Shooting Newsletter Vol. #6, Issue 12, December '04

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THE SHOOTING NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2004
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By Tom Nordland, Shooting Coach
Volume 6, Issue Number 12, December 2004
Editor: Tom Nordland
E-mail Tom
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Welcome from the Coach
2. Purpose of this Newsletter
3. Beautiful Description of Learning the Swish Method
4. An Interesting Testimonial -- After a Year's Waiting!
5. An Indexed Directory of Previous Newsletters
6. Please Bookmark this Website
7. Shooting Clinics / Private Coaching
8. How to Subscribe / Unsubscribe
9. Contact Information

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1. Welcome from the Coach
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Welcome to my free Monthly Basketball Shooting Newsletter. Each month I write about the skill of shooting in the game today and how it can be more effectively learned and coached. If you like what I'm saying, please tell others about it and suggest they subscribe, too. Remember: Great Shooting CAN be taught!

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2. Purpose of this Newsletter
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This newsletter is a vehicle for communicating what I know about shooting and for a conversation on how shooting can be improved. With your help, I intend to shift the game and help players and coaches everywhere re-discover the Lost Art of Shooting. Thank you for reading this and subscribing to it and sharing it with your friends.
-- Tom Nordland

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3. Beautiful Description of Learning the Swish Method
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Subject: breakthrough today

"Hi, I found what helped was to start with the release very close to the basket, until all the shots start swishing, then move back gradually. It was important to straighten the arm with the same force and speed and the elbow must lock every time. I'd want to use less force when I'm nearer the basket automatically, so I'll have to guard against that. Also I made sure that the ball was not too far behind, the back of the ball just around the forehead. That helped as it allows me to push upwards without hitting my own head in the end. I think it was important for me to use my legs to generate more upward energy rather than upward and forward energy. This made my shots much higher. And releasing fast and the elbow locking all the time made me feel more confident with my shots and it felt more repeatable. When I start missing shots I'll go back to work on my release till i start swishing again, then it would be okay. I tried to help my brother. I can't convince him on not using his wrists yet, but he's releasing fast and shooting early in the jump. He found that aligning the ball with his eye also helped. He's getting more accurate now.

"When I shoot, I start by looking at the basket, then starting the jumping motion. I am aware of the center of my palm and as I bring it up it will automatically align itself with my eye as long as I am aware of it. Before going down to the court itself, I'd look at my set point. Look at my hand position and remember roughly how it looks like. This prevents me from setting too far forward or behind. Before shooting I remind myself to jump upwards instead of forward. At the release, it is very important to feel the elbow lock as it gives the additional confidence. And I follow through and continue to look at the basket for a while, the same way I look at it before I start the shooting action. I think the transition from a wristy action to a pushing action release takes time, as it was difficult for me to get the ball to fly on line. I would usually use my fingers to make last minute adjustments to get it straight. To overcome it I had to concentrate on making my wrist and hand as relaxed as possible, and practicing the release without the ball. I'll get my brother to watch my shots and ask him to look out for this and that, like whether my hand stays in line throughout the whole action, especially the follow through. I think filming yourself on video helps also."

-- Nicolas H., Singapore

Update 6 months later, when asked:

"Hi Tom, I live in Singapore. Haven't been shooting or playing basketball for a long time as I've been caught up with other things (A-levels, flying lessons etc). However I tried a few shots recently and they are still quite okay. I think what matters is that people must understand your method and then everything would fall into place."

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4. An Interesting Testimonial -- After a Year's Waiting!
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"Tom, Thanks for the follow up message, I came aware of your program through a friend who got the video about couple of years ago, he had two boys that I had coached and mentioned to me about it and wanted me to look at it since he was not a coach but a supportive parent who did not want to introduce something he was not comfortable with. He gave me the video to me about a year ago to take a look at but like a lot of things I put it on a list of things to do and forgot about it.

"It wasn't until a month ago when my oldest-13 yr old (Camron) who plays on a 7th grade team and is still developing physically and skill wise made me pull it out of the dusty video closet, unwrapped it and stick it in the VCR, thinking that it might motivate him to work on his shooting and give me some new ideas. I also have a 9 year old (Drew) that I coach in recreational league to help as well.

"I consider myself a good fundamental coach and have coached every age from Kindergarten to 12th grade in school, AAU and recreational competition. I played 4 years of college basketball and was a teacher/Coach for 13 years before leaving and joining the business world. I keep my hands in coaching with my own and others in the community in my spare time, keeping my hand still in it. I consider myself a decent shooter but have always struggle teaching kids effectively. I have used a lot of the same old and same old when it comes to shooting drills and shooting talk, use your legs, follow thru-rotation, arch, hand positioning, etc... And of course when you are coaching your on kids....patience isn't always at the top of you list. We have been hooked by the video and in just a short time both of my boys have been turned around in both motivation and working on the drills we have watched on the video. I can also tell a big difference in their shooting just after a few short weeks. We are on vacation down in Florida this week and they have been shooting on a neighbors court 2-3 hours daily which using the Swish method.

"The only thing we did not have was the workbook, which I wanted to get and start letting them work with that. If you could email me back and address the email to my two sons Camron and Drew they might think that is pretty cool and motivate them to continue working with the new DVD and workbook. Thanks.

"I also have let my friend who gave me the video that I will open up the gym for his two boys to share the info, now that I am hooked on the process."

-- Andy B., Kentucky

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5. An Indexed Directory of Previous Newsletters
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Here is the Index of Subjects, alphabetically organized, for all previous Newsletters, 67 of them in all.

INDEX OF SUBJECTS
(Click on Subject to go to that section)

ARTICLES, VIDEO REVIEWS, SWISH WEBSITE
COACHING
COLLEGE GAME
CONCENTRATION, CONFIDENCE, THE "MENTAL" STUFF
FREE THROWS
GENERAL SHOOTING/BASKETBALL
HIGH SCHOOL GAME
KIDS - COACHING
KIDS - LEARNING
KIDS - PERFORMING
KIDS - SUGGESTIONS
LEARNING
NBA/WNBA GAME
OLYMPICS
PERFORMANCE, DOING YOUR BEST
PETE NEWELL'S BIG MAN CAMP
POOR SHOOTING
PURE SHOOTING
Q&A's
SHIFT IN THE NEWSLETTER
START OF A NEW SEASON
SUMMER PRACTICE
SWISH METHOD
SWISH VIDEO AND DVD
SWISH VIDEO SEQUEL- SWISH II
TESTIMONIALS
WHAT'S NEW

Here are the items, with direct links to each Newsletter so you can quickly go there and then scroll to the specific # (the item # in the Newsletter appears first):

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ARTICLES, VIDEO REVIEWS, SWISH WEBSITE
7. Reviews of my "Swish" Video [June '01]
8. Links to My Site [July '01]
5. Video Clips now on my Website [Aug. '01]
6. Links to Four Major Articles on Shooting [Nov. '01]
7. New "For Coaches" section on the site [March '02]
4. Wonderful New Review! [April '02]
8. Mention in Article in the Cincinnati Enquirer [Jan. '03]
4. Article on my "Calling" in the San Francisco Chronicle [Oct. '03]
4. Story in "SI.com" About the Decline in Shooting [Oct '04]