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TESTIMONIALS -- BATCH #8
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"Hello! Thanks for sending the video so promptly. My daughter was so happily surprised! We sat down as a family and watched the video immediately. My daughter couldnt wait to go out and start shooting some hoops. My daughter, my husband and I watched the video completely as you suggested then went back and started with part 1 following the excercises with a partner etc. Once we completed the first simple excercises we started taking some practice shots beginning at our zero point.

"WOW!!!!! We were so thrilled! I personally shot 40 baskets and missed only 2 shots!!!!!!! My husband, who isnt a huge basketball player, I might add, had equal success. Lastly, it was my daughters turn. Keep in mind she already is an above average shooter, but she was shooting at about 90% Plus I saw the moment when she connected her lower body or upforce with her arm extension to make the shot. She is very small at about 5 feet tall and 3 point shots could be a challenge. Now that she joined up those two body movements, it was amazing to see the difference. It was almost effortless for her!

"We still have a lot of practicing and learning ahead of us, but I couldnt wait to tell you how thrilled we are and how sold we are on your method of teaching. We also had a great time learning it as a family! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you a million! It is going to be great seeing what is to come!

"I was wondering if you had any suggestions or ideas on bank shots? Let us know if you make any more videos! We are now huge fans of yours and wish and hope that sometime you will be coming our way. We live near Yosemite national park in a small town and it would be awesome if you came this way. I know you would get a huge crowd turnout because we dont have much in our area so local shoting camps are always pretty crowded. Please let me know if I can help to get you to come to our town."

Thanks again!
Your new biggest fans,
-- S. Saint Onge, Sonora, CA.
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Subject: I have had amazing results already and it's only day one!

"Hi there, Your shooting system is great. I watched your video, began shooting, and i swear i saw a marked improvement after just ten minutes of practice. As a very short player (5'2), I need all the advantage i can get and your video gave me the tools and the confidents to make my high school team."

-- Sincerely, I. Bortman
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"Hey man what's up? I purchased your video around 5-6 months ago and sent it back in after watching it twice. See, I thought that shooting was complicated, I wanted all the intricate details. Your video was too simple,it was a huge turn off to what I had expected; it felt like it was designed for kids. However, after reading your June Newsletter and after much deliberation by myself these past few months, I have come to realize that you are absolutely correct in what you preach and teach. The more simple things become, the better. Keeping things as simple as possible is key in all aspects of life. It seems as though people, including myself a while back, think that something simple cannot be deep as well. Your teaching method for shooting is simple, however it is not shallow."

Thanks,
-- J. Concerto
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(Laura is a long-time women's coach and husband Ed is a former NBA refereee)

"Hi Tom: First, I want to say that both Ed and I believe in the "Swish" method. I want to tell you the story about how we got the video. And, I forwarded this message to my husband, Ed so he can tell you exactly; I think he talked to someone about it before getting online. Anyway, I have been coaching basketball for 22 years; the latter 13 years at the collegiate level. Ed has been helping me too.

"One day at Huron University at practice he and I were heavily debating on whether or not you aim at the front of the rim (I said) or back, which he believed in. So, anybody that knows Ed can attest to the fact that he is very detailed and lives by knowledge he seeks so that he gets better at teaching and in the case of coaching; that the kids get better. We had taken over a team that had won only 4 ballgames in three years. We ordered the tape. In one year the FG% went from 32% to 44%/ FT=58% to 75%. And, in our second year the team went to the national tournament (NAIA).

"I like the fact that no matter what your shot looks like there are general techniques that apply to everyone..like upforce!! I'm at Graceland University now. My first year wasn't very good in the W/L column but we did the swish method everyday in practice and next year I know we will be a lot better offensively b/c of it. We've recommended the Swish method to a lot of players and people since 2000 when we discovered it.

"I didn't have great technique (played at Montana State-Billings); but I shot 52%; naturally I practiced a lot. Today, in coaching I feel that even more so you have to have a method that you believe in before the kids will believe in themselves. To teach a shooters mentality is not easy; therefore again, I teach a method. I also go to camps and do a short demonstration (the progression of doing the method in practice) of the Swish. I have kids from that original team at Huron that coach now and they do your method as well. Thanks for your email. This now gives me the opportunity to say thanks for the 'Swish' method."

-- L. Pollard, Iowa
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Subject: Note to Parents on Shooting

"Tom: FYI - Below is a message that I have sent to the parents of boys I have coached over the past three seasons.

