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----------------------------------------------------------------- T H E “S W I S H R E L E A S E” N E W S L E T T E R A Quarterly Conversation FOR Great Shooting! ----------------------------------------------------------------- By Tom Nordland, Shooting Coach Swish International, Inc. Issue Number 112 -- October 2008 Tel: 888/SWISH-22 (888/794-7422) or 831/338-4647 Email: Tom@swish22.com
============================================ IN THIS ISSUE ============================================
1. Welcome from the Coach 2. Purpose of this Newsletter 3. New eBook on Shooting Praises Swish Method and Swish 2! 4. A New Approach to Free Throws -- Some Homework! 5. More Testimonials 6. KIDS' KORNER 7. Shooting Clinics & Camps 8. You Can Republish Articles I’ve Written 9. Get the Swish Videos -- Holiday Discount! 10. Some Powerful Testimonials/Photos/Video clips for Swish 11. Please Bookmark this Website 12. How to Subscribe / Unsubscribe 13. Contact Information
************************************************* PLEASE NOTE: For these archived Newsletters, I'm just including the heart of the Newsletter, those sections that are instructional, not contact information, outdated clinic info, etc. *************************************************
------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Welcome from the Coach ------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to my free Monthly “Swish Release” Basketball Shooting Newsletter. Each month I write about the skill of shooting in the game today and how it can be more effectively learned and coached. If you like what I'm saying, please tell others about it and suggest they subscribe, too. Remember: Great Shooting CAN be taught!
------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Purpose of this Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------
This newsletter is a vehicle for communicating what I know about shooting and for a conversation on how shooting can be improved. With your help, I intend to shift the game and help players and coaches everywhere re-discover the Lost Art of Pure Shooting. Thank you for reading this and subscribing to it and sharing it with your friends. -- Tom Nordland
------------------------------------------------------------ 3. New eBook on Shooting Praises Swish Method and Swish 2! ------------------------------------------------------------
A group of coaches from Breakthrough Basketball, LLC, from Marion, Iowa, has researched and just come out with a very comprehensive Basketball Shooting Course in eBook format. They spent over 1,000 hours and carefully interviewed six shooting coaches (including me) and reviewed twelve videos and books. This program contains both physical and mental instructions, drills, workouts, interviews, etc. “Swish 2” is one of only two videos they endorse and will market, “Better Shooting 2” being the other They are most complimentary of the Swish Method, saying this approach is “very unique and extremely effective!”
URL to the eBook Shooting Package in general.
RESOURCE DOCUMENT WITH VIDEO REVIEWS At the end of the main PDF on Shooting, they refer people to this Resource Document.
In it they link to reviews of the two videos they endorse, Swish 2 and Better Shooting 2.
(THEIR REVIEW IS ON MY WEBSITE,TOO. Note you can also view their Review of Swish 2 from my website - - copied with their permission.) << http://www.swish22.com/BreakthroughReview.html >>>
THIS IS A VERY GOOD SHOOTING COURSE! I don’t agree with all of their conclusions, but basically the Course is very good. They spent a huge amount of time on it and it shows. They are trying to be both comprehensive and fair. It’s difficult to take many diverse thoughts and come up with one set of answers. I think they strongly favor Swish 2, but they are very diplomatic about it. My answers to their questions challenged their thinking some times, but they came to agree with most all of my points of view.
They’re caught up in some of the classic instructions and exercises that are taught by most coaches who try to teach shooting, and which I feel are ineffective. For example, “Form Shooting.” I feel Form Shooting teaches you to “flip your wrist.” And they recommend shooting “near” the top of the jump, not “at” the top. I would say shoot as early as possible for all shots, unless you are elevating to shoot over someone.
They agree with me regarding the efficacy of an Open Stance and a relaxed wrist and hand. Being politically correct, they tell the readers that they favor the open stance but suggest, as I do, that people try it both ways and then be the judge.
In general it’s the best I’ve seen for a non-video program to teach the physical and mental aspects of becoming a great shooter. If you buy their Shooting Package ($29.95 for the big, 115-page eBook, another eBook with 55 drills, and one with Workouts, plus six audio interviews -- well worth the modest fee), let me know what you think about it.
