During the preseason, I watched the local NCAA Division II shooting guard work out. Last season, she shot 14% from the three-point line. She did not shoot like a 14% three-point shooter.

I asked about her percentage during the previous season. She said that she had no confidence. Her college coach played mind games, substituted on missed shots, and created a negative environment.

I asked her about her goals for the up-coming season. She said that she wanted to shoot 40% from the three-point line. I thought that was optimistic. She does not have the technique of a 14% three-point shooter, but she has some flaws, especially her balance. I thought 35% from behind the arc was a reasonable goal.

Currently, slightly more than midway through the season, on approximately the same number of attempts as last season (moved from a substitute role player to team’s leading scorer), she is shooting 39.2%.

As a shooting coach who has worked with her during the preseason and season, I could promote her success on my resume: Under my tutelage, she improved from 14% to 39%, a very substantial improvement. My coaching is life-changing!

The reality is that she shoots with almost the exact same technique. What caused her improvement? Shot selection and confidence.

When players improve, we attribute the improvement to practice or coaching. After all, the purpose of practice and coaching is to improve, and there is improvement, so it follows that the practice and coaching caused the improvement. However, correlation does not mean causation: just because two things are related does not mean that one caused the other.

In her case, she has a new head coach (Brianna Finch). This coach allows her to play through mistakes and missed shots. The coach empowers her to shoot open shots. Consequently, she does not hesitate. She shoots with confidence. The same player with the same technique will shoot a higher percentage when she feels good about herself, and she shoots with confidence.

Secondly, she takes better shots. The new head coach emphasizes shot selection and works to get open catch-and-shoot shots.

Her improvement can be attributed to the combination of shot selection and confidence. In these instances, a shooting coach (me) often would take credit for her development, and her statistics would support the coach’s marketing. However, improvement stems from many avenues. Often, a shooting coach’s most important contribution is the mental side: Assisting with the player’s confidence. In this case, the shooting coach deserves some credit, but more for his or her sports psychology skills than the shooting instruction.

When a player improves with no discernible difference in technique, other factors account for the improvement. Personally, my shooting improves when I lift weights more regularly, as I have more legs in my shot. Other times, improvement is mental or due to better shots in a different system. Improvement is multi-faceted. I would like to think that I had some effect on the player, but, in truth, I know her head coach deserves the credit for instilling confidence into a broken player and getting the player to take better shots.

It’s amazing what can happen to a player when the coach believes in her.

EDIT: She finished at 37.3% on the season and in the top 10 in her conference while playing almost 3x as many minutes per game.

The Spurs and Cavs struggled again from the free throw line, at least during the first half when I was watching. There are a couple small tweaks a couple players could make to improve their percentages.

I wrote about Tim Duncan previously. When he sets at the free throw line, his hands are on the side of the ball. So, a part of his actual shooting mechanics is twisting his hands into shooting position. Obviously, this is inefficient and ineffective.

Anderson Vareajo’s problems start with the way he sets his hands at the free throw line. When he puts his right hand on the ball, his right hand faces to the side. When he moves the ball into his shooting position, he elbow flares wide. From this position, he has a tendency to shoot across the ball rather than straight to the basket.

LeBron James has a similar, though less pronounced problem. When he finishes his three dribbles as his routine, he sets the ball on his left hip. From this position, he does not always get his right hand all the way under the ball before he shoots. Rather than his hands directed at the rim, his fingers point slightly to the side.

When I teach free throw shooting, I want players to finish their routine on the right side (for a right-handed shooter). The fingers should point straight at the rim, not to the side. The ball should start on the right side of his body, whether the player sets at his hip, in front of his chest or at his shoulder. By keeping the fingers straight to the basket with the ball on the shooting side of the body, when the player moves the ball into shooting position and finishes his shot, his shooting arm stays in alignment, which is an efficient shooting technique and eliminates the misses to either side. 

Earlier this year, I reported on the San Antonio Spurs hiring a free throw coach, ostensibly to fix Tim Duncan. 

Not to blame the coach, but Duncan’s woes continue. This weekend, Duncan went 2 for 7; tonight, he was 1 for 11 before making two in a row to finish 3 for 13. 

I must admit I have not seen the Spurs play this season. However, last season, I explained Duncan’s free throw shooting problems like this:

When Duncan comes set at the free throw line, his hands are on the sides of the ball. So, as he brings the ball from his set position at his waist to his shooting position, he twists his hand into shooting position with his hand under the ball.

This is extra, wasted motion which adds inconsistency. When working with young players, we simplify their shot as much as possible. I teach players to come set with their hand behind the ball and wrist already cocked. From this position, the players lifts the ball in a straight line to his shooting position: no extra or wasted motion, and therefore a more consistent shot. 

If Duncan simply started the shot in this manner, the added consistency likely would lead to marked improvement at the charity stripe.

Interesting article on 82games.com about player’s shooting percentages from different spots on the floor. Definitely provides solid data for coaches to use when designing their schemes.

I copied and pasted two tidbits from the article, but I’d follow the link to see the whole thing.

What’s the best three-point shot?

The order of shooting accuracy on a league wide basis goes zone 5 (right corner), then zone 1 (left corner) and 3 (straightaway), with a significant drop off to zone 4 (right wing) and then zone 3 (left wing).

Who’s the best mid-range shooter?

Steve Nash was amazing from zones 7, 8, and 9. Locations on the court from which the league as a whole shot .389, .412, and .386 respectively saw Nash fire .573, .573, .557 — best midrange shooter period.