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Following is Part II of a sample collection of thoughts and suggestions I wrote mostly in response to email questions. This initial collection will slowly be expanded. It's a way for you to read my slant on a number of subjects related to shooting and how to learn/coach the skill.
---------------------------------------------------------- A coach talking about how he's approaching the coaching and asking some questions: Q: I think I want to
start by having the girls shoot in their current style, record the
percentages (individual only, not to compare with their teammates) and
maybe talk with them about their perceptions (do they look at the rim
or the ball, do they shoot with one hand or two, do they use mostly the
upper body or lower body, etc.) Then I would demonstrate the SWISH
method and hopefully get their attention with that. I would take them
through the progression that you demonstrate in the video (jumping
without the ball, sitting on the floor working on the release, A: This is a great start, awareness of how and what they do now. Look at the document I wrote called "Coaching Shooting with Large Groups." It gives awareness exercises that will give you some ideas. The five major distinctions are important: Where does power come from, Height, Spin, Shooting Arm and Shooting wrist/hand. A sixth one I'll add is the Set Point -- where is it, how is it achieved? From those awarenesses alone, a lot of learning will take place. As far as sitting on the floor, try it. It's a good way to start to teach them the idea of a constant Release, always the same. When you go to the basket later, I think the smaller, weaker kids may need to use some UpForce (a small, constant amount, maybe just a horizontal rocking motion, or going up on their toes) to trigger the shot for them. Otherwise they may not be strong enough for the "no legs" shot to be practiced well. At the basket be sensitive to whether or not the Release is a strain, a jerky action. If yes, then suggest the child trigger the shot with a "tiny" bit of UpForce, just to stabilize the shot. The key is to make it the same every time, otherwise it becomes a variable, and identifying and learning a "constant" Release becomes more difficult. For the fundamentals, keep them short and sweet. Here's a way to look at them: GRIP: the first Fundamental is to be aware of your "connection" with the ball. Hand is spread wise apart, and ball is held by the finger pads and the upper part of the palm. A little finger pad pressure gives you better control. It will also raise the ball off the base of the palm, which is better because you might get extra spin if the ball is resting on the full palm. (Rick Barry, the great shooter, says in his video it's okay to have the ball on the entire hand. However, I find I get extra backspin if I do that, and I feel the spin is more consistent with the ball off the base of the palm. STANCE: Be athletic, open the body because it's a one-handed shot, not two. The idea is to be connected physically with the basket. With the body open, it's easier to get aligned with the basket (ball, hand, shooting eye). Key is that center of the hand (palm) face directly in line with the basket and be in line with the shooting eye. Above the eyes is most effective, but if kids don't have the strength, they can drop it below the eye. Key is that everything be pretty much aligned with the eye so that the shot can be a straight push toward (but high above) the basket. With the palm facing directly in line with the basket, the elbow will be a little to the right. That is normal. Don't force the elbow to be directly under the ball. That tilts the hand off the target. Show that to them and have them discover it themselves. Feet are spread apart comfortably, with the right foot a little forward so the body is "open" (for right handers). Legs are bent slightly. Feel "athletic." VISION: You can look at the front rim, but that is not your ultimate target. You'll want to land beyond that target. The back rim can work, too, but again you don't want to hit it, you want to land a few inches short of it. Center of the basket can work but it's kind of vague. Try "soft vision," where you just see the whole basket softly without staring at anything. You could also focus on the front rim and visualize "high over the front rim," but I think I like the soft vision thing. Whatever works. You can even look at the basket and then close your eyes and shoot pretty well with the Swish Method. Try it! SET POINT: In line with the shooting eye and above the eye, if possible (younger kids will have to have it below the eye). Have the palm facing directly in line with the basket and the shooting eye. (Note the elbow has to be to the side, in this position, NOT under the ball. That is natural. It's how our wrist, hand and arm are built!) Have the back of the ball somewhere around the front of the head. If you bring it overhead too far, the resulting shot motion will be a throw rather than an upward push. If it's too far forward, your shot is restricted. If the ball is over the ear or, worse, over the shoulder, it's not in line with the eye and accuracy suffers. RELEASE: A pushing
action from the Set Point in line with, but high above, the basket. The
wrist and hand are totally relaxed and the hand will bounce if the
action is quick and strong. Make it about 65-75% of maximum force and
speed, something they can do all day without hurting their arms. It's
learned in close to the basket, from a distance where you can go "full
out," (meaning 65-75% of max., not 100%) and the ball goes up high and
