|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TESTIMONIALS -- BATCH #6
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Tom, Just had something happen today that I HAD to share with
you....
"I have a girl that will be playing for me this fall -- she's going to
be a freshman in high school. Last year as an 8th grader, she shot 68%
from the floor, including 44% from behind the arc. The kicker here is
that she's about 6'2"...very nice size for an 8th grader (her sister is
a 6'1"senior, and is my starting post player).
"Anyway, Kaitlyn (the 8th grader) was injured in an accident on her
farm a couple of weeks ago...she had to have the tip of the index
finger on her right hand amputated below the first knuckle as a result
of the accident (and she's right handed). I've talked to her mom a
couple of times since the accident, and she told me that Kaitlyn was
thinking about not going out for anything this fall -- volleyball,
basketball, whatever -- due the accident. We convinced to come to the
gym after our individual skills workout session, which she did for the
first time on Monday of this week (June 30). The doctor said she cannot
use her right hand for anything athletic until October, so we spent
about 10 minutes talking, then we started working on shooting with her
left hand. I utilize your method extensively with my team (we led the
conference in scoring and shooting percentage last season en route to
the first state tourney berth in school history), so Kaitlyn and I
started right in with the basics of your method for her left hand --
consistent release point, follow through, UpForce, shooting "earlier"
in her shot, etc. By the end of our little workout (about 15 minutes
worth), she was hitting free throws at a 50% clip...not great, but
considering she had never shot ANY kind of shot with her left hand
before, she was so excited! She walked out of the gym with a huge smile
on her face!
"If that were all to this story, I'd be thrilled, but there's more. She
came back to the gym today, but to the normal workout (not just for a
short "after-workout" workout). She spent the whole day shooting ...
working on her form, trying to develop consistency. At the end of
practice, she won our 3 point shooting contest!!!! She made 6 out of 11
three pointers LEFT-HANDED, and she had never taken a shot with her
left hand until the day before yesterday. Before she left, she asked
me, "Coach, what am I going to do when I get my right hand back? Should
I shoot with my right hand or my left hand?" My reply was, "Who cares?
The fact that you can CHOOSE which hand to shoot with is the key!" The
other positive about this -- this was the first time she was talking
about her future in basketball....just last week she wasn't going to go
out; now she's worrying about which hand to shoot with! Not bad for
three days with the SWISH method, huh?"
Thanks, C. Honeck, Iowa
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, I ordered your video about 6 weeks ago for my soon-to-be 13 year
old daughter. We live outside of Philadelphia, PA and the winter has
been brutal, but we've been able to grab some open gym time and
practice the philosophies of the method. Being a headstrong teenager
(is that redundant?), I've had to adapt the method to get her to
incorporate the elements of the shot. She's been making improvements,
but it's hard to break bad habits. She still to often reverts back to
the old shooting style in a game, but the free throws are improving. I
think with a little more practice (AAU season has just started), she'll
be a great shooter in no time. As I said, we've made some progress, and
I wanted to relate this story to you.
"During an AAU game this past weekend, my daughter was fouled
attempting a shot. The shot did not go in, so she went to the line for
two free throws. I could see that she was not making the adjustments we
had worked on, adjustments that had improved her foul shooting from
about 30-40% to approaching 70% in just a few sessions. Her first free
throw was an air ball, and the second clanged off the back of the rim,
off-center. I happen to be an assistant coach for this team, so at the
next break I reminded her to focus on the adjustments that we made.
Late in a close game (her team was winning by about 5 points), she was
fouled again going to the basket. I didn't say anything. However, this
time as she approached the line I could see that she was setting up
differently: open stance, arm/shoulder in line with the basket, right
up on the line. She swished both shots almost effortlessly, and as she
ran down the court the head coach said "great looking shots."
"As we get more into the season and get some warmer weather, we're
looking forward to more improvements in both game situations and foul
shooting. Thanks for a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to
shooting fundamentals."
