Can You Really Develop An Outstanding Basketball Shot? Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Struggling with developing a quality shot? In this basketball shooting article, we're going to begin fixing that!

First, let's look at some general basketball shooting tips as you're striving to reach your full potential:

  1. Focus: This is absolutely necessary to have any real success in basketball. Focus on delivering your best.
  2. Confidence: You can know all the basketball tips, plays or drills in the world, but if you don't have a powerful self-image, you're in for a tough haul.
    The good news? You'll develop more confidence as you practice.
  3. Desire: Put simply, you gotta want it more than the next guy!
  4. Positive Attitude: No one likes a crybaby, right? If you put out a negative vibe, it's gonna affect everything from your team to all your basketball fundamentals and skills. Develop a child-like enthusiasm in what you do.
  5. Never Give Up

Our basketball shooting article focuses on what everyone gets the most excited about. It's thrilling when the ball makes it through the hoop and more points are piled on.

Realize that becoming great at basketball shooting (free throws, layups, 3-pointers, etc.) means putting in tons of practice time. Shooting is a skill. Whether or not you become better or worse depends on whether or not you're practicing correctly.

Let's get this basketball shooting article kicked into high gear and dig into the fundamentals of the "One-Handed Set Shot".

Shot Set-Up

Get your basic set-up right. Feet shoulder width apart, weight spread evenly on the balls of your feet with the knees bent slightly. If you're right-handed, place your right foot slightly ahead of the left and stick your butt out slightly. Remember, your power comes from the legs, not arms. The shot begins from the floor up.

Ball Placement

Hold the ball close to your chest, just below your chin. Your shooting hand should be positioned a little under the ball and a little more toward the back. Non-shooting hand should be cupped, slightly under the ball and a little more toward the front.

Load the Gun

Lock your wrist and cock it back. If the ball is cocked correctly, you'll see wrinkles on the back of your wrist.

Elbow and Head Placement

Your hand, forearm, elbow, knee and foot should be in a straight line. Don't let your elbows stick out at your side. This will change the ball's rotation and might make it curve. Keep the elbow pointed at the basket.

Keep your head up and directly above the midpoint between your feet. Focus on the front of the rim before, during, and after your shot.

The Shot

Your weight should roll up onto the toes of your forward foot. Be sure you're releasing upward and toward the basket and not reaching forward as you release. It's OK to leave your feet a bit as your back foot gives you a quick, upward push. Throw your head up and through and then land just ahead of the position from where you began.

As the ball leaves your hand, the fingers and thumbs on each hand should be well spread with the palms almost facing one another. Snap your wrist to release the ball off your fingers and achieve the correct back spin necessary for a soft shot.

Follow Through

In your follow through, the forefinger should be the last finger to touch the ball. Your palm turns out a bit as the ball is released. Visualize putting your hand into the basket as this will help you get complete elbow extension and wrist flexion during the follow through.

posted by Brandon Schenz @ 5:36 AM, ,

3 Things You Can Do Right Now To Transform Yourself Into A Better Shooter Monday, February 26, 2007

Let's Get Started

There's a ton of stuff you need to do to improve your basketball shooting skills. Today, though, we're going to pick out just three aspects of shooting to have you concentrate on.

If you're struggling right now or working with players who are, let's go back to basics a bit and improve your shooting technique. Many times, just changing one small part of your fundamentals can improve your shooting percentage drastically.

Basketball Shooting Technique #1

Practice the "1-inch shot" drill

OBJECTIVE - Square up to the basket properly. By positioning yourself directly under the basket, you must completely extend your arms and body. Improve over-all basketball shooting technique.

ACTION - Stand in the middle of the lane so your face is positioned right under the rim of the basket. To square up to the hoop properly, put your arms straight out in front of you as if you were pushing someone away (fingers pointing forward). Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle to your shoulders.

Use your wrist and legs to shoot the ball up and over the rim. Don't use the backboard in this drill and don't step backwards. This isn't as easy as it may sound. Many players struggle with it at first. Don't get frustrated. Keep working at it. After each shot, grab the rebound and continue until you've taken 15-25 shots. Try not to let the ball hit the ground and don't dribble the ball.

For variation, square up to the left of the basket and then on the right side.

COACHING DETAILS - Your players will feel uncomfortable with this basketball shooting drill at first and will try to back away a bit for the easier shot. Don't allow this. Pay special attention to your players squaring up well and don't let them dribble. Shoot, rebound, shoot, rebound, etc.

Basketball Shooting Technique #2

Practice the "1-foot shot" drill

OBJECTIVE - Advance the technique learned in the "1-inch shot" drill. Unlike the first basketball shooting drill, you'll use the backboard on each shot here.

ACTION - Stand one foot away from the rim on the left side. You want to square up to a "spot" on the backboard, not the basket. Position the ball high over your head, then shoot.

Just like the "1-inch shot" drill, don't let the ball hit the ground and don't dribble. Shoot 10 shots from the left, then move to the center, then to the right of the basket. Then reverse and end up back on the left side.