drops down It's learned at what I now call the "Pure Release Distance" (what I call the "Zero Point" in the video), a spot where, with no leg action (if that's comfortable, or just a little rocking motion to trigger the Release, if that feels more comfortable), you "do" the full-out Release and the ball comes down dead center from on high over and over. Fire off the Release motion you feel is full out and free, high arching, and then find your appropriate distance. If you hit the front rim from the distance you're at (a semi-circle) every time, then move up. If you hit the back rim consistently, then move back. Keep the Release firing "full out!" You can vary the Set Point up and down a little, to find a good starting point for you, as high as possible, but still giving you enough strength to power the ball easily to a foot or two above the basket. FOLLOW THROUGH: After the ball is released, keep connected to the target and keep your arm and hand toward the basket. This little bit of extra attention is very powerful in getting the ball to the target. Don't prance around. Just complete the connection to the target in the Follow Through. Those are the basic Fundamentals. Try to move quickly through them. Don't make them THAT big of a deal. Let them be as natural as possible. Key is to coach them in what you can call the "Ready Position." This is with the open stance, ball in the Set Position, in line with and above the eye, if possible, (below the eyes for younger players) athletic stance, connected to the target. From the Ready Position, you start the UpForce and then "Let it Fly!" Q: I plan to use the whole first hour practice on the SWISH method and probably the first fifteen minutes of practice after that to reinforce and do shooting drills. A: The hour will fly by. You may need more time than that, but do your best. Teach them to see what they and others are doing and lots of learning will happen. Encourage them to talk about what they see and feel. Luckily girls are thoughtful and coachable and this should be easy. Have the ones who "get" the method demonstrate for the others and tell what they have learned that has helped their shooting. Q: I'm excited about getting started with some new coaching techniques. I would really appreciate any thoughts you'd be willing to share on this plan. A: I hope the above helps. Let me know what you discover works or doesn't work. Make it a joyful "Exploration" of shooting, and they'll discover all kinds of things. I hope they discover that good shooting can be easy and fun! ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: I do have a question regarding the grip. i do not mean to nitpick as much as to seek clarification. so, bear with me, if you will. A given is that we do not want to grip the ball in the palm. that brings us to the fingers. let's assume there are four parts to the fingers -- three finger bones and the finger tip. i once read someone who said that the best control would be maintained if one were to grip using the finger tips only. i read someone else who said to grip using only the finger bone pad closest to the tip. If i am reading your newsletter answer correctly, you are saying to grip with all three of the finger bone pads plus the pad of the palm at the base of the fingers and thumb. could you clarify? A: I just let the ball settle in my whole hand and then, with a little finger pad pressure, it lifts off from the base of the palm a bit naturally. What you see in Shaq is an exaggerated "ball on the fingers" grip. Not good control, as I see it. Hold it the way you have the most control. Is that sort of like I describe it or the other ways you've heard of? The little pressure I talk about just seems to give me more control, yet the ball is still basically in contact with the whole hand, excluding the center of the palm and the base of the palm. I have never thought about what part of the fingers it actually touches. It just settles in there as it wants to, but I DO want the finger pads flexed a little to increase control. Don't get too technical with this stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: Do you have any specific suggestions for keeping the left hand neutral during the shot. Both of my boys are right handed and tend to spin the ball slightly at release. A: The answer is "awareness." You can buy gimmicks that restrict the arm, etc., but good old awareness is better, in my opinion. It's how we learn. Help them to simple "observe" themselves as they shoot. What is the left hand doing? When does it get involved? The more curious they get, the more awareness and learning. Have them rate how much involved it is. Maybe on a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 is total involvement and 0 is no involvement (the goal from my point of view). Accept what is, because that's who they are at present! But the goal is to get the left hand out of the equation because it's adding variables, like the different spin, that are hard to control, especially under pressure. Observe and try NOT to be judgmental (good or bad). Just feel and see. The left hand has served them in some way (probably for extra power), but it's not effective to keep doing that. Working against a wall might be very helpful, because there you can really focus on what's happening without the basket drawing your attention. And shoot at first in slow motion, or very close in, to see what's happening and when. Once it's no longer a mystery, the body will choose not to use the left hand because of the extra variables it adds that make great shooting difficult or impossible. I hope that helps. Tell me what happens when they do this. Can they see that awareness leads to changes and growth? ---------------------------------------------------------- Always stay relaxed! Squaring up is great for a two-handed motion, but is not most effective, in my opinion, for a one-handed motion. You'll see that kids naturally open up before they get coaching, and the great shooters open their bodies. The majority these days, at least at the college and pro ranks, seem to be trying to square up probably because they've been coached that way. The result is what you see ... mediocre and streaky shooting at all levels. I think squaring up is a part of that. The other big problem is the Release. It's usually a throwing or flipping action, variable, not predictable, repeatable. What matters to me is that the eye, hand and target be well aligned before you shoot. That's most easily accomplished with an open stance. And then the Release is a simple, full-out (about 70-75% of max.) pushing action, directly in line with the basket. With relaxed wrist and hand (no flipping, throwing), the shot becomes repeatable and, when supported by enough leg/body power, the shot is high and comes down softly. An open stance makes more sense to me, and is physically more natural. In shooting off the dribble, moving left is easier because you're already open (for right handers), but to move to the right, just make "catching the UpForce" paramount (that is, a quick Release, using a high percentage of the lower body energy) and get aligned with eye, hand/ball and target and then just let it fly. A great Release and a great Follow Through will get the ball to the target, and high arch gives you the biggest landing area. You can't take the time moving right to get turned all the way around so you're "open" the target. ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: By the way, I have a question, when shooting free throw should my right foot be in front and my left foot behind my right foot? I see many people shoot this way. A: For right-handers, the right foot is forward and the left is back a bit and to the side. One foot is not behind the other. Just stand naturally with your body "open." You'll know what works. Rotate your body anywhere from 20-45%, whatever feels right for you. The feet will be a little turned to the side, not pointing straight ahead (which would square up the shoulders). The key is bringing the ball in line with your shooting eye so the center of the palm is directly in line with the basket, and above the eye, if you're strong enough. When you get the ball in line with the eye, you'll see your elbow is out to the right a bit. That's natural. That's how our arm, wrist and hand are built. Let it be there. Don't "jam" it in. That's an old "rule" that gets tossed around a lot. From there, above and in line with the shooting eye, the Release is a pushing action directly toward (but high above) the target. ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: "Hi, My son just a freshman in high school has just started shooting the ball off to the right of his head. i told him to try to shoot the ball more straight over the head,, but the habit seems hard to break and ideas to stop this? he was a good shooter now his just average shooter. help me.. john A: Tell your son it's important for accuracy to have the ball pretty much in line with shooting eye (right eye if right handed). If he's off to the right too much or left, it's not in line with what he's seeing and he has to make a slight correction whenever he shoots. John Stockton is an example of a great player who shoots off his right shoulder. I imagine he was told to "square up" as a boy, but also told to have the forearm vertical, and to do both of those things without a lot of strain, you shoot off the shoulder. He's a pretty amazing shooter most of the time, but you have to realize he's incredibly athletic and plays basketball 4-5 hours/day. Jeff Hornacek is an example of what I coach, a player who "opens" his body, brings the ball directly in line with his right eye (at least very close), and I'll bet he beat John almost every time in any shooting competition. It's just "easier" that way, with no need for a calculation. To coach your son, ask him to tell you where the ball is each time he shoots. Is it in line with the shooting eye, is it right, is it left, and how much? When he becomes aware of where he brings the ball and has a goal of a different Set Point, then it will start to change ... if he wants the change. It would be powerful for him to see his Set Point in a mirror. Seeing is one thing, and very valuable, but feeling it in the moment is even more valuable and should be the goal. That is when the body gets the feedback it needs to really learn. Video taping him would also be very valuable so he sees what is. Be patient, and ask him to be patient with himself. It will take some time to change but with awareness it will be simple and natural. ---------------------------------------------------------- How can I learn the Constant Release? Practice, practice, practice. A great way is to work against a wall, standing only 4-5 feet from the wall, and shooting upward. Have it your intention for the ball to strike the wall on the way down, not at the top of the arch or on the way up. That's the way wrist-flipping shots work. But an "upward pushing action" will give you the high arch you want and the ball glances on the way down. Note if your Release is constant and "full out" every time. Say "Yes" or "No" to yourself each time. By full-out, I mean about 70-75% of max. speed and force. It's quick and strong, but not so quick and strong you would hurt your elbow. Once you have a really good feel for what you want for a Release, then work at a basket. Keep saying "Yes" and "No" so you are forced to observe and give feedback. This is not a mysterious thing. It's very simple bio-mechanics. You DO this and the ball DOES that ... every time. Awareness and patience, with clear feedback, will work for you. Once you know what you are doing and know what you want, then learning is possible. Let me know how it goes. If you master the constant Release, everything will come together for you. You will then NEED to use more UpForce, since the Release doesn't vary. And more UpForce gives you a quicker Release, more range, more stability. ---------------------------------------------------------- My coaching to someone who has viewed my video and/or taken a clinic with me and had remarkable learning and development, yet still feels he or she needs coaching: Keep working on your shot! Realize now that you can be your own teacher. Master the Release from what I called the Zero Point in the video. (I now prefer to call it the "Pure Release Distance," a semi-circle.) I'm realizing that mastering the Release motion is the biggest initial key! If your Release is constant, only traveling 3', 4', 5', etc. every time, with a quick, upward, full-out (about 75% of max. speed and force), high arching action, then, as you move back, you HAVE to use the leg power (the UpForce) and you'll find you need to use a high percent of it to power your shots well. And varying arch is the easy and natural way to control distance. Once your shot is reliable and repeatable, then work on your "Connection" with the target and your "Intention" to make the shots. If you can have a strong connection with the basket as you go to shoot and hold that connection throughout the Release and Follow Through, the shots will start to drop from everywhere. Check it out. You CAN figure this out on your own, now. The video (or clinic) showed you the key distinctions. The rest