-- J. Roynan
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom Nordland's approach to shooting the basketball is flat-out the
best I have ever seen. His approach goes well beyond the old adages of
shooting the basketball and focuses on the essential keys to control
the flight of the basketball. If you commit to learn this system, you
will become a good shooter, it's that solid. If you are going to invest
a lot of time and energy in basketball, it would be foolish not to
learn this method. Your child will become his or her own coach, and
confidence will soar. Perhaps the greatest and most precious gift is
the time they spend practicing will no longer be wasted developing bad
habits and in frustration, but instead will become productive and
effective, motivating them to practice even more.
"Getting this video is a must, and even more beneficial is to take
advantage of the opportunity to do a clinic with Tom. His personal
instruction will accelerate your child's progress and help them teach
themselves. Do not miss out on this opportunity which has such great
potential to help your children excel and reach their goals."
-- M. Jacobs, Program Director, Five-Star Basketball of Greater
Washington D.C.; Asst. Coach, Georgetown Prep
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, I received your video on Thursday. I tried it out for myself in a
pick up game yesterday, and all I can say is...... WOW!!!! I could not
believe how well my shot improved. Since I coach my daughter she's
going to be my first guinea pig today."
-- Q. Houston
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Tom, I have been in basketball over 20 years, both as a player
and a coach, and what I read here [on your web site] made me know you
know what you're talking about. My son P.J. is rated as one of the top
players in the country (Hoop scoops), and he has had everybody in the
world trying to change his shot. He's left handed and these folks don't
have a clue. But I read just a little bit of your web site and know you
have more than a clue. Thanks for knowing what you're talking about!"
-- M. Taylor, North Carolina
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, I just thought I'd give you a little update....
"On Saturday night, my girls basketball team qualified for the state
tournament! It's the first time since the merger of two schools 13
years ago that a girls team had qualified for state in any sport. That
doesn't sound like such a long time, but the only time in history that
either school (Prairie City or Monroe) qualified was in 1948!
"There were obviously a lot of reasons that we won Saturday, but the
most obvious one is shooting percentage -- we shot 51% from the floor,
while our opponent shot 40%. In fact, FG% has been a huge reason for
our success all year -- we're shooting almost 8% better than the girls
did a year ago (before I took over the program and implemented parts of
your program). I currently have 3 girls who have broken the school
record for season FG%...one of them (who has spent countless hours
working with me after practice on her shooting) has improved from 31%
from the floor last year to 48% this year -- still not great, but a
HUGE improvement. Her scoring average has gone from just under 8 points
per game last year to over 13 points per game this year, and she has
recently committed to play basketball at junior college here in Iowa --
something she never thought she was good enough to do. In our regional
final last Saturday, she scored a career-high 21 points on 7-13
shooting from the floor, including the game winner in a 59-57 overtime
win (to go with her 12 rebounds).
"It still hasn't sunk in that we've accomplished what we have -- this
is my first season as a varsity head coach, and things like this aren't
supposed to happen to first year coaches...but then again, when you
have great kids to coach, anything can happen! Thanks again!"
-- C. Honeck, Monroe, Iowa
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(Another from C. Honeck)
"Hi Tom, Just wanted to let you know about another little success story
for your shooting program.
"As you may remember, this is my first year as a varsity coach. When I
took over the program in June, I knew we had some good athletes, but
was told that we were probably 3 years away from success (great middle
school teams coming up). I always asked the question, "Why wait?"...and
usually got some pretty funny looks (as if I had no idea what I was
saying).
"Well, to make a long story short, I've implemented bits and pieces of
your program throughout the season -- haven't been able to take the
time to do it word for word, start to finish (that's coming up this
summer), but I've used parts where needed with certain players. The
result? We were the top FG% shooting team in our conference, and all
five of my starters finished in the top 9 in FG% in the conference!
"The other impact? We currently have a record of 17-4. We went
undefeated in conference play at 10-0 (something that hadn't happened
in the conference since 1986), we won only the second conference
championship in girls basketball in school history, and we are playing
Saturday in a regional final for a trip to the state basketball
tournament! Our school is made up of kids from two different
communities. Prairie City last made the state tournament in 1948, and
Monroe has never made it, so we have the opportunity to continue our
special run...your program was certainly a part of it, and I can't wait
to implement it fully with our younger kids this summer!"