"Parents: First of all, let me apologize for the length of this note. I have been looking for a method for teaching kids how to shoot a basketball and to be able to make a high percentage of their shots. The shooting percentages on the teams that I coached and helped coach over the past three years have been consistently low. Even boys with good fundamentals are unable to make a high percentage of open shots within 5 - 10 feet from the basket.

"I have found what I think is a pretty promising method for teaching kids how to make a higher percentage of the shots that they take; it is called the "Swish" method. It was developed by Coach Tom Nordland. Tom has a web site (http://www.swish22.com) that I really recommend that parents and kids both take a look at. It contains a lot of good information. Tom also sells a video ($29.95) and sends out a monthly newsletter about shooting. If your son or daughter is serious about basketball and hopes to play on a high school team or just wants to become a better player I recommend that you purchase this video.

"Now for the testimonial: Coach Tom says that in order for coaches or parents to be able to teach the "Swish" method they must be able to do it. He also recommends that parents and kids learn it together and teach one another. I readTom's articles and purchased the video last March. Since then Michael and I have been practicing the "Swish" method once or twice a week. We set up 10 different shooting positions within 15 feet from the basket. We play a game where we each take 10 shots from each position (100 shots each total). We see who can make the most out of 10 shots from each position and at the end how many shots we made out of 100. Michael averages about 80% (low 70 high 92). I have been averaging about 78% (low 70 high 87) °© you can teach an old dog new tricks! It's also a nice way to spend some time with your child. We even have had other kids in the neighborhood come up and join us, ranging in ages from 6 - 12.

"If anyone would like to borrow my video (for a short period of time) I would be glad to lend it out. Over the summer I would be glad to work with any boy (or girl) that is interested in learning this method. Contact me if your son is interested and perhaps we can get some small groups together periodically throughout the summer. When a player develops confidence in their shooting ability that confidence carries over to the other aspects of the game."

-- M. Kane
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Subject: breakthrough today

"Hi Tom, Today I was practising my shots. They weren't very accurate, especially during the 1vs1 match. However, in the later part of the day, when I was playing a 2vs2, I experimented with jumping straight up instead of forward. I realised that my body weight would be directed forward whenever I jumped. So I concentrated on jumping straight up. I've already learnt how to shoot at the start of the jump. My shots were just dropping from everywhere. I stunned my opponents and I even managed the "in your face" shots. My shots were considered high previously, but now they are even higher. And most of the time they hit nothing but the bottom of the net!"

-- Thanks, Nic
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I just picked up your video. It is awesome. I love it , it is the best. I already see my shot improving dead swish everytime. I cant miss a shot. I feel like an old school or like pistol pete. I played a pickup game recently and nailed seven 3 pointers with only 1 miss. The onlookers went crazy.The defense didn't effect me either. Thanx to your broom exercise. I now have completed my arsenal with a shot including game knowledge and handles. My NBA dreams are now in full swing. Thanx Tom for everything. And 1 more thing Tom why didnt you go to the NBA you would have done great with your shooting technique. I would have loved to see you go against larry bird. Thanx for everything!!

-- E. Michael
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Subject: breakthrough - shooting

"Hi, I've tried your 'Swish' method for 3 months. With my old method, I had about 70% accuracy at the area just outside the paint. After reading (from others) to square up, it just dropped till I felt that I had totally no control over my hand and thus the flight of the ball. The 3 months of changing was very difficult and my accuracy went down even more. I had to learn to push my hand towards the target because my previous method used the wrist to direct the ball to the basket so the hand was not extended exactly in line.

"Tonight I tried placing my guide hand more under the ball, slightly behind and to the left. You mentioned that it might not really matter, but in my case, it did! There's no more tension in my shooting hand when bringing the ball up, and it was just easier to bring the ball up in line with my shooting eye. With the guide hand to the left of the ball and a little over, I tend to bring it up in between the eye and the ear, and bringing it to the eye felt uncomfortable and there was a fair bit of tension.

"With the guide hand under, behind and to the left, and using it to bring up the ball instead of having to use most of the shooting hand, I found it much easier and natural to push upwards and inline towards the basket. it would feel uncomfortable with a guide hand in this position and aligning the ball with the ear. so naturally I would bring it in line with the eye, and the ball rests on my fingers and front part of the palm constantly unlike with the other position, where sometimes the ball would rest on the bottom of the palm sometimes.

"With the 3 months of using your method, pushing with a relaxed wrist, hand and fingers, the backspin was slow and sometimes a dead ball. But by changing the way I used my guide hand, I have the consistent medium backspin now."

Thanks!
-- Nicolas
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