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(Testimonials taken from Newsletters #90-95) ------------------------------------------------------------ A parent creates a learning experience with the opposite hand: "Hi Tom: It was an honor to talk to you on the phone last week. I have watched Swish and some of Swish 2. I haven't had time to work on it much, but I got my son, who is 9 and a good shooter for his age, to open up his stance. I have been preaching that he "square up" for years. He proceeded to hit 5 straight free throws. I spent another day with him practicing and decided that the best way, for now, was to practice the method left-handed. Since he has no real experience (and bad habits) from the left side, I figured that it would be easier to get him to do it. "We went through the different steps practicing the Release and gradually adding the UpForce for about 20 minutes. We then decided to just practice shooting right handed since he had a game the next day. His right handed shooting was much better instantly. "He hadn't had enough practice to have a great game the next day (0-4 on free throws), but he took 2 threes and hit the second one. It put us ahead 14-11 and we won 15-13. We will get to work so he can't psyche himself out on the line. He won a camp free throw contest 2 summers ago at age 8 against 13 year olds, but this spring he seemed to get a mental block and has gone cold from the free throw line. I am certain that he will fix this problem soon. I'll keep you posted." - - Brian M., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan ----------------------------------------------------------- "Tom: I really have enjoyed studying your shooting approach/method.
I doubt if there are any other instructors' instructions that
are so complete and detailed. You've done a fantastic job. You
have been able to teach (from your newsletters -- remember that
I just purchased your video which I wish I had purchased earlier)
a 55 year old who has never played basketball before -- "It is a beautiful thing to watch your 14 year old son shoot as many as 30 foul shots without missing. To become the best shooter on his team. "The amazing thing for me is that I now feel that I can watch players shoot and tell if they are going to be accurate consistently or not. I feel like you feel, I'm sure, that I could teach players and coaches of most levels how to improve their shooting with your method. You may be thinking that your newsletters are too complete and that it may take away from video sales. I feel that this is a good thing and should not take away from your video sales but will help sales." - - Bill D., Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada "Dear Tom, First of all, thank you very much for the fast delivery of the two DVDs. My son and me immediately watched the DVDs and we were very impressed to see the result of shooting from the upforce and the outcome of developing a constant release of the ball. "My son, Samuel, who Lord willing, will be 11 next month, just started playing Basketball in February this year where he attended a Basketball Camp for one week. My husband and I knew that Samuel has the talent and skills to play, but we realized that he lacked experience in shooting. He's afraid to shoot and will pass on the ball to others to shoot. We even sent him to a Basketball Camp during the summer break where the head-coach was a coach from the States, hoping that they would teach him more in-depth shooting, but to our disappointment, we saw no improvement at the end of the week. "Now to come back to today. At the game that Samuel played last week he got 2 x the free throw. Just by watching your DVDs he took the free throw perfectly and was more concentrated in throwing the ball. That really boosted up his morale and I encouraged him to practise his shooting after each training. We also wanted to set up a basketball playground in our backyard where he can practise your method of shooting. Well, this is it for now. I will keep you up-to-date and hopefully I will be able to give you more favorable news concerning Samuel's shooting." - - Best regards, Joyce V., Soignies, Belgium ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 2 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 but I did my best. As you can tell I am amazed. "What a paradigm shift in teaching shooting!" - - Todd Kozinka , C.E.O. of Planet Hoops (http://www.hoop-hype.net/) "Tom, My son Brady attended your camp in Wildwood, MO, a few months back. Awareness and Feedback were concepts that you covered in that camp, but it is worth repeating over and over. Understanding this concept is so key to shooting and coaching. The ability to instill self coaching by feedback and awareness is rapidly becoming one of my top priorities as a basketball coach. "Both Brady and I are golfers (he has a much better swing
