This L is Not for Losers

According to Bob Topp, Shot-Doctor.com camp
instructor and women's varsity head coach I met
recently, shooters have two simple tasks:

Shoot Straight and Judge Distance.

Yesterday we looked at what to do if your shots are
coming up wide left or wide right. Today Bob's going
to tell you what to do if your shot is long most of the
time.

The problem often involves too much bending of the
elbow, and he's not talking about sitting at a bar all
night long.

The secret is to have your arm at 90 degrees when
you have the ball in the lock and load position, often
called the shooting pocket, i.e. where you start lifting
the ball to the basket from.

It should make an 'L' and not go past vertical into a 'V'.
The ball should not hitch back toward your face or your
ear either as you raise it during the shot.

As always when you want to change your shot make
sure you start close to the basket and concentrate on
your form so you can build success momentum.Then
gradually move further out setting goals of 5 - 10
straight baskets before you move again. Don't rush.
Changing habits takes time.

Some coaches believe and teach you shoot long because
you jump too hard, but Bob disagrees. It's very, very
hard to jump too hard, and if you feel your upper body
form is good and you're still firing long, experiment with
your timing. Shoot at different points in your jump, early,
mid, late, etc. You'll find the timing and amount of
upward force that works for you.

Shoot For the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Everybody works out and trains, but do you know
how to develop better touch and feel in your hands and
fingers. It's essential for a shooter, and don't you want
to be the guy who has a reputation for having 'soft hands'.

Find out what a master keyboard player can teach you
about getting the most out of your hands today at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Hop On The Bus, Gus

Remember the old Paul Simon song about
the many ways to leave your lover.

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

There are actually four ways to miss a basketball shot
according to Bob Topp, instructor at the Shot Doctor
Basketball Camp and girls varsity coach in Annapolis,
MD. With his help let's look at two of them today.

It's not rocket science. You can miss left or you can
miss right and that means you didn't shoot the ball
straight.

The question though is how do you stop misfiring like
that?

One cause of the ball not flying straight is unintentionally
helping propel the ball with your off (non-shooting) hand.
Remember now they call it the off-hand for a reason.

Start paying attention to what that hand is doing. It
should be there to keep the ball from falling out of the
shooting hand. To stabilize the shot, but that's all.
Remember, it only plays a supporting role.

One way to stabilize the shot better is to leave that
non-shooting hand where it starts till the ball goes
through the hoop. It shouldn't move forward, nor
should you bring it down. And make sure the index
finger on the shooting hand is in the center of the ball.

The other main cause of the ball not flying true is not
having the forearm straight, i.e in line with the center
of the rim. The shooting hand can compensate for
misalignments, but it's going to make the shot less
consistent if the forearm isn't straight.

Note this means the shot lines up on the shooting side
of the body, not at the midline. Bob says make sure
the ball starts in front of the shooting arm's bicep
and you'll be sinking a lot more of your jumpers.

Bob works with Ed Stahl former UNC player and
presidentof Shot Doctor Basketball which has a team
of instructors who regularly run shooting camps all
across the United States, and internationally.

If you want to bring one of their youth shooting camps
to your area check out http://www.shot-doctor.com/.
Besides shooting they also emphasize developing
leadership skills in young people, and they are great
folks who care about your kids very much.

Shoot for The Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Tom Nordland's Swish 1 and 2 videos are all about
guiding the ball straight and true. Check out Tom's simple,
yet profound methods at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

This is no PSA, but Stay In School

Just for a minute imagine you are a Big Ten football player,
more than that - a University of Michigan football player.
What would you expect to see boldly displayed on the wall
of your main team meeting room.

Something really fiery, exciting, and motivating, right?

Something that would make you want to run through a wall.

Well you don't have to imagine any more. I've got a friend
John Wood who played defensive end for the Wolverines
and graduated last May. More than that John is one of the
foremost authorities in the world on hand, wrist, forearm,
and grip strength. John is a beast, and you'll be seeing some
of his magic in the near future, but I don't want to keep you
in suspense very much longer.