Thanks again!
-- C. Honeck, Monroe, IA
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Tom, This is just a quick note of thanks for the time you spent
talking with me on the phone Sunday, and the resources available on
your website. I haven't even seen the video yet, but the SWISH method
is helping my team. Let me explain °©
"Last night at practice I watched my players shoot. The best shooter
fits your profile of a good shooter °© she's a girl, she has a
non-stressed release, a high arc and perfect backspin. She's the only
girl on the team but is by far the best shooter. I was watching one of
the poorer shooters shoot, and his form looked fine but he just isn't
strong enough to shoot from ten or fifteen feet out. I told him to bend
his knees and put some leg into it. He resisted at first, but soon he
was trying it and got very excited. Later in practice during a shooting
drill he said "Watch me, Coach °© watch me!" And then as he shot he
would say out loud "That's in. That's in" displaying his new-found
confidence. His release was much more relaxed than before and his
success rate went way up.
"I have always stressed shooting in practice, but have never really
known what to tell the players. I believe in the natural intelligence
most children possess, and so I don't try to coach mechanics too much.
I usually encourage them to put backspin on the ball and just drop it
over the rim, and let them figure out how their body should do that. I
am greatly looking forward to the video and to sharing it with the
team."
-- M. Gillis
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(Another from M. Gillis)
"Tom, When I got your video I asked my boys if they wanted to watch.
One boy is 12, the other is 10. They said "No, we know how to shoot."
They had the same reaction when I asked if they would be interested in
a shooting clinic. The funny thing was that when they came into the
room while I was watching the video they were mesmerized and
immediately started watching intently and making comments and asking
questions.
"Sunday my 12-year-old was practicing from the foul line when I asked
him to move closer -- to a spot he felt confident he could make 5 in a
row from. He didn't want to do it but he did. His form and arc
improved. Then I asked him to close his eyes and shoot from the same
spot, and he started having a great time. Then I asked him to call out
where he thought his shot was going with his eyes closed. Now he really
started to enjoy himself. I joined in and he had fun watching me try to
do it. As soon as a new player arrived for practice my son would say
"Come over and do this, this is great!
"Now, one boy on the team is a great guy and a good athlete, but he has
only played hockey, not basketball, so I work with him on developing
basic skills. His father came to practice on Sunday to help. This Dad
knows much more about basketball than I do as he is a coach, a ref, and
a trainer of refs, and a general basketball expert.
"I did the eyes-closed shooting drill with this boy and he liked it and
his shot went from flat to nicely arched. Then he moved out to shoot
from spots on the floor in a drill we do, and he was making a good
share! I was very excited. Then his father started yelling "Those are
JUMP shots! Think 'hang-time', 'hang-time'" and he reverted back to his
old struggling form. It was tough listening to that and I felt bad for
this boy. I guess it was a good chance for me to see 'Traditional'
coaching in action.
"I want to thank you for the resources you reference on your website. I
have visited the website of the Positive Coaches Association, and have
started reading "Mastery" by George Leonard. I wonder if you have ever
read a book called "Developing Youth Soccer Players"? Probably not,
since you are a basketball and golf coach. This book was a revelation
to me. It pointed out that most adults coach children as if they were
coaching other adults °© lecturing, talking, showing off how much they
know. It also talks about the developmental stages children are in at
different ages and how they learn. Best of all, it describes GAMES that
are designed to help children think, grasp ideas, and develop new
skills. My favorites are games where there is an object, and the
players have to figure out the best way to achieve that by trying, not
by listening to an adult tell them what he thinks is the best way. I
have incorporated some of these into my basketball practices and it's
very effective and very fun to watch.
"I mention this because it reminds me of your eyes-closed game of
feeling where the shot will go, or the exercise of three players
shooting one behind the other and trying to make all three shots go in
right after another. I also mention it because on Sunday when the guest
coach would go off on a tangent about how John Stockton does something
or where referees line up or why the players needed to pay attention to
the 'little things' or some such thing, the players just rolled their
eyes and tuned him out.