------------------------------------------------------------ 4. A New Approach to Free Throws -- Some Homework! ------------------------------------------------------------
I recently put on a 2-day camp in Sacramento, Calif., and a strong focus was put on Free Throws. I’ve discovered a couple new distinctions regarding this shot that have transformed the way this simple-but-frustrating shot can be approached. I’ll be creating a short, home-grown video soon that will present the “Swish Free Throw” and how to learn and coach it. It will be a preliminary version of a major video, “Swish 3,” which I’ll be tackling next year.
NEW DISTINCTIONS What I discovered a couple of months ago were two things that I now see can greatly affect the performance of a Free Throw: 1) Where you “START” the ball in the Free Throw motion, and 2) What the “FIRST MOVE” is.
I had never noticed these two factors before. A coach from Cincinnati helped point me in the direction of these new distinctions, and I was then able to explore and deepen my understanding of them. Thanks, Jim.
In watching players in person and on TV, I am now seeing these two things with every player I focus on. When you begin to see them and realize their importance, you’ll see that many players sabotage their Free Throw right from the start, either by where the ball starts from or by that first move. They have ball and body actions that inhibit accuracy, control and consistency.
Here’s a description of what I’m seeing. I’ll let you explore it and then, if you find some importance to it, let me know and I’ll write about people’s discoveries next time. Best would be to work on your own shot so the experiences are deeper and personal, but it you want to work with a player, that will work. Just help her or him manage the experience by asking relevant questions.
THE START When you’re ready to take the shot, notice where the ball is, both in terms of its height in the stance and its alignment with the target line. Is the middle of the ball at the chest level, at the stomach level, lower, higher, what? It might be right at belly button height, for example.
And two things about alignment: Is the center of the ball lined up with the eye and basket at that Start Point, or is it to the right or left, and where does the hand point? Is the center of the shooting hand (where the ball is) pointing in the line (or plane) of the eye and target, or is it facing to the left (for right-handers) or right (for left-handers), thus requiring that the hand be rotated during the shot to face the basket? If the hand/ball are not in line with and/or not pointing directly in line with the target, when do they align up so, if at all, during the shot?
FIRST MOVE As you now go to shoot, what is the first move? As the leg action starts (a bending down to start the shot), do you bring the ball up or down or does it remain neutral where it is? Perhaps the ball moves prior to the leg action, in conjunction with it, or after it? Observe and feel if this First Move improves or hinders accuracy and power.
INERTIA My powerful discovery of the importance of Inertia in shooting a basketball now can be addressed. Do the Start point and First Move create and enhance Inertia, or do they miss it and sabotage it?
Inertia is created by a ball moving in a direction. One of the variations in Newton’s “First Law of Motion” (also called the “Law of Inertia”) says that, “An object in motion and in line tends to stay in motion and in line until affected by an outside force.” Related to basketball, are you getting the ball moving and in line or not? If it’s moving and in line before the Release and you simply “keep” it moving and in line with the Release, then accuracy is enhanced. If it’s never on line, no Inertia. If it’s on line but then gets off line, no Inertia. If it’s on line but then, at the Set Point, you stop and restart the shot motion, the Inertia is lost.
PLAY WITH THESE IDEAS Play with this stuff and report to me what you discover. If YOU do the work and “find” it, rather than having me “tell you” what it is and where it is, the learning is much deeper. It’s YOUR discovery, not MINE.
That’s your homework. From exploring these couple of things, see if your Free Throw shooting improves. See if you feel less power and control or more. From my experience, the Inertia thing adds a lot to control of direction, plus it also adds a small amount of power. Give me a report on that.
Write down your experiences and send them to me. I’m curious about how much learning can occur just from my ideas and concepts in written form in this Newsletter (without video support or in-person coaching). You’re the one who has to translate the communication into an experience so let me know how that goes.
The Swish Free Throw has other things to offer that will add to this START and FIRST MOVE stuff, but I’ll write about that later. Thanks for sending me your reports.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. More Testimonials ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(This is from a coach from British Columbia who loves my coaching - called it "Fantastic" even before seeing the videos. This is probably in my testimonials page several years ago, but it’s worth reading again.)
“Hi Tom. I just wanted to write to tell you how impressed I am with your teaching of shooting. I have played basketball for over 30 years up to the University level. I have coached at all levels and have never been exposed to such a simple yet effective method of shooting instruction.
“To test it out I took to the courts. My shooting improved dramatically. I was a great shooter in High School, but in University I became a ‘defensive specialist’ and lost my shooting confidence as well as my technique. I have struggled for years to get it back, mostly by fiddling around trying to alter something here or there.