What's written on that wall are seven very simple words.

- Pay Attention

- Follow Directions

- Go to Class

That's what the vast University of Michigan braintrust has
decided is most important for all their players to be constantly
reminded of. You could say these words are their three most
essential 'keys to success.'

I think they are equally important for shooters too, and I want
to concentrate on the last one - going to class.

I don't know if you are literally still in school or not, but to be
a great shooter you should have that mentality. Learning
should be a neverending process if you want to be the best you
can be. You can always learn something from a coach, another
player, a Hall of Fame great, etc.

Unless you are shooting 100%, you know can improve, and you
should be building a library of videos and books on shooting,
mental development, motivation, mental toughness, confidence,
etc. Whatever speaks to your need as a player, parent, or coach.
There is no other way.

You have to put in the time on the court of course, making the
theory your own reality, but you definitely want to become a
serious student of the game.

I want you to know I'm just getting started in providing you
the best in shooting information on the planet. I've got at least
6 great products on my radar screen right now. I'll bring them
to you just as fast as I can.

Till then I still highly recommend Coach Tom Nordland's Swish
videos to open you up to the world of shooting possibilities. The
eye opening Swish 1 lays out the basics without getting you
bogged down in overthinking what you are doing.

Swish 2 delves deeper into Tom's system and ably prepares you to
coach others or use the information to coach yourself to shooting
mastery.

Experience the world of Swish now at:

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

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. John Wood has a buddy Dave Lemanczyk who was a big
time college hoops player and played professionally in
Europe. He's a super innovative trainer, as you can see
in this picture of him dunking a 15 lb canvas sandbag.

Do you think too many players are going to knock the
basketball out of his hands?

Take a gander at another innovative product that will
help immeasurably with your feel and touch in shooting
called:

'Finger Fitness: The Complete Hand Workout' by Greg Irwin.

You've never seen anything like this before in your life, but

you can find it at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

We're Going To Miss You

I haven't been able to get my mind off Coach Wooden
since yesterday so let me repeat a few things Rick Reilly
of Sports Illustrated has written about the man.

'There's never been a finer man in American sports than
John Wooden, or a finer coach.'

'There has never been another coach like Wooden, quiet
as an April snow and square as a game of checkers; loyal
to one woman, one school, one way; walking around
campus in his sensible shoes and Jimmy Stewart morals.'

'Of the 180 players who played for him, Wooden knows
the whereabouts of 172.'

'He believed in hopelessly out-of-date stuff that never did
anything but win championships ... No long hair, no facial
hair. 'They take too long to dry, and you could catch cold
leaving the gym,' he'd say. That one drove his players
bonkers.

One day, All-America center Bill Walton showed up with a
full beard. "It's my right," he insisted. Wooden asked if he
believed that strongly. Walton said he did.

'That's good, Bill,' Coach said. 'I admire people who have
strong beliefs and stick by them, I really do. We're going
to miss you.'

Walton shaved it right then and there. Now he calls once a
week to tell Coach he loves him.'

Reilly takes the time to go visit John in his Encino condo
which is one reason he understands the man so well. Plus
it's entitled him to hear the story first-hand about how
Coach taught "Lewis" the hook shot.

That would be Lew Alcindor, i.e. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Now
that's an impact don't you think? We know that shot as the
'Sky Hook', and it helped Kareem amass 38,387 points in the
NBA which makes him the career scoring leader. That'sthe
kind of impact a coach who wants to teach good shooting can
have.

If you're that coach or parent you're going to love Coach Tom
Nordland's newest creation, Swish 2: Learning and Coaching
The Swish Method.

This 2 hour DVD is crammed full of everything Tom has
figured out about shooting since coming out with Swish 1
nine years ago. Swish 1 has the basics. Swish 2 has all the
detail and practical teaching drills plus imparts Tom's
wonderful philosophy on learning.

A coach or interested parent can literally learn how to teach
shooting off this DVD, and a mature player can use it to self-
teach and constantly be improving.