than I!) Last night while shooting "Point of telling this story to my son was, if I was ever going to get better at golf I needed to 1) hit as many balls as I could AND 2) improve my awareness of my swing through self feedback (most important) and the feedback of professionals. I explained to him that I needed to get to the point where I did not rely on the feedback of professionals, and was AWARE of my swing, so I could make self corrections. Relating that to basketball, the coach can't (nor shouldn't) give his players feedback on every shot, he should solicit feedback from the player and share feedback after. The goal is to wean that shooter off of "the professional's" feedback and replace it with the shooter's! "Thanks again for the info, I look forward to your newsletters monthly." - - Joe B, Lake St. Louis, Missouri ------------------------------------------------------------ "I have a 12 yr old son who loves and plays basketball and I asked you a few questions about the Swish Method. I just wanted to let you know that I did purchase the Swish DVD a few summers ago, so my son would have been 10 and his interest came and went and I didn't force the issue with him being so young. "I watched the Swish DVD and it made sense to me, but being a mom I just didn't get it all. So when I heard Swish 2 would be available I waited and purchased Swish 2. While I waited for Swish 2, I watched Swish one again. I received Swish 2 and thought it was great, but still didn't get everything, so more time passed as it was winter, then spring lacrosse and then it was fall. "I watched Swish 2 again and I remembered that you said Swish one was also good to have even if you own Swish 2, so I went back to watch Swish one and it all made sense to me. I am very confident that your method is the best out there and this summer we will confirm it as it is winter again up here in Upstate New york. My son can consistently make an easy 8 or 9 out of 10 free throws. In game situations he makes almost always 2, but at least 1. "I am very excited for the weather to break and start shooting because I love basketball too and I want to be a great shooter along with my son. I will keep you informed of our progress. Thank you." - - C. Martin, Rochester, NY ------------------------ "They only want me to do a two hour clinic, but all went well. They wanted to know who the mastermind was that came up with this easy method... I game them your email address and told them they could purchase a DVD if they wanted. "I had one little girl that couldn't hit the side of the gym when we started, by the end of the 1st hour she showed signs of improvement. By the end of the clinic she was hitting baskets with ease. Her coach told me that they had worked with her for the past three years, but could never seem to get her to hit anything with consistency. "The coaches and parents who were there were just amazed at the way I broke the shooting process down and the way the kids picked it up. "Thanks for working with me in Aug. I learned a lot from you. I've been ask to do some other clinics in the future. Thanks again." - - Alan L., Jefferson City, MO EDITOR'S NOTE: With the Swish Method, you'll have a structure for teaching shooting that really works. I'm developing more coaching tools all the time. To help get Swish videos in the hands of your kids to inspire and train them (and make your job easier), you can buy videos from us for 50% off (and we pay shipping). Swish 2 is so rich and complete that with it and your coaching, your players will have all they need to become great, self-coached, pure shooters! ------------------------ "Yesterday my son, Cameron, participated in the Elk's Free throw shooting contest. Keep in mind he just turned 12, was up against an 8th grader (legitimate) who was 6' 6" and a phenom. "Cameron went 25 for 25. The problem the opponent did the same. They had a 5 shot playoff and Cameron lost by one. He was hacked. "Anyway, his opponent can not travel to the regional so they are going to send Cam. Will keep you posted." - - Kevin W., Morgantown, WV EDITOR'S NOTE: I asked Kevin to ask his son to describe his shooting and how it's changed. Here are his words: From Kevin: "Here is Cameron's reply to you. I edited parts of it, since he is 12, still, it is 98% Cameron. Feel free to edit it and use it in whatever way you wish." "Dear Mr. Nordland, I really believe in your shooting method. I am 12 and in the sixth grade and I play on the 7th grade team. I really like to shoot 3's. Last week I entered the Elk's Free throw shooting contest. I was scared because I had to shoot against a really tall kid. I made myself get a little mad (my day says it makes me concentrate a little better) and I made 25 out of 25. "I learned to shoot with your Swish method about 5 years ago so I don't remember what I shot like before that -- sorry. "I shoot a lot in the summer mornings with my older brother