is up to you and your awareness, your focus, and your commitment to practice, your patience, etc. It's right there. There are no more mysteries. Look to yourself now, not to me. Sure, working with me can accelerate everything and correct misunderstandings, but with your own careful awareness and observation of results, you can re-discover it each time you go to shoot. There's nothing hidden. It's right there! You can perfect it now, on your own. I'm sure of it! But to do that you have to develop a wonderful level of awareness of what's happening. That takes practice and feedback. A coach or partner can help you by being a mirror of your experience. Tell her or him what you felt and saw and ask for feedback. Don't rely on what they see, except to confirm what you see and feel. You speak first. You know what you want now, and it's not difficult, so it's possible and you can create it! Mastery: If you want to master shooting, then by your choice you are a "master-in-training." Mastery comes through great instruction and lots of practice. It will require that you love practice, and that you're in it for the long haul, not just for immediate results. There will be periods of plateauing, where it doesn't seem to get any better, but then there will be a breakthrough to a higher level. Shooting a basketball is not as complicated as a golf swing, or learning a violin, or learning Aikido, with all its variations in attacks and responses. The basket is big and forgiving. So the plateaus don't have to be as long. But there will be periods where you think you're not developing. Stick with them and soon you'll realize you're at a higher level of performance. Trust yourself and your ability to learn! Good practice! ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: I wrote you a few months ago concerning my shooting problems, you suggested that I watch your swish video, and then get back to you. I watched the video and picked up on a few things {shooting with more leg force, and constant release,which has been a big problem with me lately). I have played in a few games since watching the video, and I'm more aware of my shot, but problems and some of the bad habits are still there. I just don"t know how to correct these problems {shooting off the dribble, and bad hand placement}.Shooting off the dribble I never feel comfortable bringing the ball from a to b, and hand placement is the same i feel like my guide hand is dominating the ball which is causing me to hesitate on my shots. Tom thanks for reading this I know I'm throwing a lot at you but I love the game and want to become a GREAT shooter." A: I feel you just need to slow down and coach yourself. You should know now what you want, from watching the video and feeling and seeing what you do. The problem is in learning something new, including bringing the ball efficiently to the Set Point. Remember that it's very simple, so it should not be a mystery. Shoot the way you shoot, but do it slower and watch how you move and how you shoot. Watch the two hands and how they work together. If the guide hand is "dominating," what does that mean, what does that feel like? Really get to know it. Let it dominate. Let if over-dominate. Love it the way it is, and it will surely start to shift to what you want. If you can't see or feel it, then it's unlikely any learning will take place. But with the light of awareness, most problems disappear, and sometimes very quickly. Have a goal to get the ball to the Set Point quickly so you can "catch" all of the UpForce and then watch what happens. If you're uncomfortable, find out where and when and keep shooting. Rate the "uncomfortability" from 1 to 10. Observe it disappear. Your body will learn this simple stuff in an instant when you can truly see and feel what's happening relative to what you want. Believe in that, and go test it out. Let me know what happens. This isn't rocket science. It's just simple bio-mechanics. If you DO this, the ball DOES that ... every time. Good luck. If you still just can't get it, take a video of yourself and send me a VHS tape and I'll look at it. I don't think you need to do this, as your awareness is your real-time video camera and with it you can teach yourself anything. But if you have to... ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: My daughter wants to keep square stance, elbow under the ball. What can I do? A: This is a tough one if she doesn't want to change. You might ask if you can coach her with her opposite hand, and have her compare the two methods. I'll assume she's right handed. If she agrees, she will probably see that there is less tension with the left handed shot, and that it feels natural. If she "gets" it on the left, the shots will be high and effortless, and they'll go in. Maybe that will help convince her. You might observe other players and note that the better shooters usually have an "open" stance with the elbow out a little. To me, the most important thing for accuracy is that the center of the hand be directly in line with the basket and the shooting eye (at least within an inch or so). When you do that, the elbow HAS to be to the side. That's how our arm, wrist and hand are built. Good luck convincing her to try this. An example of this obsession with the elbow being under the ball is Avery Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs who can't shoot that well (and is not playing much any more). But he has the vertical forearm! You can just see him trying hard to get that elbow under the ball before he shoots. But if you watch the better shooters, say as they shoot free throws on TV, you can see that they have the elbow out to the side a little. Trying to do something "right" is a classic way to interfere with yourself. ---------------------------------------------------------- Awareness always works. Even in a season. Just don't force radical changes too soon before a game, when pressure is on. Gentle awareness will lead to subtle changes. But keep it VERY simple. For example, just the thought of "shooting more quickly" will lead to great changes. As they shoot earlier in the jump (a more upward and powerful motion, just by intending that it be so), their shots will be higher, releases will be quicker, and they'll find they have less to do with the arm, wrist and hand. Another great "thought" (like a swing thought in golf) is to have the Release be a PUSH, rather than a throw or wrist flip. Just have those intentions and then shoot and see what happens. Not game day, probably, but a day or two before should be fine. If they're shooting poorly anyway, there is nothing to lose. Another thought is to hold the Follow Through, powerfully connected to the target. Summary of the