Order Tom's masterpiece now at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Many of you already have Swish 1, but if you don't, or
you've worn out your copy don't worry you can still get it
for your library. Don't forget how good the section on free
throw shooting is. You can order it at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Don't Wait Till November

My letter the other day about the attitude of gratitude
stirred up some fire in the bellies out there. I thank one
reader who wrote encouraging me and loved that I was
bringing in character and attitude issues, while another
strongly objected to my quoting Jesus, and even more so
Oprah, and didn't see how either had much of anything
to do with shooting the basketball.

In talking about character I'm taking my cue from none
other than the "Wizard of Westwood" Coach John Wooden
who most would say is the greatest college basketball
coach, ever. He certainly emphasized attitude and
character from day one. He's written books about it, and
his success pyramid is built on it.

But then he even taught his players how to put on their
shoes and socks. Doing it right prevented blisters, and
do you think blisters might affect shooting? If you were
mentally tough enough sure you could play through them,
but there's nothing wrong with wanting to prevent them
in the first place. That's just smart.

Gratitude works the same way. It prevents a lot of
personal and team problems from developing. And it
starts you off at a much higher energy level than if
you are neutral, a complainer, or a cynic.

Now two researchers Dr. Michael McCollough, of SMU,
and Dr. Robert Emmons, of UCAL-Davis, have a scientific
study indicating gratitude makes a measurable difference
in people's lives.

The study required several hundred people in 3 groups
to keep daily journals. The 1st group recorded only events
of the day objectively. The 2nd wrote down only their
unpleasant experiences. And the 3rd made daily list of
things for which they were grateful.

The results indicate the daily gratitude exercises resulted
in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm,
determination, optimism and energy, as well as less
depression and stress. Also group 3 exercised more
regularly and made more progress toward personal goals.

So let's see. Would alertness affect shooting? Enthusiasm?
Optimism? Energy? Goal seeking?

I'm grateful you get my drift.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. The crowning achievement of the late Dr. Maxwell Maltz'
life is the "Zero Resistance Living" course put out by thePsycho-
Cybernetics Foundation. Dr. Maltz believed strongly in
gratefulness and thanksgiving as gateway attitudes to higher
levels of achievement in any endeavor. Find out what kind of
a life-changing program it is by bounding on over to:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Summertime - And the Livin' Is Easy

Despite the fact I love that classic Gershwin song,
and fishing is great for the soul, I'm not
recommending you lay around all summer by any
means. Not if you want to be a stellar shooter,
anyway.

According to Larry Bird's autobiography, 'Drive'
when Danny Ainge came to the Celtics as a rookie
in1981 his teammates used to make fun of his
shooting. Since he'd played professional baseball
before coming to the NBA the running joke was
his lifetime .220 batting average was higher
than his shooting percentage.

Danny came to Bird at the end of the first season
though and wanted to know what he could do to
improve his shooting. Larry gave him some
pointers then told him to go back to his hometown,
find a cracker box gym somewhere, and plop down
the buckaroos to rent it out for the summer. Then
Bird told him to go out shoot every day till he
dropped.

Danny Ainge worked his buns off that summer, and
came back to training camp that year with a new
found confidence. And his shooting percentage
began to rise accordingly.

As the season wore on and it became apparent his
shooting was for real, Ainge started fishing for a few
'atta boys' from his teammates, but they weren't
forthcoming. Finally he approached Larry directly
and asked what he thought about his shooting now.

Bird looked at Ainge, looked around at the rest of
the Celtics, looked back at Ainge with his classic
grin, and said,

'Well Danny, a couple of more summers, and I think
you'll be alright.'

He was, and he became an integral part of the Celtics
championships of the mid-80's.

So what are you doing this summer?

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. I've heard it said you need about 20,000 correct
shots to build your shooting prowess. I you shoot 1,000
a day you'll be surprised what can happen for you in 3
short weeks.

