Basketball

A WALL - A GREAT PLACE TO DEVELOP A SHOT MOTION

A great way to practice and learn the above stuff, especially the first two, is to work against a wall. Stand just 5-6 feet from the wall and start first with no leg power. Shoot upward, with the goal of having the ball glance the wall on the way down, rather than at the top of the arch or on the way up. Without the distraction of a basket, you can observe much better the Release motion and how your arm and hand work. Observe if there is tension, and feel what it’s like to relax the wrist and hand. Observe spin and ball flight. Then have your players start adding more leg power and shoot higher and higher (without moving back). Ask them to experiment with bigger and smaller upward motions (with a jump off the ground or not) to feel the powerful upward energy and connect their shot motion (the Release) to that energy. Connecting to the powerful leg drive can be like “catching a wave” in surfing. There’s a surge of power in the beginning that gradually dissipates. Catch the wave early and you get a lot of power.

THE FREE THROW - SEE EVERYTHING IN THIS SHOT

With the Free Throw you can see all of the above going on more easily since the body motion is small and relatively constant, and there’s more time to see and feel everything. Note if the shot is powered by the Lower Body or the Upper Body. Observe the arch ... flat, medium high or high. Observe spin. Watch the Release and Follow Through. Is the Release tense and variable, with a potential for a different hand action every time, or is it controlled, measurable and consistent? Do you get the feeling that the Release is going “to the end of the arm” with each shot, thus the same distance each time and more repeatable, more of a “sure thing”? Or does every shot look like a guess.