Intentions: Overall: Trust yourself! Your body is incredible. Give it a target and let it do its thing, and the ball will fly to target. I'm not big on "thinking" so much, but a few "intentions" like these can be very powerful. Thoughts are "about" things usually, but intentions are about who you are being in relation to something. Intentions are about the future. If you haven't read my articles, "Coaching Shooting with Large Groups," and "Simplified Shooting Coaching," please do so. The first one is full of awareness exercises that will help any player, even if you don't know what the goals for shooting are. The body will learn to be more efficient through the awareness. The second article gives you the goals, and the video shows them much more deeply. Keep it simple, but train the girls to become aware of what they do and they'll immediately start to learn and experiment. ---------------------------------------------------------- Girls who don't have a lot of strength My shooting method is based on the use of legs and the middle body muscles to generate most of the variable power, with the Release just being a constant and minimal source of power. From my experience, girls tend to move (or sway) horizontally toward the target when they shoot rather than jump or move upward. My rationale for this is that they probably feel they can't jump over people anyway, so why exert energy in that direction. However, I feel kids by the age of 9 or 10 have a lot of power in their lower and middle bodies, and if they just get that energy moving, there will be a lot of power available. If they shoot early in the upward motion, they'll have good range, high arch and a quick release. To learn it: First ask the girls to notice how they move when they go to shoot. Do they sway horizontally or do they go more upward. If their action is more horizontal, suggest they try going upward and shooting FROM the resulting force. The idea is to jump and shoot at the same time, to "catch" the wave," so to speak, catch the surge of power that becomes available. They'll have to prepare early (set the ball early) so they can shoot during the energy surge. Learn it small Learn it in close to the basket with mini-shots: mini-jump shots and mini-free throws. Once they "get" that they have a lot of power this way, they should start shooting higher and higher with decent range. As they get older and stronger, the range will increase, but they'll find there's a lot more power there than they think. ---------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the feedback, Brian. Keep on her and let me know of the progress. Yes, stepping forward will sabotage any upward action. Find a way to have her become aware of the motion and report to you what happened, rather than you "telling" her she did it, or saying it's wrong. It's just a habit she's gotten into. Here's a suggestion: Have her put a number from 0 to 10 on her "big first step." 10 means she takes a strong and deliberate step, maximum, 0 means no step, no wasted motion. Ask her to take shots and notice what happens with the step. No judgment - just a number from 0 to 10. The goal is probably a "zero," but don't even be sure of that. If she can just do that, I feel the big first step will become a medium first step, then a little first step, and eventually a zero first step. The UpForce will then be as strong as possible and she'll be shooting quicker, higher and more effectively. (Let me know if this helps. She has to "want" it, too, and I think the results of shooting high and quick from strong and deliberate UpForce will teach her to shoot that way all the time.) ---------------------------------------------------------- Some coaching ideas for a boy: Dan, Your dad asked me give you some ideas about shooting while he sends me an order for my video. I'll be very brief and maybe something I say can be helpful. First, do you know exactly how you shoot now? Could you tell me how you do what you do, and how you control distance and direction? For example, where is your Set Point, the spot you stop the ball before releasing it. Is it above your head, in front of your head, below your head or eyes? When you shoot, where
does most of the power come from? Do you Square Up your
body or do you "Open" your body? (I recommend Would you say your shot is a pushing action of the arm, or a throwing or flipping action? How high do you normally shoot? Does the bottom of the ball go 1 ft. above the rim, or 2 ft, or 3 ft. or more? What kind of spin do you impart to the ball? What does your shooting arm do as you shoot? Does it straighten all the way or do you "short arm" the shot? Do you keep the arm straight during the Follow Through or do you pull it back? Does it aim straight in line with the basket or does it pull or push left or right? What about your wrist and hand? Are they relaxed or are they tense? Does the hand bounce or is it tight? (I coach a relaxed, bouncing hand with the power coming mostly from the legs and a little bit from the constant arm straightening action, but NO wrist or hand power. Now that you know a little about what you do, I'll just suggest a couple things: (1) First experiment with Opening your body to the target, with your strong foot forward. This allows you to be better Aligned with target, ball, strong eye and arm/body in general alignment. (2) Start shooting earlier in your jumping motion (for jump shots and free throws). The earlier the better for most shots. You may see your shots going even higher than they do now. (Your dad said you shoot very high.) (3) Make the Release a Pushing Action, aimed very high, the same motion every time, a "full out" motion (about 75% of max. speed and force). (4) The wrist, hand and fingers are relaxed and the hand will actually bounce if the wrist and hand are relaxed and the arm action is quick and strong. That's the goal, because then your shot motion is "repeatable." You can do it in your sleep. (5) Aim high and be ready to vary arch with every shot. That's how you control Distance. (6) Before you shoot really "Connect" physically and mentally with the basket and get Aligned. During and after the shot "Complete" the connection by staying with the target mentally and physically until the ball reaches the target. As you warm up, go to a spot where, with no legs, you can swish your shots effortlessly with your Release action. This is just 2', 3' or 4' from the center of the basket. Spend a lot of time there perfecting your Release. Then as you go back, you just add leg power but KEEP THE SAME RELEASE, and shooting becomes an easy thing. That's all I have time for now. Communicate with me and tell me what you notice as you do the above. Shooting is really very simple. ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: I've been using your Upward force technique. It seems like every time I shoot the ball though it goes long, short, or airballs. Out of 10 shots I took, I made 3(at 15 foot range). Can you point out what I'm probably doing wrong? A: My guess is that you are not going "full out" with your Release every time and just varying arch for different distances and different amounts of UpForce. By "full out" I mean the same speed and force every time, about 70-75% of maximum. It's a quick, strong motion with a totally relaxed wrist and hand. Once you go to shoot and pull the trigger, don't hold back!!! Once you train yourself to do the Release the same every time, then the simple and instinctive adjustment of height or arch gives you great control of distance. Learn it from 8-10' and in, firing off your Release with no or just some UpForce (leg drive). If you can't swish 80-90% of these shots any time you want, then you haven't mastered it enough. When you can and do, then as you move back and add leg power, your shots will start "raining from heaven," high and soft, dead-center, swish! Check this out and report back. Watch your Release and notice if you are holding back or varying it. Keep it simple. This is very easy stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: I was hoping that you'd have a little section showing players *how* to connect the UpForce to their shots and how to "note the percentage of UpForce used". To me, this was the key concept of the video and in my opinion was not expanded upon in enough detail. I'm a reasonably good shooter and tend to use a lot of leg power naturally in my shot, so I really have no idea whether I've always been using UpForce or whether I have simply developed a habit that seems to work well for me. Even though I can shoot reasonably well, I am somewhat inconsistent and don't always get that smooth flowing, effortless, "just right" feeling where you know that it'll be a swish the moment it leaves your fingers (which is what I'm assuming you're talking about by connecting the shot to UpForce with a consistent release). Is this "just right" feeling what you are referring to by UpForce? If so, do you have any advice for me about how I know whether or not I am correctly using UpForce in my shot? A: The "Percentage" idea came to me after the video was created. You can see that my original Key #4 was to vary the timing, as needed, and I would now change that to say that 100% can be the goal for all outside shots and free throws, with the exception of the closer in shots from around the basket up to 8-10 feet away. For those close shots, taken mostly by the 4's and 5's, "hang time" is required, but don't wait until there's no UpForce left. Shoot near the top of the jump but not AT the top. If you do, you lose all the stabilizing forces. Also for these inside shots, it's effective to raise the Set Point so the Release can be quicker and there is less temptation to hold back. If you get a chance to see a Portland Trailblazers game, watch Rasheed Wallace carefully. He's a master at the 6-8 foot inside shots, and he's doing just exactly what I coach. My coaching on percent of U/F is to ask the players (or yourself) to rate the percent they feel is "in" the shot from 0 to 100%. 100% just means you shot as quickly as possible, using all of that force. If you hesitate any, you lose percentage and the shot becomes more unpredictable. You'll know what I mean when you do it. The feeling you write about comes from the shot being totally integrated with the upper body Release action connected to the upward force of the legs and middle body. You get the feeling of effortlessness. I think that feeling of "Just Right" you talk about is the feeling of everything working in an integrated fashion. No extra or strained motion. I also have developed my understanding of the Connection to the target that's developed by great shooters, and the Completion and Finish to their shots. When I do a second video, I'll be adding those ideas. This is part physical, part mental, and means that your physical body and your intention are in sync with the target. Your body is responding perfectly to your Will and your Intention. You said you are
"inconsistent" some times. Check on these things: The Set Point is above and in front of the shooting eye, with the back of the ball about even with the front of the head and with the bottom of the ball anywhere from just above the eyes to a few inches to several inches above your head depending on your strength. You'll have the feeling of being "under and behind" the ball when the Set Point is above the eye and directly in line with it. This allows for great and consistent accuracy. - Your palm is facing directly at the basket. [This is another idea I've come up with in the past 3 years: that the palm needs to be pointed directly in line with the basket. From there it's a straight pushing action of the arm to send the ball perfectly straight. Note when the palm is in line with the basket how the elbow is slightly out to the right (for right-handers). This is natural. If you jam the elbow in to conform to some "concept" of how it should be done, note that it tilts the hand and palm off the target. That's the proof that a perfectly vertical forearm is not the way to shoot.] - This, then, would be terrific alignment, with mind and body connected and aligned to the target. (2) Are you shooting powerfully from