Of course you don't want to be practicing a shooting
stroke that's not a winner so it's going to help a ton
to have some expert advice. Coach Tom Nordland's
Swish 1 DVD is right up your alley. Check it out at:

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

If you want to fine tune your shot even more, or want
to be able to coach your team or your children in
shooting, Tom's newest masterpiece, Swish 2:
Learning and Coaching the Swish Method will be
invaluable. Fortunately, you can order it now at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

P.S.S. I got the Danny Ainge story from Sean Furey,
master storyteller and brother of Matt Furey. Matt
is a world-class athlete, a best-selling author, and an
Internet marketing zen master. If you are any kind
of competitor at all you won't want to miss what Psycho-
Cybernetics has done for him at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Your Mom Was Right

Did you know your mom taught you two of the most
magical, most powerful words in the whole universe
when you were growing up?

And they were usually preceded by the phrase,
"Don't forget to say ... "

You thought she was just teaching you to be polite,
but she was giving you the keys that would open
almost any door.

What am I talking about?

Thank you, thanksgiving, gratitude, being grateful.

The Bible says you, "Enter His gates with thanks-
giving". In other words the gateway to the divine,
and hence all that is good, hinges on being grateful.
You might be standing at the gates, but if you want
to see them swing wide open, be grateful.

For what, you say? Dean, you don't know the
problems I have. A faithful friend told me a couple
of months ago no matter how bad off you are, you can
always be grateful it's not worse. You have the gift
of life, and if you're reading this you have access to a
computer. That's a good start.

Remember the law of attraction I've talked about
before. I'm beginning to understand more and more
about it.

Jesus put it this way in the parable about the
talents, "To him who has, more will be given, but to
him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

I used to think that was grossly unfair. Why should the
"haves" get more, and the "have not's" lose what they
have.

There really are no inherent "haves" and "have not's"
though. The truth is there is plenty for everybody to
have what they want, if they learn the rules of the game.

Jesus was just telling us the rules, and neither you or
I can get away from them.

Even Oprah said it this way:

"If you start focusing on what you have and what
you're grateful for, you will then begin to see more."

If however you focus on what you don't have with an
ungrateful attitude you're going to lose even what you
have.

OK. You're standing at the free throw line with a
chance to win the game. What do you want to focus
on? Think about it. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Let Coach Tom Nordland teach you how to focus on
the baskets you want to hit and how to have a positive,
grateful attitude that keeps your success growing.

Learn the basics at:

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

and dig into all the finer points at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Watch Me Roar

In the 4th and 5th century with barbarian hordes
swarming the borders of the Roman Empire,
Rome needed to deploy their legendary army and
respond with strength. Instead, the citizens were
more interested in maintaining their comfortable,
secure lifestyles so there was no will to fight. They
ended up losing all their comforts, their security,
and their very freedom though when the barbarians
finally stormed the gates and destroyed Roman
society.

Choosing your comfort zone and avoiding a decision
to change is one of the most common reasons for a
life that goes nowhere.

If you aren't on the offensive and acting like the king
or queen of your kingdom, guess what? Some
upstart pretender is going to try to take it away
from you.

Not that you have to fight over everything. There are
times for cooperation and working toward common
goals. The truth is there's plenty for everybody if we're
willing to use our gifts and act on our creative ideas.
The thing is though, there's just no future in getting
comfortable and trying to cruise through life. It's just
a recipe for unhappiness.

The best basketball players and shooters I've ever
seen have all believed they owned the court they
walked on, and they weren't about to let anybody
take it away from them. Not that they never lost
any games. But they sure competed, and they had
nothing to be ashamed of. At the end of the day
they won where it counted most. In their hearts.

If you want to be a shooter who rules his or her
kingdom you're going to have to develop the
confidence of a lion. He's not trying to be the king
of beasts, he just knows he is.

You can develop a rock solid confidence like that too,
and that's done by feeding the inner you, what's
commonly known as the self-image. It's what you
believe about yourself. You'll never really rise
above your self-image for very long, but contrary
to what you might think, you're not stuck with
the one you have right now.