“Over two sessions using awareness and a few minor changes you suggest, I would almost declare it a miracle. As you say, swish after swish. It was amazing to get that "feeling" back. I can't wait to play pick up to see how I do in a game situation. This will forever alter how I teach shooting and I haven't even seen your video yet (which I will purchase).
“The other great thing was that I taught the technique to 2 young kids who were shooting at the same courts as me. Their improvement was both sudden and also dramatic in a very short time. I found it hard to be "neutral" though (with my reactions), but I did my best. As you can tell I am amazed. What a paradigm shift in teaching shooting!
“If I could set it up would you be interested in coming to Vancouver (Canada) to do a shooting clinic. I'm sure we could get a huge turnout. Please let me know your schedule and if you would be interested. I would love to learn your methods in person.”
-- Todd Kozinka Planet Hoops, Sooke, British Columbia "Hoop Hype" Webpage <<< http://www.hoop-hype.net/planet-hoops.html >>>
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(NOTE: The following is an old testimonial from a coach and player from Seattle, sent to me in Aug. 2002. I probably published it on my Testimonials page back then, but like the above one, it’s worth publishing again. It’s a bit long, but it encapsulates beautifully the power and advantages of the Swish approach to shooting. Coach Nichols had only read my stuff at this time, not even seeing Swish 1 OR Swish 2. The videos later just deepened his understandings of shooting.)
“Hi Tom,
“First off, please excuse the length of the email I am about to write :)
“In case it helps you out I just wanted to let you know what brought me to your site and sold me on trying out your system, it went like this:
“I ran a search on google.com for "shoot basketball" or something like that and found your site among many others. What intrigued me about your site in particular though was the fact that it was more than just ad copy. What I mean is that most similar web sites will mention "become a better shooter in ten days" or offer some exciting testimonials and you don't get to hear the rest until you pay up. Now this is certainly understandable, but these sites all sound the same and there is really nothing there to convince me to try their methods out.
“On your site, however, you actually give away a great deal of information about your thoughts and views on shooting, what techniques good shooters have in common, and most importantly what your program is all about -- UpForce and your other associate teaching principles. When reading your article "A Lost Art Found!" I realized that what you said was very intelligent and made sense. Yes, Americans, or most people in general, seem to almost entirely learn basketball by playing games and not actually practicing fundamental aspects and thus spend their whole time reinforcing whatever habits they have at the expense of learning how to improve or do things correctly. This problem is compounded by the fact that when any instruction or drilling does take place it is often done incorrectly -- squaring up, shooting with the wrist (or almost entirely with the arm), shooting at the top of the jump, etc.
“Now it is just common sense, or physics anyway, that releasing the ball quickly as you are still jumping up will impart more upward momentum to the ball, thus increasing the arch of the shot and easing the ability of the ball to drop straight down into the hole and thus also easing your ability to shoot greater distance (as long as your release is not too high) since legs are pretty powerful and can even enable small girls to shoot three pointers if they do it right. And at the same time shooting this way allows one to shoot with a more relaxed and accurate arm motion since the arm no longer has to provide much of the power for the shot -- ideally this would be the same arm motion every time, learned to the point that it is unconscious and perfect.
“However, it is one thing to "know" something and another completely to apply it. The real genius in your system, and the reason why your video is more valuable than just your newsletters alone, is that you are teaching something that is basic and obviously true but is almost universally overlooked, and you are doing so in a step by step, easy to follow manner. Basically I think I understand exactly what you are talking about and have even seen incredible results trying out shooting what I believe is the way you are describing but I want your video for the drills and just to make sure I have an adequate grasp of everything you mention on your web site, and because I share in your enthusiasm for basketball and feel that this is more of a contribution to a good cause than anything :).
“I could go on forever about the thoughts I have had regarding shooting and probably bore you completely but from what I have seen, your method of shooting is better than others for these reasons:
“1. It gives a quicker release 2. It is a much more accurate way to shoot 3. and one of the reasons for number 2. is that the power for the shot comes from a stable base, your legs mostly, and enables you to relax your arm and easily use the same confident semi-relaxed release time and again.
“You are right in that this is something that can be learned almost overnight, and that is the most amazing part. My shooting improved so much in one afternoon after trying out what I believe your methods are that it was almost funny. I was actually laughing while I was shooting, it was so absurd how much better my shot just became. The people in my gym thought I was nuts because I was just laughing and nailing shots from all over the place. I mean shooting used to be frustrating and painful, but this was fun, partly because when you use mostly your legs in that springing type motion with the quick release, it is just a much more relaxed and easier way to shoot. When I tried to tell my friends the secret, they would agree and express the fact that they "already knew that" and then they would go back to their old mostly incorrect methods of flinging the ball up in the air with their arm.