UpForce, on the way up, early in the motion (except when close in)? (3) Is your Release a simple, relaxed, full out (about 70-75% of max), repeatable straightening of the arm in line with the target? It's quick and strong, but not so strong it will hurt your elbow. If yes, your hand will bounce because the wrist and hand are so relaxed. (4) Are you staying connected with the target during your Follow Through, with your arm and hand staying pointed in the direction of the target (hand has flopped forward and down naturally)? If you're doing all of the above, your shots should be dropping beautifully and softly from the sky like rain drops. (Well not exactly vertically like rain drops, but you get the idea.) If you're long, be ready to shoot higher next time if the power is the same. If you're short, more UpForce was needed. It's a simple process, an instinctual process. ---------------------------------------------------------- How handle Fear that re-produces old patterns? Q: Now that basketball season is in full swing, I'm finding that my daughter, Lisa, 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? Thanks. 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. 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. 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. She knows what to do. 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. 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: What are your thoughts about "mental rehearsal"? A: I can't really say much about mental rehearsal. I'm sure it helps some, but good old "shooting practice" is probably more powerful. I have experience in the "mental" side of the equation, but it's in the areas of awareness, trust and "letting go." It would also relate to Confidence, Concentration, Intention, Commitment, etc. My mental action prior to a shot is more about "connecting" to the target, intending the ball go in, and trusting myself to execute what I know. I am aware of mental visualization, and use it a little in golf. But like Alan said, you have to know what club path you want, and exactly how and where the ball needs to fly. Jack Nicklaus could do that very powerfully, but I don't think most golfers have that kind of control and awareness of their swings. Just imagining "success" can be helpful, I'm sure. To me, the biggest problem today is poor technique. If your shot motion is variable and unreliable, then all the mental gyrations in the world, including mental rehearsal, can only help so much. It will ultimately break down because the technique is too complicated or too variable. Shots that fly flat and hot are very hard to control and repeat, for example, thus leading to shaky confidence. "Conditional" confidence (I feel good about my shot tonight because I just made 3 in a row...) will break down with the first miss. An airball will shatter that kind of confidence. Thus, I focus mostly on coaching great technique, a simple, powerful method of shooting anyone can "get" in a short time, and, surprise, it's the way most of the great shooters shoot, like Jeff Hornacek, Detlef Schrempf, Mark Price, Steve Kerr, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Mullin, George Gervin, etc., to name a few. And few they are. I feel most coaching of shooting misses the key points. In fact, I feel many of the most common instructions sabotage good shooting. Please read my Article #4 I wrote for Alan and his bbhighway website, to understand where I'm coming from on that. It's at this location: Article #4 ---------------------------------------------------------- Q: I purchased your
video and was very impressed. My shooting, and my daughter's shooting
dramatically improved during practice, however, during the game, it is
a whole different story. Is there any advise on how to translate this
technique "mentally" so that we both don't get so "psyched out"???? The fear is somehow taking you away from performing as you know how to do. You could practice putting pressure on each other, with imaginary situations. That might help a little, but it's awareness in the real moment of what's happening that will cure you. And that takes time and real pressure situations. Maybe if you just drill into yourselves more and more how simple this is, and that all you need to do is connect to the target with strong intention (and keep it throughout), align your body and the ball to the with a shot off the dribble), start the UpForce, shoot from it (shooting on the way up) and release the ball directly on line, hold the Follow Through, and complete the connection to the target. The more you do it the more you'll trust it under pressure. Sorry I can't be more specific than that. When you fully trust yourselves, the pressure won't get you so much. Realize that you can do it and it's simple. Make sure the Release is "full out" every time, about 70-75% of max. Thus, when you feel the pressure you can just go full out, to the end of your arm, connected to a target, and the ball will fly high and true. It's just sooooooooooo simple. Your mind will probably want to doubt yourself, so you've got that to address. Once IT realizes how simple the shot actually is, maybe it will shut up. ---------------------------------------------------------- As to shooting in games, I'll bet it's mental. You probably have a little more fear of failure. Everyone does. I just happened to develop myself so that I felt I would perform very well under pressure, maybe even better than normal. That is an unusual attitude to have. I was what you would call a "clutch shooter." I did the same in taking tests. Somehow my mind got in a "frame of mind" that I would excel under pressure. And, of course, that helped me. (It was a miracle -- I could have, just as easily, decided that I was not a pressure performer. I was lucky. It's really a choice, as I see it now. Attitudes are your choices. You can choose to be happy or sad in any event, and you can choose to have the image of a great performer under pressure or a lousy one.) Right now your mindset is that you don't perform well under pressure, something that most people have. You can't "positive think" yourself into the opposite frame of mind, but I do feel you can get there in 2-3 steps, as I outline in the video. First, see if you can change it to "neutral" by saying