"Thanks, Tom, for all your work and help."
-- M. Gillis
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some more recent testimonials I've gotten for the Swish video
and my website articles and newsletters. They reveal a pattern of
people understanding better how to shoot, how to approach practice, and
how to coach the skill.
A NOTE ABOUT TESTIMONIALS (From Tom)
I find testimonials endlessly fascinating. I think we all do. It makes
an experience or learning situation more personal. I was at an all-day
seminar on Marketing in Austin last week and most of it was pretty dry.
But when the course leader shifted to talk about something he
personally had done or seen, I was drawn in and my attention went way
up. It was both more real to me and more fun.
The testimonials you can read here and in last month's newsletter and
on my website (http://www.swish22.com/testimonials.html) occur because
something in the Swish video (or even in my articles) touches people's
learning mechanisms. They see something simple and do-able. It gives
them key "distinctions" that they are then able to put into use by
themselves. I feel one of my major contributions to basketball is that
I've "simplified" the process of learning and coaching shooting. We all
need that. More often systems complicate things rather than simplify
them.
Anytime we offer a "formula" for learning (do this, then do that,
etc.), we are likely to add complexity and rules about how things
"should" be. Our minds love to be told how to do things but our amazing
bodies don't learn that way. We learn by awareness, by feel, by
experimenting, and by comparing and contrasting experience. My Swish
Method is about that stuff, about general things like minimizing
variables, use of larger, more stable muscles, where accuracy comes
from, how to get consistency and repeatability. As I often say, it's
about how to control the "Flight of the ball." When you understand and
can physically experience those things, learning soars and powerful
results occur. That is what these people are talking about. Please
share your experiences with me and my readers.
-- Tom Nordland
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"I watched your video once, went outside, and I was amazed. I am known
as a ball handler and a passer. I went outside and everyone was asking
me how I got my shot better so fast. Well since on the video it says
share the wealth, I told everyone there your technique and they love
it. They said they're even gonna get the video. Well, the next day was
our district championship game. We're a first year school with no
seniors, so everyone counted us out. They didn't even think we would
make it this far, and we're playing a team that has won it the last 6
years in a row. Anyway, so I went out there and I was 8/9 from the
field and 7/7 at the free throw line I had the best game of my life,
AND WE WON! thanks swish22, THANKS TOM"
-- Mo game
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Mr. Nordland: My husband and I have been working with our 12 year
old son on shooting since he was old enough to play basketball. Our son
is a talented player, but we became frustrated with several areas. He
had reached a level where he was not improving, he was not listening to
our pointers, he had made an AAU team and lost his confidence. After
some thought, I ordered your video figuring "What could it hurt, maybe
I could learn something too!!!" THANK YOU so much for opening our eyes.
Our son has watched your video and has been practicing all your
techniques. The bottom line is that he has improved dramatically!!!
"I believe one of the most important points was he was listening to us
and NOT feeling for himself what was right and wrong. I love your point
of getting the player to feel what is right/wrong [Correction by
Editor: I would say "... feel what works and doesn't work!" rather than
making it a judgment, right or wrong!]. After a month of having your
video my son and I were on the driveway practicing and he made 24 out
of 25 free throws. Thank you."
-- sgoswalt
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Example of a student being "turned on" [Editor's story]:
“It was interesting watching a girl named Whitney in Wheaton, MD, going
from a two-handed motion to a one-handed motion in one 4-hour clinic.
When it was over, she stayed for almost an hour (with her mother
rebounding), shooting -- and making -- shot after shot with her new
stroke. She was thrilled to be so effective. Now she KNEW what it was
she had been missing all this time. [Well, not that long, since she was
only 12.]”
-- Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"My son is a guard on his 8th grade team. we purchased your tape and i
also spoke with you on the phone[which i gathered much info] in aug.we
saw results immediately! he bought into the "UpForce" concept and soon
he started shooting these rainbow jumpers from all over. even though he
is a great all-around athlete he does not yet possess much size or
strength as some of his teammates, yet his range [while keeping your
fundamentals] is the finest on team. first three games are 21pts, 12
and yesterday 17pts in 20 min. we watched a tape of yesterdays game and
slowed his shot down and it was very fluid and sooo relaxed!! as a
coach you know the byproduct of this success is soaring confidence in
his shot!! thank you."
