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Tom's CoachingINDEX: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Swish Method is a simple, yet very powerful, way to coach shooting. The stress with this Method is to keep it natural and simple. Focus is on how the ball leaves the fingertips, what you can do to maximize power and minimize variables. What matters most is the flight of the ball, height, spin and control of distance and direction. It's less about rules and formulas and more about results and how to repeat them consistently. Tom coaches now at all levels of the game, from beginners to top professionals. (Probably 6th grade is the best time to start, unless a girl or boy is exceptionally mature and/or serious about the game at a younger age.) And his coaching is "universal," meaning he gives the same instruction to all levels of player. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Here are quotes from NBA players who have worked with Tom: "The proof is in the pudding - look at the stats! I've made a major improvement and expect to improve more by continued working with Tom. His technique is different from most shooting coaches. He does a combination of form (technique) and the art/science of repeatability. It really works!" "I am thrilled with what Tom Nordland has done with me. His coaching method is amazingly simple, easy to apply, and the results are easy to see. Anybody can improve their shooting with his approach." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "When I showed up to play basketball at Stanford in 1993, at age 18, Tara Vanderveer, the head coach there, told me right away that my shot needed to be changed. I'd never been really coached in that area and I'd developed my own form, which had some obvious faults. However, I had spent so much time working on it that I'd been able to achieve a reasonably high percentage and no one had tried to make me change. After a few weeks of practice at Stanford, Tara told me that it was probably too late to change and decided to let me keep my old ways. She told me I would never be a pure shooter, but I had good aim and that was enough. "I had pretty good results with that shot throughout college. However, the pros were a different story. As my competition got better, quicker, and faster, I found that I had less and less time to "aim." I had trouble getting my shot off at all, and my percentage had gone way down on the ones I did put up. "After two seasons struggling in the WNBA, I began looking for ways to improve my game. One afternoon in late 2000, I ran into Tom Nordland at Maples pavilion at Stanford while I was waiting for an evening pick-up game. He introduced himself and offered some advice on improving my shot. Recalling Tara's statement 7 years before that it was already too late for me to fix my shot, I was very hesitant to follow Tom's example. After shooting poorly the next afternoon while concentrating on the new techniques, I decided that I would retain my old ways. I went off to play overseas and didn't see Tom again for several months. "Lucky for me I ran into him again. In late February of this year, with just over 2 months before WNBA training camp, I saw Tom again and decided that I should give his shooting techniques another chance. We worked together about 5 times in two months, focusing on a quick, high release and using the energy from my legs to control my shot. I allowed myself some time for the adjustment, and tried not to worry about missing my shots while I learned the new form. "After a couple of weeks, I started noticing the results. My shot was much faster than it had ever been before, enabling me to get it off before my defender could get to me. My percentage began to climb steadily. I noticed that the spin on the ball was correct for the first time in my life and that I finally had a nice, highly arced shot. "I showed up for training camp in May with renewed confidence and a much improved pro game. My coaches quickly noticed that I was shooting more and shooting better. I've seen my minutes, points, and percentages all go up over the first third of the season. Yesterday, I started my first game in 2 years. I've improved a lot of areas of my game over the past off-season, but working with Tom and learning this new shot are the most important factors of my success this year. "I think Tom's coaching can be extremely helpful to players at all levels. The techniques he teaches can be learned and mastered quickly, with only a few coaching sessions. He also coaches the mental side, how to be more focused and how to trust oneself. And he works with you to develop a practice routine. His "Swish" video can be a great tool for individual players and for coaches who'd like to learn how to teach this method of shooting. Finally, and most importantly, it is never too late (or too early) to learn the right shooting technique." -- Kate Starbird, WNBA formerly with the Utah Starzz, now with Indiana Fever - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For college coaches who would like a quantum leap in their team's ability to shoot, Tom will come in for three visits over a 2-3 week period (total of ~5 days) and, through direct coaching, observation, video analysis and training a couple of your staff to coach his method, give your team an increase in shooting skill from 20 to 50% or more. His coaching will highlight what each player needs to master to become a highly effective "pure" shooter with jump shots and free throws. And, when he leaves, you will have a couple coaches who understand the method and can sustain the development. Call for details. (1-888/794-7422) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In July of 2000, Tom had the good fortune to meet and coach some of the girls on this year's Martinsville high school team (near Indianapolis, Indiana). Former Martinsville teams have won two of the last four Indiana state championships. Their coach, Jan Conner, just retired as the second winnest girls' coach in Indiana history with an amazing lifetime high school record of 442-73!!! Here's a quote from Jan after that season: Click below to see a photo taken after his brief coaching of these seven remarkable young athletes. What struck him most about them was how quickly they learned. They absorbed his coaching like sponges. It was a thrill for him to show them his method of shooting, and we wish them great success this year. Go Artesians!!! Click below to see a photograph of Tom with Coach Conner and seven remarkable young athletes of the Martinsville team for this year. Danielle, 2nd from the left, back row, set a school record by making 7 three's in one game. Front row: left to right: Cassie, Mandy, Erin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you are interested in having Tom to your city to give shooting clinics, please contact him or call him at 1-888/SWISH-22. Refer to the "Clinics, Camps, Lessons" section for further details. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - One of Tom's main focuses now is on training coaches at all levels to coach the skill of shooting with his Method. It's especially important that youth coaches get help in training the youth in this great game. Hundreds of coaches have expressed interest in this so far, and he has started a simple process to train them. The "For Coaches" page gives instruction and coaching ideas now and will eventually be a place to share experiences, video clips, etc. and generally receive inspiration. If this interests you, please contact Tom. He expects eventually to have a Directory of coaches around the country who are skilled in coaching the Swish Method and to whom he can refer people who want clinics or private coaching. When Tom travels to various cities to put on Shooting Clinics, he likes to schedule Coaches' Trainings as part of the mix of clinics. If you could help organize Clinics and a Coaches' Training in your area, contact him. He will also have trainings in the Bay area of Northern California eventually, too. Tom's second video, "Swish 2," is a masterpiece on how to learn and coach shooting with this approach. |
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