that "MAYBE you could perform well under pressure!" and then, when you do well a few times, it will become, "I CAN perform under pressure!" and then, with more success, your mind will let itself say, "I AM a pressure performer!" You know now how to shoot. That is a major achievement! This may take learning to ramp up the speed and movement in practice games. You might even ask your coach to set up a simulated, full speed game and let you take some shots and see what happens. Observe yourself. What happens when you get the green light to shoot? Are you able to try the new shot, or do you just revert to old, survival behavior? Do you trust yourself? With practice and experience, you will start to trust more and more, and then you're on your way. Please write back after you have dealt with this awhile and tell me what you notice about your self image under pressure and your confidence. I'll bet they start to improve. ---------------------------------------------------------- Streaky Shooters? Things to look for. Regarding a player who shoots well in practice but is very streaky in games, here is how I would approach it: First, I'd like to know if he is truly a great shooter in practice or if he's just "high" mentally and performs well in that environment with a so-so technique? Some players have that ability. I say that because, from my experience, most shooting strokes these days are too unreliable to be effective all the time, and, if a player has a high level of confidence and/or concentration, he can make shots where there is less pressure but will fail when it really counts. You see this in the pro game a lot, where players make lots of shots in practice and then come unglued in games. There are some physical things you can look for as clues: RELEASE: Watch his Release motion. Is he driving the ball with wrist and hand, or is he shooting more with the arm and the whole body? Wrist and hand shooting (wrist flipping) lead to streaky results. You can tell by (1) watching his Follow Through, (2) observing the height of his shots, and (3) asking him what he feels. If the wrist and hand are tense, that means they've been involved in powering the ball. This action flattens the shot and the ball comes in "hot," with little room for error. It gives more power, but it's hard to control. When pressure is off, players can get away with unreliable and variable motions, but when pressure is high, the variations and fluctuations get greater and shots are missed. Once you start to miss, then the mental stuff (doubt, fear, etc.) comes in and makes it worst. HEIGHT: Check the arch (height) of his shots. Wristy shots will be flat, while whole body shots will be higher. If he's shooting high and soft, then he's probably shooting from an arm pushing action (which I coach) and getting power from his legs and lower body. WHEN IN THE JUMP DOES HE SHOOT? Observe if he's shooting at the top of the jump or if he's shooting on the way up. I coach shooting on the way up to get maximum leg drive for most shots. This way of shooting creates an upward motion which gives the player high arch and a more consistent shot. If he's shooting at the top of the jump, then he HAS to use wrist and hand (or throw with the arm), because there's nothing left of the upward leg force to shoot with. This sabotages great shooting, in my opinion. What if he's doing all the effective stuff? If he shoots on the way up, has a relaxed wrist and hand in the Follow Through, and has high arch, then he is probably a fine shooter who is just screwing himself up mentally when it counts. My bet is that his problem is the former (above), where he uses too much wrist and hand, shoots at or near the top of the jump, and has a flat and hot ball trajectory. If you want further coaching, send me the answers to the above questions and I'll go from there. If his stroke is great and it appears the problem is all "mental," let me know and I can coach you on how to address that. My guess is that his motion is not completely reliable and repeatable, and when stakes go up, his shot has some or a lot of variables that throw the ball flight off. ---------------------------------------------------------- Just one thing, perhaps about girls. I feel they need to learn to generate a lot more power from their legs and middle bodies and shoot FROM that power. It doesn't have to be jumping off the ground necessarily, just creating a powerful surge of stable, upward energy from which to shoot. I think too many of them just kind of move horizontally and only occasionally upward, not often with any great intensity. Play with that idea. Ask them to notice if they are generating much "upward" energy as they go to shoot. Could they generate more? Where would it come from? In my clinics, as I start to introduce my Method, I have them stand just 6-7 feet apart and start to generate some upward energy and connect their Releases to it. Right away they start getting arch. Then they're asked to move back a couple feet each and add more leg drive (UpForce, as I call it). More arch, and some will start to feel an "effortlessness" to it. Then one more time stepping back and upping the UpForce. By now all can see that they're getting more arch with less apparent effort. Once they "get" this power source, then we focus on getting a simple, "full out" (about 70-75% of max. speed and force), repeatable Release, and then we integrate the UpForce with the new Release. Once they have these two pieces of the puzzle (the third is varying arch to control distance), then we go to a wall to practice it some more without the interference of the basket. Then, finally, we go to a basket and, through a simple progression that's shown in the video, they learn to put it all together. By now many of them are starting to make several shots in a row and they see and feel what they need to learn to shoot better and better. Free throws and shooting off the dribble are just two examples of them learning the same thing with a different shot. Connecting to the UpForce and firing off the simple, end-of-the-arm Release well connected to the target, plus holding a powerful Follow Through, get the balls flying pretty consistently to target. This is a very condensed
description. Hope it helps.
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