Preston. I try to shoot 500 times "I try to coach myself so I can fix problems when I miss. I always make sure my last move before I shoot is to align myself with my right foot forward in my stance (and pointing left of the basket) and the ball in triple threat position. I try to remember "everything right" should be in a vertical line. Right foot, right knee, right hip, ball in the right hand, right eye. I sometimes have a habit of holding the ball on my left side in a lazy triple threat and I usually miss because the ball has to be brought back over to the right side during my up movement. Anything other than straight up is really bad. I crowd my shot some (start the shot with the ball in the center of my chest) and when I see what I was doing, I make my stance open wider than normal and shoot until it feels good again. "I always try to think that I can make the shot. A big part of my missed shots is no concentration. Some times I just don't remember to do everything that a shot requires. I do my dive [dip] on free throws and other shots if I am not guarded closely enough. The longer the ball is in my hand and on line going up, the better chance it has of going in. I sometimes forget to have my wrist cocked as I'm doing my dive and if I shoot that way I put way too much spin on the ball. I get the ball set, I bend my knees and come up quick, then I start to release the ball around my set point. I always try to make sure that I am relaxed. I used to image that I was pushing the ball with the palm of my hand up through a pipe that was tilted toward the basket and when I had pushed it as far as I could my elbow locked and my hand flopped down. When I release the ball I extend my arm as far as I can toward the basket. My elbow locks just before the ball leaves my hand and then my hand flops down like it is dead. Some times I "pull strings" which is pushing the ball toward the basket but then yanking it back before the elbow locks. That shot will be very bad. "When I miss I know it has to be because I wasn't thinking properly about the shot. With your method of shooting I know there can only be a few things that I'm not doing right. If the shot misses I try to go through a checklist starting at the floor and working up. For instance: I try to remember what my feet were doing, if I created upforce, if everything was aligned right, if my shoulders were aligned above my feet, if my elbow locked and my hand flopped as my arm extended. If I did those few things and the shot went flat I know to raise my arm on the next shot. "This is my idea of shooting with the Swish Method. Thank you for letting me write about my shooting." - - Sincerely, Cameron W., Morgantown, WV ------------------------------------------------------------ "I had read many articles on shooting by Coach Tom Nordland for many years and purchased the SWISH video last year. As I read the articles, I applied the techniques to my own shooting. One powerful way to reinforce the principles is to shoot with your off hand. I was amazed at how I could sink shots with my left hand. Since that time I have held many clinics to help improve the shooting ability of all our local teams (6th grade through High School). "My usual approach is to always offer my services when the opportunity arises. This is usually at the beginning of the basketball season and, since I'm the JV Boys coach, normally the boys' teams take me up on this offer. I follow the format and suggestions from the video and the articles by Tom. One suggestion that I have found to be very powerful is the use of the coach in helping to reinforce the principles. "Here is how it goes - near the end of the clinic I tell the coach that he/she will be going to the free throw line and shooting with their off hand. I tell them that they are to "throw" the ball at the rim and then wait for the kids to "coach" them on one improvement at a time. At the end of the clinic, I have the kids line up on both sides of the lane for their coach to shoot foul shots. I stress that we are having the coach shoot with the off hand. The coach throws the ball at the rim and I assist the kids in making one suggestion to the coach to improve the shot. "Normally the first thing the kids comment on is how the shot was thrown at the rim and not released upward. We ask the coach to make one correction and observe. The kids continue to make one comment at a time and the coach makes that correction. The kids naturally follow the progression on how they learned and instruct the coach to use more leg power, use a constant release motion, and put the upforce and release to for a smooth shot. Usually within four or five attempts the shot is sailing through the rim with ease (or very close). The reason I find this to be so helpful is, 1) the coach is now a true believer in the technique and will