COACHING DETAILS - Again, be sure your players square up, this time to the backboard. Don't let your players get to this technique drill until they have mastered the "1-inch shot" drill. Otherwise, it's a waste of time and they won't improve. Don't let them back up to two feet or more - keep them at one foot away from the basket.

Basketball Shooting Technique #3

Shoot Higher

Now we're going to talk "fundamentals" instead of giving you a specific basketball shooting drill. According to Tom Nordland, developer of the power-packed "Swish Video" and "Swish 2" dvd's, too many players don't get the ball high enough.

Specifically, Tom Nordland says, "Most shots get only 1-2 feet above the basket at the highest point. The shots are coming in 'hot' and flat, around 20-30° above horizontal. How often do you see one that rises higher than the top of the backboard? If you do, it's probably coming from the best shooter on the court. Shooting high does two major things:

From my research, a shot coming into the basket at a medium high angle of about 45° above horizontal has an effective landing area about 60% larger than for a shot coming in at 30°. A 60° angle shot (the angle considered most effective by coaches) has a landing area more than twice as large as a 30° angle shot."

Tom Nordland has just enlightened you on one major aspect of successful basketball shooting. His Swish videos expand on this greatly, including his discussion and instruction on "UpForce", your release, timing and many other important aspects to basketball shooting.

There you have it!

You'll be glad you did :-)
And so will your basketball shooting skills :-)

posted by Brandon Schenz @ 5:52 AM, ,

Let's Dispel A Myth Friday, February 23, 2007

What myth you ask? The myth of the big-time scorer.

Now you're probably really confused. What the heck is the "myth of the big-time scorer"? Let me explain.

Most players want to score a lot of points. I did. You probably do. And why not? Scoring lots of points is fun, helps get you into the starting lineup, and could help you land a college scholarship or help you make it to the pros.

So what's the all this "myth" talk? The myth is that you have to score a lot of points to be a big-time player. The myth is that if you don't score a lot of points, you aren't a very good player, won't get a scholarship, and that you'll have no chance of making it to the pros.

Well, I'm here to tell you not to believe the myth. You can be a great player, get lots of playing time, and make it to college or the pros by being a great all-around player, and not necessarily just being a scorer.

Now don't get me wrong: being able to score the basketball is important, but you don't have to average 30 points a game to get noticed and have a great career. Need some examples? Here you go:

I can go on and on.

In fact, out of the 450 players on NBA rosters right now, only 113 are averaging in double-digits. Let me say it another way: 75% of NBA players are averaging under 10 points a game. I'm sure that stat will surprise a lot of people.

So why am I telling you all of this? Simply to emphasize how important the rest of the game is. To remind you how important defense, rebounding, passing, ball handling, court sense, and attitude are.

Work on your offense. Practice your form, having a quick shot, and shooting the 3-pointer, but also remember that you can be a great basketball player, have a long career, and make lots of money playing basketball by doing things other than scoring. In fact, if all you do is try to score, you probably won't have a very long or successful career in the game.

posted by Brandon Schenz @ 8:31 AM, ,

Radmanovic is out at least eight weeks Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The Lakers can't even stay healthy during the All-Star break.

Forward Vladimir Radmanovic is out eight weeks after falling on a patch of ice Saturday in Park City, Utah, and suffering a separated right shoulder.

Radmanovic told the Lakers he was walking when he slipped. Some pro sports contracts ban players from taking part in activities involving significant risk of injury, such as skiing and snowboarding. It is not known whether Radmanovic's contract contained such language.

An MRI exam and CT scan conducted Monday in Los Angeles confirmed the injury as a separated shoulder.

"It's the latest incident in a season-long series of injuries," Lakers spokesman John Black said. "Guys are going to have to step up and fill the void."

Radmanovic, 26, has been a disappointment in the first season of a five-year, $30.2-million contract. He was slowed by a hand injury early in the season and is averaging only 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds a game.

His tendency to freelance in the triangle offense led Coach Phil Jackson to refer to him as a "space cadet" in December. More recently, Jackson criticized Radmanovic's penchant for shooting unnecessarily because "it just might feel good."

Radmanovic's absence will mean more playing time for Brian Cook, and it could cause the Lakers to take a harder look at 41-year-old Scottie Pippen, who said he would like to come out of a three-year retirement. Kobe Bryant has endorsed Pippen for consideration by the Lakers, although the former Chicago Bulls forward said he would prefer to play for Miami.

Cook is averaging 6.9 points and three rebounds a game. He has had an up-and-down season after signing a three-year, $10.5-million contract extension, finding points and playing time only in spurts.

He was admonished by Jackson two weeks ago for dropping his warmups in the lap of the Lakers' coach while checking into a game. Cook was immediately pulled from the game and was seething for several minutes at the end of the bench. He apologized to Jackson afterward and said it was an accident.

Forward Luke Walton is still sidelined by a sprained ankle and is not expected to play Wednesday against Portland. Center Kwame Brown, also sidelined by a sprained ankle, is out two to four more weeks.

posted by Brandon Schenz @ 6:18 AM, ,