are doing extra stuff and it will interfere. Q: When I shoot, do I have to bend my knees a lot to achieve the leg drive? A: Just intend to get more or less power from the legs and middle body and see what the body does. It doesn't have to be a huge bend to get a large source of power. A great force can be generated with a small or medium sized bend. Play with it. Don't make rules out of this. Q: Should I shoot in the middle of my jump or the beginning? A: For all outside jumpers and free throws, aim to shoot quickly on the way up, in the "beginning." I like to look at a "percentage" of available leg power. 100% just means you are catching all of it. If you are just 5-6 feet away, then you don't need all the U/F and can hesitate a bit before shooting, but don't wait until the top of the jump. You need to use some of that power source to stabilize the shot. Q: When I shoot my body is kind of to the side (30 degrees), is this okay? A: That sounds like it will work. I'm not into rules as to exact degrees of rotation, etc., but I know that opening the body is more natural for a one-handed shot. Some great shooters turn as much as 45 degrees. Q: Should I extend my arms all the way to get a correct follow-through? A: I believe so, because then it is more predictable, more repeatable. If you short arm, it's a variable motions and will tend to make the shot more wristy (flippy). As I always say, test all this stuff out. Don't just believe me. It's not hidden stuff. It's right out there. A lot of coaching instruction leads you away from the natural. Keep it simple and natural and observe carefully what happens. Your experience will teach you. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A: It's an age-old question. I'll give you just a short answer. You need awareness and trust and a high degree of patience. You have to learn to observe what you do. You have a New shot and an Old shot, New technique and Old technique. The Old is your habitual pattern, and now you want to change it. Learn to observe and feel exactly what the Old does. Don't hate it. Love it, because it's a part of you! But you just don't want it any more. The more you resist something, the more it persists! Feel exactly how the Old method works. The more you can feel and know it, the better. Then feel and observe the New shot. Get to know exactly what it is that you "want." Now you can compare the two different strokes. Under pressure, you will revert to old habits until you fully trust the new ones. But the more aware you are, the better the chance that you will trust the new stroke and make the transition, learn something new! Once you're aware of both possibilities, then you need experience. Keep committing yourself to shooting with the New stroke. Play games and observe. If you revert to the Old, don't get mad. Just laugh because it's human nature to fall back into old, habitual patterns. But with patience and acceptance, slowly the New will come forth and become the habitual after awhile. It might happen quite quickly, if you approach it with patience and humor. The more you "judge" it as bad, the more it will persist. Make it a joyful process, not an angry or disappointed one. We ALL interfere with our lives with old, ineffective or awkward patterns. Those who are aware, accepting, and patient, BUT also have goals of more effective behavior, will learn and develop just fine. Those who get upset and judgmental of themselves and others are more likely to stay put in old, destructive or ineffective patterns. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: I have a question for your regarding your thoughts on "squaring up." I also have taught the open stance approach so as to relieve tension in the shooting arm. However, I have also taught the "open window" approach, i.e. not putting the ball in front of your face when you shoot. I have always adhered to the school of thought that having the ball in front of your shooting eye affects your depth perception. Perhaps I misunderstood. I would appreciate your opinion on this, as I am always attempting to improve on my coaching philosophy on shooting. A: I think it's important to have the hand and ball "pretty much" in alignment with the shooting eye and target. I like it exactly in line, but when I'm moving left or right, that's not always possible, so this is a guideline, more than a hard-and-fast rule. I've heard that some people like to have both eyes on the target, and that requires a movement of the ball slightly to the right (for right handers). Your "open window" idea must be like that. I find that I can cover one eye with my arm and still shoot just fine. In fact it's my strong eye that's covered. My body "knows" where the basket is with a quick glance. You wouldn't want the ball in front of the face, blocking your vision totally, so you have to have a Set Point either above or below the eyes. Depth perception is not a problem for me and the players I've coached. If you can see with even just one eye and you trust yourself, your body will know where the basket is in space and find the appropriate height for each shot. In general, it's effective to be "generally" aligned with the shooting eye. A little bit left or right is okay, just so it's not so much that you can't be consistent with direction. I feel over the ear or the shoulder is much to far off line and requires a calculation of angle each time that can cause errors.