-- J. Eannarelli
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, Received the video & find it to be excellent. Not so much
that I heard anything new but in the way you presented the complete
picture. As a teacher the key is often not so much the info but the
presentation. Have only had one opportunity to "try out" the Swish
Method w/my 13 AAU playing daughter and myself. We saw immediate
results and greater ease in understanding how to correct to increase
accuracy.
"I had a great shooting day playing ball and look forward to improving
my shooting teaching skill with my current crop of players. Thank you."
-- J. Pearce
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Tom, Not that you need anymore proof, but in yesterdays 5th grade
girls basketball game, my daughter went 12 for 14 from the free throw
line, at one point making 9 straight. She's a believer, I'm working on
the rest."
-- M. Biskup
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Tom, It's been awhile since I've written, but I excitedly await
the newsletter every month. I just finished reading the November
edition prior to the start of my son's varsity game tonight.
"There are several passages that really hit home. So much so, that I
printed one out ("Great Shooters Don't Get Into that Funk") and gave it
to my son before his game tonight. He has been shooting well all
season, but just not shooting enough. But, tonight he started looking
to take more shots. Although he was only 3 for 8 on 3-pointers, every
one of them was right on target (a couple just short and couple just
long) and looked liked they were going in. The effect was instant
recognition by the opposing coach resulting in opening up his
teammates. As I watched the game I started to notice he was clearly the
best shooter in the gym. I know I'm probably biased, but you just have
to watch the wrist and the hand.
"This summer his school got a new coach. After watching several summer
league games with his new players, the coach commented to me that there
was only one player whose shot looked like it was going to go in every
time -- my son's."
-- J. Quirk, Dallas
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Subject: WOW!
"Tom, I just got back from an hour and fifteen minutes of shooting and
I have improved my shooting success by as much as 50% minimum. I
watched your video 2-3 times, followed along in the workbook and went
out today to apply what you taught. It's amazing how easy the shot
feels when you follow the swish principles.
"Shooting is much easier almost effortless when using the UpForce. When
I push my arm up and let my hand flop, it's amazing how few shots I
missed.
"I feel now that as I continue to practice, I can fine tune my
shooting. I'm still not entirely sure how I'm going to use my guide
hand. I need to find something I'm comfortable with that can be
automatic. I'll keep you updated on my progress."
-- T. Jarema, Illinois
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A Coach from Maine finds Acceleration
------------------------------------------------------------
(Editor’s note) A coach in Maine bought my video about a year
and a half ago and just bought a second copy for his nephew. When I
called to clarify something about the order, he told me that he
especially felt his own release was improved by what the video taught
him. It gave him a release motion with "acceleration all the way to the
end-of-the-arm," like it was to the end of a rope. It gave him a sense
of control, like the release couldn't go any further and was,
therefore, more predictable. Previously he would often slow the release
down or decelerate as he tried to control distance and arch. Now he
just lets it happen, straightening the arm as far as it goes, and it
always goes the same distance. Here are his words:
"Dear Coach Nordland,
"Since ordering your video my shooting has improved greatly. Yesterday
I made 17 out of 20 foul shots. I used to be lucky to get 50%. Now I
expect to make at least 8/10 and often make 10/10. I also am very
comfortable shooting 3 point shots. Where I play during lunch, 3
pointers often determine who plays the next game if there are more than
a certain number of people. Even with everyone watching, I expect to
make it and usually do.
"I was never a great athlete (didn't make my high school BBall team in
a very small school). I taught kids and learned how to shoot using the
popular "C" method before I got your video. I started learning your
method before teaching it to kids that I coach. I could execute the "C"
method fairly well when I was relaxed, but under pressure it just
didn't feel right. I would tense up and just not have the free flowing
motion. The first thing I noticed with your method is that I didn't
tense up as easily and that it was much more of a flow because there
was not a long pause before the shot. Just up into the set point and
then away. In golf we call this a "waggle" -- it is used to keep the
golfer's muscles relaxed prior to the start of the swing.
