Lets Bounce

I saw a question in a coaching forum recently about
a youngster who wasn't getting good rotation on the
ball. The kid was shooting a knuckleball.

Good even backspin gives your ball a gyroscopic
effect which helps itl fly more true. Just like a
rotating bicycle wheel keeps your bike upright.

Coach Tom Nordland chimed in on this one and
here's what he had to say:

"I advocate a pushing action with relaxed wrist and
hand. The arm motion is a full extension with the
elbow locking and with relaxed wrist and hand
[done at the] same speed every time. The ball will
then roll off the fingertips the same every time.

Have him practice relaxing the wrist and hand
without a ball at first. Just straighten the arm
upward and let the hand bounce. Then add a ball
and have him shoot to a partner or the wall,
working on relaxing those smaller muscles.

It will be difficult at first since he's probably been
programmed to 'flick his wrist.' Then take him to
a basket and see if he can do the same thing. With
practice and awareness with feedback, he'll learn
this.

It's really very simple. What this gives is
'repeatability', and it takes control away from the
smaller, more variable, fast-twitch muscles of the
wrist, hand and fingers.

This is not something I made up. Watch the great
shooters out there and almost all of them (maybe
all) have a relaxed wrist and hand. Their hands will
'bounce' [or flop loosely] a bit in the follow through
which means the wrist is relaxed.

You may have to see the shot in slow motion on TV
to really see what's happening. If you flick the wrist
it's easy to fire the ball a bit long or short, a bit left or
right. Those small muscles just aren't reliable.

As with all of my coaching I ask you to experiment
with what I say. Deliberately flick your wrist and see
how accurate and consistent you are. Then change to
more of an upward 'push and flop' as I describe it with
relaxed wrist and hand and see what you get.

If you straighten your arm at the same speed every
time (about 70% of max) note how that gives you a
simple, consistent, and repeatable shot motion. The
main power comes from the legs as you shoot on the
way up. To control distance vary the arch of the shot
not the release."

Wow, you can take that advice to the bank. If you
want to know more about Coach Nordland's original
simple shooting system on DVD which has sold over
40,000 copies world-wide it's time to relax that
wrist now and click on:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish1.html

Shoot For The Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. In the seven years since Swish 1 was published
Coach Nordland has continued to learn more about
how to shoot most effectively, and earlier this year
he came out with version 2 of his Swish System. You
get all the same info as on the original with more
detail, more explanation, more examples, and more
drills. It's like getting two for the price of one.

It's so good a coach could use it to teach his whole
team better shooting. See for yourself what I mean
at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2.html

Make Every Shot Count

Copyright 2006 Delker Enterprises, Inc.