SHOOTING - ESSENTIAL MENTAL CAPACITIES Mastering a technically-sound movement pattern for shooting is not sufficient to ensure consistent scoring. You must also possess certain abilities of mind; concentration, confidence, and relaxation. You may be an excellent shooter in practice, in the pre-game warm-up, or at half-time, but shoot a low percentage in games. Or, you may be able to score consistently when open, but not when closely guarded Concentration Confidence Doing the "right things" is taking the good shot and knowing that the execution of every shot is consistent with its technically-sound movement pattern. An example of taking a good perimeter shot is shooting only when teammates are in position for an offensive rebound. Relaxation The ability to relax is closely related to having a feeling of confidence. The inability to relax when shooting is often the result of stress which is induced by the belief that you are incapable of doing the "right things" related to shooting. The stress which comes from not having confidence makes it difficult to concentrate on executing a shot. When shooting, you may also be unable to
relax, if, when you are shooting, you are thinking about whether
or not you will make the shot. To help you relax, focus only
on doing the "right This tip was contributed by Vic Pruden.
More tips like this one can be found at I got a call from a boy awhile back, and he wanted some help with his shot. He asked how much I charge to do a Video Analysis of his shot. He's had my video for a couple months and is shooting better, but still has some inconsistencies and wanted more direct coaching. I told him that, though yes, we could do the analysis thing, I felt he should spend some time to see if he can figure things out on his own before spending money on me telling him what he's doing and not doing. I gave him some things to be aware of, constantly reminding him to "keep it simple." The shot motion is, really, very simple. We humans tend to want to complicate things. We think "it can't be THAT easy!" I know because I do it to myself all the time with my golf swing. The best motion in any sport is simple in its elegance. (Definition of Elegant: "having dignified richness and grace") Graceful! Yeah, that's it. The shot motion can be graceful, with no extra movement, no jerkiness, tension only where it needs to be tense. Golfers are notorious for over-analyzing the golf swing as they try to learn it. Our minds have great power and abilities, but when it comes to physical motion, I think it's best to leave our minds parked somewhere else. Body awareness is to be felt, not thought about. Body wisdom is what we want, not intellectual theories and so-called "understandings." I remember hearing an interview with an extraordinary magician about 20 years ago. He was asked what the stages are in learning a new "trick." He said there were four stages: (1) Difficult -- At first a new trick (or any physical movement or motion) is difficult. The body has to learn some new actions that haven't been done much or ever before. It takes a lot of practice to get it to where it isn't difficult any more. (2) Easy -- When he has practiced a trick over and over and over and over enough, it starts to become easy. Every good magician accomplishes this, of course. You have to in order to make a trick look effortless. (3) Habit -- When he has practiced the trick in the "easy" mode long enough, it finally becomes automatic, a "habitual" motion. He doesn't have to think about it any more. He can do it in his sleep. He said this is where most magicians stop. It takes a very long time to get to this point, and a trick has become easy and automatic, so most of them stop here. They have other tricks to learn and master. But he takes it one more stage. (4) "Beautiful!" -- His goal, with all of his so-called tricks (or illusions) is to make them incredibly beautiful. He doesn't just stop at doing it easily and automatically, he goes the extra mile. He works it and works it to make its every movement beautiful. In shooting, a great shooter makes it look beautiful. There is no wasted motion. As the player starts his motion and extends his energy and the ball up into the air, it's a joy to see. The motion appears effortless. The high arch of the shot as it flies true to the basket, the swish as it comes through, the net flipping above the rim, are simply "beautiful!" I urge you to be with your shot in this
way. It's not a lengthy, complicated thing, like a magic trick
often is, so it won't take thousands of hours. It's a fairly
simple action that you can work with in slow motion and at all
speeds, learning how you do it and making the motion effortless
and beautiful. In fact, you can make all of your basketball
motions more and more beautiful. All it takes is awareness and
attention, and mindful practice. Our bodies are incredible.
See if you can make your basketball actions works of art! I invite you to bookmark my Website (Swish22) so you can go there easily to catch my latest comments on shooting. You can read about my video there (including endorsements, testimonials, reviews and an Overview of the video), my coaching, and the many articles on shooting I've written. You can see archived back issues of this Newsletter and, of course, subscribe, if you're not already getting this on a regular basis. Please tell others about my site and my
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