"The other thing I noticed right away is with the up-force from the
legs and a full out snapping motion that the ball stayed on my hand
much better. Top golf teachers teach something called stability. This
means that the golf club is accelerating all of the way through the
ball. This is accomplished in putting and chipping by taking longer
follow through's than the back swing. If you take the club back 1 foot
in the backswing and then follow through 1.5 feet, the club will be
accelerating when it hits the ball. This gives a more consistent
stroke. The same works for shooting. With the full-out motion, the ball
pressure on the hand stays constant or even increases right until the
ball leaves. I always had trouble, feeling the ball come off my hand
"funny," until I tried your method.
"The other thing that I've noticed is that I can shoot from just about
any position with my lower body as long as I get the up-force and get
the hand directly in line with the basket. I don't really have to worry
about my right toe pointing at the basket, as is commonly taught.
"The other really cool thing that I noticed is how my subconscious has
taken over the shot. If I don't have enough leg push, my arm knows to
shoot lower and push harder. I also noticed that my hand turns to the
left occasionally instead of the palm facing the basket on the follow
through. I watched the shots that it happened on and figured out that
it did that when I started the ball off line to the right. What was
happening is that my hand (under the control of the subconscious) would
try to and often successfully correct shots that started off line. If
you want to know more about how powerful (and usually accurate) the
subconscious is in golf, you should read "The Short Game Bible" and
"The Putting Bible" by Dave Pelz. It is very interesting how the
principles apply to all sports where accurate repetition is required.
"Great stuff! From what I have learned from your video, I can tell
immediately if someone is a good shooter after watching one or two
shots and seeing where they get their power from."
-- G. Crocker, Maine
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, I know you asked me just to send an email back without a reply,
but I can't resist!
"My son Danny is a Freshman in high school and has decided to make
basketball his main sport. He has played for a few years, but nothing
real serious. He has a friend whom he wanted to emulate that is a good
player and good shot. Even before getting your video I began to teach
him your principles. I was a high school player and had a college
scholarship to play, so understood your perspective.
"Once we got your video we watched it together and hit the gym. He was
very surprised and pleased at the quick results he was getting. He has
never been a strong shooter. Quite by accident his friend showed up at
the gym and we had a shooting "contest." Both Danny and I beat his
friend hands down! By the time we were done Danny's friend asked me to
teach him "how to shoot."
"I am still learning, as is Danny, but I am excited at the prospects.
Thank you for distilling this information in a way that is both fun and
informative. I am also a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Sports
Performance Coach and this will help me in my work with basketball
players throughout my area. Thanks again, and keep up the good work!"
-- D. Von Waggoner, Colorado
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, I read all your newsletters with great interest. The subject of
shooting, coaching and teaching all fascinate me. Thanks very much for
your work.
"Your last newsletter intrigued me when you described the difference
between boys and girls. I know coaches who won't coach boys anymore.
Their rationale goes like this - You can tell girls what you want them
to do, and they will try to do it. IF you can get boys to sit still
long enough to tell them what you want, they immediately go out and do
something else anyway.
"The only way I have found to work with boys is to get them doing an
activity that they like and then quietly work with them in the
activity, steering them towards what I want. There is still the big
obstacle with end-results and appearances. If I suggest they open their
stance on the foul line, and they miss the next shot, they invariably
say "That doesn't work - why did you have me do that?" Or, in soccer,
I'll ask them to kick a ball left-footed, and they say "I can't" and
won't even try.
"One thing all my players took to was shooting with their eyes closed.
For whatever reason, that was seen as 'fun' and the only pressure on
them was trying to guess where the shot would go after they released
it. It certainly improved their sensitivity and awareness and they had
a great time doing it.
"Other things from the Swish video we did were trying to use the legs
more; trying to have three players in a line swish their shots one
after another (this exercise really seemed to captivate them, even
though it proved very difficult); and varying the arc on our shots. By
the end of the season some of the players were shooting amazingly
high-arcing foul shots.