be more likely to use the principles after the clinic is over
and I am gone; and "They also get a kick out of having their coach do what they say. Try this in your next clinic and help spread good shooting." - - J. Thomas - Rochester, NH ------------------------ "After watching them, my dad and I went to a high school near by and shot a few hoops. My dad was giving a bit of stick for using the DVDs and continued for the 1st 15 minutes. Until i swished 13 in a row. That shut him up. "I very much understand your concept of awareness as i was recently discovered while dribbling with my left hand (i'm right handed) and noticing how it was using different muscles in my hand and arm and also the way my hand and arm positioned themselves and how they worked together compared to my right side. I then tried to then improve my shot with awareness as i did with my ball handling but was never sure on what was right or wrong as i became confused with what felt right and good to what coach kept telling me. As is have alot of respect for him. "Now your method has taught me how to properly use awareness, not only with my shooting but also in every other aspect of basketball and life. Which is what ball is about, isn't it, teaching good life skills and habits? I have started using the push and snap action when practicing one handed passes of the dribble and standing. The results are incredible!!! My power and accuracy soared within literally half a min. "I have only been out to shoot hoops twice as have family around and i cant concentrate with my little cousins wanting to play. I have been noticing that i am finding it difficult to keep everything on line and with the hoop. for when i extend my arm towards the hoop it is not in line with my eye and hoop. Though at my set point the ball and my eye are in line. Also remembering all the fundamental as i shoot. often i concentrate on one fundamental, like aiming under the ball with my right eye, and then i forget to keep my extended arm in line. i'm sure after watching the DVDs a few more times and going out more will fix that. "I just wanted to let you know how the DVDs have helped me and just to say thanks. Will keep you posted on my progress. i really needed this as i will be starting for my division 1 high school team this season. and i wanna show coach how much i have been working to replace the point guard and "go to man" as i was the only "freshman" last year. so i wanna show him that i'm not just the lil man with heart and potential." - - Mike F., Wellington, New Zealand ------------------------------------------------------------ Here is what a coach from Indiana just wrote to describe the value of my Swish Method and the things I'm teaching/coaching. Terry has described earlier in these Newsletters how he feels about the Swish "Process," as he puts it, and I really liked his way of putting it. "MORE ART THAN SCIENCE? "NOW I SEE IT DIFFERENTLY "MORE MECHANICAL THAN MYSTERIOUS... "Also, I would emphasize more heavily your engineering background and all of the time you spent studying and analyzing the shooting mechanics of great shooters to find the common threads. Your background and approach clearly support the concept that shooting is more of a science than an art. "CALL IT A 'PROCESS' "Coach, I think your differentiator is 'science that is understandable and works for the masses' instead of 'one guy's opinion that is vague and only works for a select few.'" - - Terry T., Jasper, IN "Dear Tom, Tryouts are this week in West Virginia Boy's Jr. high and high school ball. In case you don't remember me, I'm the old (48) guy with the two boys at the Frostburg, MD shooting school that had to leave early. You gave each of them a personal review before we departed. Now with the identification part taken care of I can now get to my point... "I started using your upforce method four years ago with my oldest son's team. Well zoom, here we are with the kids trying out for 9th grade ball at two AAA sized schools. All of the kids that had desire, heart and some athleticism (we had one drop out because of a serious illness) seem to be in fine shape to make their respective teams. The one thing they have in common is that they can shoot better than almost any of their competition. I have not been their head coach for two years, but they still shoot from 'Upforce.' "Almost all of them play basketball on Sunday nights with us 'old' guys, after worship services. They are starting to beat the old guys and you are to blame. Shame on you for devising such a simple and pure method of shooting! They still ask me for technique reviews from time to time, but I may have to put an end to this 'niceness.' Last night between games one of the young men came and asked me what he was doing wrong. I promptly diagnosed his problem (elbow not gently locking) and the little **$##@@ proceeded to make 5 threes in a row during the next game to defeat us. "So Tom.... Thanks for nothing !!! "What little ego my wife has not taken, you have completely destroyed!" - - Kevin W., Morgantown, West Virginia Another from Kevin W.: "Well, both sons made their respective teams. I thought I had retired from coaching about a month ago. The Jr. High coach then called and asked me to be his assistant..... So I'm back doing it again!! "Upforce continues to amaze me. In just one week it has improved the 7th grade foul shooting. First week they shot 20%, last night 40%. 