“The only drawback to shooting with your legs this way is that my legs eventually get tired and my shot will then go flat and that the quickness of the release sometimes makes it hard to maintain good form. The first problem will be solved with better conditioning and the second with some good drills.
“I also noticed that most good female shooters in my gym employ much more of the principles that you discuss than the men do, and the best shooters combine this with a shot that has obviously been practiced so much that it is the same release every time.
“One other thing I wanted to add was that what I am most interested in would be some real empirical data comparing different shooting methods and an actual physics-based and biomechanically-based breakdown of everything that is occurring in the shot and why this way of shooting is therefore better than another and so on. What would be ideal would be to have two groups of adults that have never shot a ball before (women maybe since they are less likely to have played ball and are probably easier to teach since they don't have the whole manly pride thing that so often interferes with learning) and have them taught your method and the "traditional method" whatever that may be -- squaring up, shooting mostly with the arm and wrist, and see which group ends up shooting better and then analyze the results in a controlled scientific fashion.
“Maybe even have the results reported in a scientific journal, that would be great. In addition to this you would of course want to determine the ideal way to teach the correct method which is what I assume you spend most of your time trying to figure out since teaching can always be improved and is probably incredibly difficult when trying to overcome very old learned behaviors.
“Well, I think I should stop writing now. I can't believe how much time I have spent analyzing this stuff, it's crazy. I can only imagine what you could write. You could probably turn something as simple as shooting a ball into a 400 page book if you were so inclined, but then that would go against your methods I believe.
“I look forward to that video and to destroying the competition with the most overlooked and powerful of basketball abilities -- good shooting.”
Best regards, -- P. Nichols, Seattle
------------------------------------------------------------ 6. KIDS' KORNER ------------------------------------------------------------
(The following is a reprint from Newsletter #51 from July 2003.)
SLOW IT DOWN TO LEARN IT
As the season is about to start, here is a suggestion to help your practice and improve your learning. As I've said in many previous KIDS' KORNERS, just observe yourself shoot and you will improve. You thus become your own coach. If you know the Swish Way of shooting, then you know what technique you want to work on. But whether you know where you want to get to or not, just observing with awareness how you shoot, whatever it is, and the process will lead your marvelous body to experimentation and learning. Note how you power the shot, and how you release the ball, the height, the spin, where it tends to land.
An important way to practice when you want to change a behavior is to SLOW IT DOWN (everything, that is, except the Release). That means also KEEPING IT IN CLOSE so the shot is not so intimidating. As I tell all my clinic and camp participants, if you can't make your shots consistently from 5 to 10 feet, it AIN'T going to get any easier as you move back! Learn the shots in close and slow before you start to add distance and speed.
Let's say you want to learn to dribble to the right and left to shoot off movement. I see so many kids lose it when they add that kind of extra motion. Especially when you're young and first encountering things like shooting off the dribble, receiving a pass to shoot, pivoting on a certain foot, faking and then dribbling to shoot, etc., it's easy to get overwhelmed and develop bad habits.
A powerful way to approach a new move like the above is to slow it down and do things almost in slow motion for awhile so the body has time to set things up and feel what's going on as you perform. Be very aware of what's happening as you move this way and that way, paying close attention so learning is greater. If you feel rushed, slow down. Call this slower speed the "feel speed." Can you do a motion such that you feel every aspect of it? If yes, then your body and mind have a much greater chance to know and learn it. Do it over and over and over at that speed and the learning will go deeper.
Once you can do it well slowly and close in, then "up" the speed and distance a little at a time. If you lose it, then slow it down again and go back in closer. This will take some time but the reward is in the learning you'll get. It's worth it!!! If you rush and lose it and develop bad habits, they could negatively affect your shooting for a long time.
I know human beings are geniuses at learning, but I also know you need to have a high level of awareness for the genius to do its thing. Good luck with this practice and I wish you a wonderful season of basketball. It's a fabulous game, a terrific team sport. It's teaching you a lot of things. Enjoy the life you have and make the most of it. Appreciate yourselves and others. It's not the winning that matters most, it's playing the game and doing your best and learning and growing as a person.
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