A prominent shooting coach admonished other coaches for failing to teach the perfect shooting technique. Is there a single, perfect shooting technique? Does Ray Allen shoot like Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitski, Steve Nash, Ryan Anderson, or Stephen Curry? [continue reading…]
A systems approach to shooting the basketball
Applying motor learning principles to basketball
A prominent shooting coach admonished other coaches for failing to teach the perfect shooting technique. The expert justified his opinion by providing an example of a player who went from making 82/100 to 92/100 in one day. The expert called this measured improvement. [continue reading…]
One-hand form shooting
Developing an elite jump shooter
Shooting is a motor skill despite many believing that shooting skill is an innate talent. When coaching or teaching young shooters, we concentrate on the sport-specific instruction: the elbow, the eyes, the knee bend, etc. An expert shooter’s technique looks effortless: Even a shooter with an unorthodox technique such as Reggie Miller looks effortless when shooting the basketball. Moshe Feldenkrais wrote, “Light and easy movements are good ones, as a rule” (p. 86). Look at Kevin Durant’s effortless release: [continue reading…]
The shooting stance
Staring, talent development, and the shooting gene
During a Duke University game in the NCAA Tournament, Clark Kellogg exclaimed, “It’s in the genes!” when Duke’s Seth Curry knocked down a three-pointer. This is a common perception, as his brother Stephen was one of the best college shooters of the past decade, and his father Dell was an NBA sharp-shooter. Most people believe this statement: the evidence suggests that the Curry clan possess the shooting gene. [continue reading…]
The problem with form shooting
Slide shooting drill
Why everyone should shoot like Steve Nash
Originally published in Hard2Guard Player Development Newsletter 4.35. Similar articles available in Brian McCormick’s Hard2Guard Player Development Newsletters, Volume 4.
I believe Steve Nash is the best shooter in the NBA, at least since the NBA incorporated the three-point line. Whereas I base my belief primarily on observation, the numbers support the theory. John Hollinger, the creator of the player efficiency rankings, ranks Nash as the all-time #1 shooter based on a combined shooting range (CSR) which adds 2-point percentage, 3-pt % and FT%. [continue reading…]