11 players, 11 different styles of shooting. Ugh, I just had to straighten it out. "I get to work with the 8th graders again later this week. I think one of the parents of the 8th grade team sent in an ex-all-state player to watch shooting practice. The parent is concerned that 'this' method is severely flawed. We shall see!! I'm making weekly shooting % charts to send home with the players. The charts have all players listed so the parents can see what the other players are shooting also. By the way.... 7 out of 8 from last year's 8th grade team (single A school), made their respective AAA school's team. They can all shoot fairly well. Shooting is indeed a lost art. - - Kevin "As always, a great Newsletter. "I've got to relate a few things to you. The kids at our jr. high school had never been exposed to your swish method. When we started practice just over a month ago, we were for the most part a very 'inaccurate' shooting team. I taught the method but most of the macho guys chose not to listen. "One morning I was on the floor shooting the lights out from the free throw line. Angelo, our point guard, was sitting in the stands watching me. I asked him if he would like to shoot like that and he said yes. I have never had a student pick it up that fast. In ten minutes he had completely changed his shot and was throwing in free throws with ease. I had a convert. "Later that week my youngest son (playing up from 6th) made 13 free throws in a row during a rebounding drill. As he never missed, the reaction from the other players was a 'What the *%&& is going on here? This punk 6th grader is not missing.' "That opened the door even more. Most of them have changed their shots to one degree or another. Last night in the 8th grade game, Angelo had 20 points. I believe he was 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, 100% from the free throw line. He had never scored like that in his life and his confidence is booming. Now he has even more of a reason to keep his grades up. "Your method is that easy and simple. For me to be able to teach it, it must be!! He He" Kevin W. (Editor's Note: AN "ACADEMY AWARD" FOR SWISH 2?) "Tom, after watching the Swish 2 DVD, I have to say that it is probably the best video I've ever seen on shooting, if not the best overall basketball instructional video ever. And I think it is probably one of the best instructional videos in any sport, it's that good. "I have a question for you, though. Is the Swish 2 DVD available in different languages? I ask that because I think every coach and player on the planet should have this DVD. You've done a perfect job of explaining all the key fundamentals to becoming a great shooter, and every coach and player needs to see it. "If there was an Academy Award for instructional videos, Swish 2 would win the Oscar. I also think a copy needs to be sent to the Basketball Hall Of Fame in Springfield, Mass. to be put in their archives. "Anyway, I teach basketball lessons in my area, and a lot of what I do deals with helping kids with their shooting, especially with free throws. I incorporate what you've taught in the original Swish into my lessons, and now I give copies of Swish 2 to all of my students. Thank you for creating a nearly perfect teaching tool. Thanks again." - - Bill Dale, Elkton, Maryland Editor's Note: Bill's site, http://www.ShootingDrills.com,
is ranked #1 in both Google and Yahoo for the search terms of
"shooting drills" and "basketball shooting drills."
And he has been using what I teach to help his students in his
one-on-one training lessons on this site (http://www.DaleBasketball.com). "Dear Tom -- You may recall me. I am the retired athletic
director of Cambridge College in Second testimonial from David: "Tom -- We are in spring break now. The league tournament
takes place afterwards on April 19-20, and I will give you a
report on how the Swish Method fared. Right now I am faced with
a difficult moral dilemma -- whether to let the coaches at the
school my daughter now attends view the videos. They are one
of the principal opponents of my old school, Cambridge.
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