1) WHERE DOES POWER COME FROM? ARE THE SHOTS FLAT?

Is it more from the UPPER BODY, or is it from the WHOLE BODY, lower and upper working in unison? The height of the shots will be an indicator of what the source of power is. Upper Body shooting tends to be flat and hot, with variables in the arm, wrist and hand action that are hard to predict and control. Whole Body shooting is generally higher and looks and feels much more “integrated” and effortless. In Whole Body shooting, the Release happens on the way up, not at the top of the jump. If you discover that they’re shooting at or near the top of the jump, invite them to experiment with shooting earlier in the jumping motion and see what happens. For girls, it’s important to emphasize that they learn to go “up,” rather than laterally. The purpose is not to jump over people, but to get the strong lower body energy moving upward so the shot can be powered from it. COACHING: One way to explore this is to note what “percent” of the available upward energy of the legs and lower body is used in the shots. With practice you’ll know what I mean. Shooting at the top of the jump would be “zero” percent, as you are using none of the leg force. If you shoot immediately as you start the upward motion, that would be 100%. If you wait to shoot, the percent drops to 75, 50, or 25%, etc. A very few players might even discover that they’re shooting on the way “down,” thus getting a negative percent. From my point of view, all outside shots, including free throws, will benefit if the percent used is 100% or close to it. The exception would be the inside jumpers, from 6’, 8’ or 10’ or closer. With these shots, the player can wait a bit to shoot because s/he is so close, the leg drive isn’t needed as much, and also the margin for error is greater. However, don’t lose it all, because the leg drive provides stability for the shot. For stronger players, the Set Point can be raised for inside shots to permit a quicker, stronger Release. A great example of this kind of shooting is Rasheed Wallace of the Portland Trailblazers. Note how high his Set Point is for all his shots. He’s especially noted for his wonderful, high, soft inside jumpers.