"A game the team invented was trying to shoot a ball onto a vent that
stuck out from the wall, about 12 feet high off the floor. The surface
of the vent was very small, and the players would hoist a shot up and
try to land it softly enough that it stayed up there. Of course the
ball had to be coming almost straight down to have a chance of staying
up there. After watching the Swish video and realizing how beneficial
that was, I gladly let them do that whenever they wanted.
"Finally, I have to give a testimonial to the 'feedback and awareness'
method of teaching. I had a soccer player who was drop-kicking the
ball, and sending it almost sideways. He asked me what he should do. I
said "This time, tell me what part of your foot is hitting the ball."
He proceeded to kick the next few balls beautifully and right at his
target, noticing that they were hitting the hard part of the middle of
his foot. Similarly, I was passing a soccer ball back and forth with
another boy, and he was kicking the ball about 5 yards to my right,
from 10 yards away. He said "I can't kick it straight" and I said "See
if you can tell where the ball is hitting your foot." He then kicked a
few right at me, and when he kicked one off-target again, he said "That
one hit up by my toes."
-- Michael R. Gillis
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Tom, Thanks for the most fun I ever had with a basketball. I am a
beginner. Even though I'm 41 years old, I never played basketball. A
few weeks ago a friend suggested that we go the courts after work, so I
bought a ball. I'm not very tall. I'm not very good. But tonight I went
on the Web and found your site. I read how to hold and shoot the ball
and watched the clips and immediately went to a local high school
court. I saw immediate results. Your method is simple, easy to remember
and learn, and natural. The hand and arm do point toward the target,
what could be simpler. I even made 8 baskets in a row from different
points on the court. It amazed me. You've got an effective technique.
Thanks very much."
-- Edgar Saenz
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: You are my hero!!!
"Dear Tom, I am 14 years old, and am writing from Canada. I used to
shoot the way most coaches teach nowadays, and I was a terrible
shooter. I would change my technique almost every week but would still
get the same results. Then, a few months ago I ran into your website
and read about the way you coached shooting and your technique. So I
decided to give it a try but I didn't expect any better results because
I was hopeless. I started working with your technique a few months back
and have gotten better every practice. Today, I went to the Local Gym
with my friend and he was amazed at how good I was shooting. To tell
you the truth even I was amazed. Thank you Tom."
-- Hamid Haidery, Canada
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom, I asked Tyler to put together a letter in response to your note.
Before I copy his letter for you, I wanted to tell you how confident he
has become. His accuracy at the foul line has improved so much and as a
result he's looking for contact on the drives to get himself to the
line where in the past he would avoid attacking the basket. He also is
stepping further and further out on his range if the defender gives him
the room he's letting it fly with confidence. Last night he scored 31
points in a incoming top Freshman league in our area, making 8 three's
and some of them from the NBA line (he's only going into 8th grade).
Thanks."
-- Robert M., Foster City, CA
This is copied from Tyler himself;
"Dear Tom, Thank you so much for coming out and coaching me. Your
"Swish" Method has improved my shooting tremendously. Like Free Throws
for example. I used to be shooting at 50-60% tops. After working with
you and practicing what you taught me, I have improved to a 70-75% free
throw shooter now and continuing to improve. My three point shooting
has improved alot as well. Last night I hit 8 three's in my game. The
most important reason I have improved was that you showed me the
correct way to practice."
-- Tyler M., 13 years old, Foster City, CA.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After two clinics for kids at a Japanese Community Center in San
Francisco, organized by a coach named Hiko:
"Hi Hiko, This is just to thank you again for doing so much for the
rest of us. Miya and her teammates are at the perfect age to absorb new
ideas. She came home and "practiced" 2 hours more! That's how inspiring
Tom's message was. Bry watched the video with us and the two of them
were aiming for "swishes" last evening. I've already loaned out our
video to another enchanted coach ... and so the quiet revolution of
"swishes" lives on....thanks to Tom and you!"
