The Swish™ Story

Shifting the Culture!

Tom's intention is to shift the way shooting is taught in this country and throughout the globe! The game of basketball needs a method of instruction in shooting that everybody can relate to. The Swish™ approach to shooting is such a method. It is simple, yet very powerful. It's something kids of any age (and adults) can understand and apply.  Controlling the "Flight" of the Ball The orientation of Tom's coaching is to learn to control the flight of a basketball, rather than specific rules and formulas about where the feet should point or how the fingers should be placed on the ball. His coaching addresses those so-called "Fundamentals" of the game, but it comes from the position that the most important Fundamental is to put the ball into the basket!

Read the articles Tom has written and his free Shooting Newsletters, and read the articles about his coaching from newspapers across the country. If you are intrigued by what he says, then pursue it. First get the Swish videos (both Swish and Swish 2) and learn the method yourself. It's very difficult to coach something you cannot do yourself. The Swish way is so simple you can learn to do it fairy quickly and then be a model for your players. You'll also see much more in others when you have overcome the obstacles to learning yourself.

Then, if a coach, start coaching others. If you teach awareness in everything you coach, you can't mess it up. Go to the "For Coaches" page and subscribe to the Coaches' Mailing LIst. Read all the information about coaching the method and the Q&A's.

Other countries are catching up...

Basketball in the United States is at the highest level in the world, but other countries are catching up to us because of our poor shooting skills. You saw the truth of that statement in prior Olympics when we failed to win the gold medal, despite having the best athletes in the world.  This year, with tremendous effort and planning and a team drilled on teamwork, we won the gold despite handily, often with mediocre shooting.

The athletic, one-on-one way of playing that dominates this country (along with mediocre shooting) can be matched by less athletic teams if they have mastered shooting. Meanwhile, if shooting in this country can be enhanced, then again we'll outdistance the rest of the world until they can learn, somehow (very doubtful), to catch up physically.

Join the Mission!

Please join Tom in his "Mission!" The game needs it. It's a thrilling possibility, kids at all levels shooting consistently high percentages of jump shots and free throws. Plays work better when everyone can shoot well. Kids will have more fun throughout their basketball lives if they can shoot better. Self image and self esteem will rise. Watching games in person or on TV will be more exciting. Basketball as a thrilling, athletic and artistic dance to play or watch will truly become a possibility.

Tom's Gift

"When you read my background, you'll see I made the important (re-) discoveries that led to this Method in 1989, over 19 years ago and more than 30 years after I first discovered them in high school. I feel this is my "Gift" to the game. I have an understanding and a way of seeing shooting that few have ever achieved before. And because I've simplified the approach to shooting, you, too, can learn and master it, either as a player or a coach!

"My wish is to impact the game of basketball positively by leading a revolution in the way shooting is learned and taught. Let's call it a "Renaissance, a revival, a re-birth, since we had better shooting in the past! From my experience, this is an approach to shooting that people get very quickly. And the proof of the Method is that it's exactly the way the few great shooters in the game have always shot.

"You can check that out yourself.  Watch the few consistently great performers in the game today.  There aren't many.  Some teams have one, or a couple players that have periods of superior shooting, but many teams don't have any I would call great shooters.  Four of the best, all retired, were Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors, Jeff Hornacek of the Utah Jazz, Detlef Schrempf of the Portland Trailblazers, and Steve Kerr of the San Antonio Spurs.  On the women's side, Diana Taurasi, probably the best woman shooter ever (and on a par with the best men shooters), shoots this way exactly today.  If you can find clips of these shooters -- and watch for shots in slow motion of Diana -- you'll see this method in what they did/do. "I also want to help train coaches across the country as well as around the world.  That's why we call our company 'Swish International, Inc.'  I will be generating additional videos and training materials that will be available to coaches everywhere.

"Get the Swish videos, master the simple shooting instruction contained therein, and start to help others. Tell other coaches, parents and players about this Website and the videos. Have shooting clinics in your town or city and invite me in to lead them and train you to continue in my absence.

"The great game of basketball needs a fresh approach to shooting and Swish can be that approach. If you agree, please explore and perfect it  and keep in touch with me. Send me testimonials and refer me to your friends and coach acquaintances. Thanks!"

-- Tom Nordland, Shooting Coach

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