-- Jane
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Tom: Two years ago I took over a program that was horrible. I had been
out of coaching for 12 years. For two years I have tried to get our
players to develop good shooting technique, but no matter what I tried
we were a horrible shooting team from both the FT line and field. This
spring I began reading your newsletters, read the testimonies of
players, coaches and parents who have used the SWISH method. I knew I
had to do something to get things turned around. I ordered your video.
I had to watch it at least two times before I became a "semi" believer.
I shared it with my coaching staff and a couple of parents. We all
agreed it was something we should pursue.
"We set up a weekly shooting session that was run by a volunteer
parent. I can't begin to tell you how much improvement we have seen in
many of our players in just a short period of time. Our players are
beginning to understand how to use the UpForce to power their shots and
to rely less on arm strength. Players are "aiming high" and we are
seeing more shots go in because of the arch they are using on their
shots.
"I held mini camps for players entering grades 1-9. Each camp was
3-hours long. The first two days were used (just) to learn and work
with the SWISH method of shooting. All players made progress, and many
of the JH players made tremendous progress. The third day of the camp
was for individual offensive skills. You can bet that we reinforced the
SWISH method as the girls went through the shooting drills using their
offensive moves.
"I want to share one particular case from our mini camp with you. On
the second day as we started camp, I showed the group a portion of your
SWISH video. It is the part where the little left handed girl is
shooting. We broke down her technique. It was a great visual. We also
watched the next two male players shoot and studied their high release
points. This helped our players to see someone their own age, or
younger, successfully use the SWISH method.
"About midway through our second day of camp we were working on short
bank shots just above the block. Again emphasizing the SWISH method. We
had a little girl who will be a second grader next year make four shots
in a row and was displaying great SWISH technique. I stopped the camp
and had this little girl show everyone (about 35 players) how she was
being successful using the SWISH method. Not only did all the campers
get a kick out of watching this little girl have success, but the
confidence and positive self gratification in the little girl's face
was glowing. It gets better, this same little girl the day before could
not get the ball to a 10 foot basket. We did not have adjustable rims
so we taped off squares on the wall at 8 1/2 feet for the younger
players to shoot at. By the end of the second day, not one younger
player needed to shoot at the square on the wall. Each was having
enough success of getting the ball to the basket they refused to use
the square.
"I have rambled on long enough. Just wanted to say thanks. I know we
are in the early stages of developing good shooting for the entire
program, but if we continue to make as much progress as we have already
made, no telling how well we will shoot the ball come season time."
R. Lyttle
Varsity Girls Basketball Coach
Hamilton, OH
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Coach Nagano was shipped the video August 13th. He watched the
video and worked with it and presented it to his team Aug. 23rd, less
than 10 days after getting the video. Here is what he had to say:
"Tom, I presented your system at practice for the first time this
Saturday to 13-14 year old girls. I thought it went well, but the real
result came on this email from one of the parents. Your system made
practice organized and coherent so that I was able to get this fine
report."
-- D. Nagano, Los Angeles
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To Coach Nagano:
"Oh.My.Gosh.
"Bethany just spent about an hour outside with Paul shooting baskets.
At dinner, I started to tell Paul about the scrimmage and drills you
had them do yesterday at practice.
"Bethany elaborated, and it was amazingly detailed, which impressed me
so much °© she was
really listening! I quietly rushed outside to move my car out of the
driveway, then casually suggested the two of them go shoot some baskets.
"Oh.My.Gosh.
"I TRIED not to overreact. First of all, she was practicing shooting
(while occasionally telling us something you had told her). But also,
she was shooting with one hand!
"She was making what seemed like 90% of her shots and was following
through!
"I commented on it (again, as casually as I could), with something like
'Hey, when did THIS
happen?' And she said she just learned this one handed shot with follow
through yesterday! She seemed very pleased with what was happening.
"Do you KNOW how many people have tried to teach her this shot?
"She shot from different points on a semicircle around the basket and
repeated and repeated. I know you said you thought she was ready to
make a leap, but...
"Oh.My.Gosh! Can it be starting already? Thanks, Coach."
-- Shirley
"Thank you, Tom. I will continue to build your system at my next
practice!"
-- D. Nagano
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|