Coach Tom Nordland's Swish Method is
revolutionary in how effectively it builds up your
shooting self-image. Don't waste any more time in
your comfort zone wishing you could be a star, or
watching it happen for somebody else. Get thy
bunns on over to:

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

And start roaring.

Shoot for the Stars

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. You might already have Tom's Swish 1, and know
how good it is. For the last 4 years though he's been
working on Swish 2, and he calls it his masterpiece.
To find out what he's learned about shooting since hecame out with Swish 1 order it now at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

You'll thank yourself for being so smart.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Don't Forget Who Won and Why

In all the hoopla about the "Unforgettables" yesterday
don't forget it was actually Duke who won that 1992
Regional final game. And they went on to win their 2nd
National Championship in a row. The first team to do it
since John Wooden's UCLA teams.

Don't forget Duke was down by 1 with 2.1 seconds left
and 94 feet from the winning basket. And don't forget it
was Kentucky's tenacious defense which had gotten them
back in the game. That's when you find out if winning is in
grained in your heart, or not.

In his last time-out Coach Mike Krzyzewski laid this
wisdom on his team:

"We're going to win. Whether you completely believe it
or not, you have to have the conviction in your mind,the
expression on your face, and the words in your mouth
that we're going to get a good shot to win."

Winning and shooting baskets are very much of a mental
game, and Coach K. knew how to tap into his teams
internal success auto-pilot because he'd taught it and
modeled it over and over and over in practice and in
games.

Winners make it a habit of believing success belongs to
them. Yes there will be setbacks, but they are both
educational and temporary. They feel success is
inevitable, and they've learned to use the power of
their imagination to focus on what they want to
happen, not what they don't.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. You can become the winner you were created to
be and learn to expect success on the court and off.
It's far easier than you think. For the riveting details
leap on over to:

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

You'll be so glad you did you'll want to name your
next child after me.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

The Unforgettables

You probably have figured out by now I'm a Florida
Gator fan. Convenient how we won March Madness
this year just when I needed something to write about,
wasn't it? All part of my master plan, grasshopper.

But unless you read my bio you may not know I'm also
a huge Kentucky Wildcat fan. Of course I was born
and raised in the Bluegrass State, so my fanaticism is
probably genetic.

There is one team we Kentucky fans call simply, 'The
Unforgettables'. You see Kentucky had been rocked
by scandal a couple of years before and was on NCAA
probation which led to transfers en mass, and recruits
avoiding the Big Blue like the plague.

Rick Pitino had been brought in as coach in 1989 to
effect a rejuvenation but still they sunk to an
unthinkable 13 - 19 record the year before the game
I'll never forget - the NCAA regional finals in
Philadelphia against defending the defending
champion Duke Blue Devils.

There was a core of four seniors who'd always
dreamed of playing at Kentucky who stuck it out
through the hard times, and that's why they're so
fondly remembered. Richie Farmer, John Pelphrey,
Deron Feldhaus, and SeanWood are all overachievers
who will hold a special place in Kentucky lore for as
long as basketball is played there.

You also have to throw talented sophmore Jamal
Mashburn into the mix, and don't forget one of the
assistant coaches taking it all in from his youthful
vantage point was this year's championship coach
BillyDonovan.

That team wasn't given much of a chance against
Duke in the tournament in 1992 with Bobby Hurley,
Christian Laettner, and Grant Hill in the fold, and
indeed Duke was up 12 in the 2nd half and cruising.
But a patented Pitino press brought the Wildcats
back, and the last few minutes of regulation and
the first overtime produced some of the most
compelling basketball I have ever seen. Laettner
seemed like he couldn't miss, and indeed the box
score later showed he couldn't.

As time wore down in OT it looked like Sean Wood
had produced the ultimate last second miracle shot,
but Duke managed to call time out with 2.1 seconds
to play, down by 1. All they needed to do was advance
the ball the length of the court and score.

I'm sure you remember Grant Hill's 75 ft overhand
pass to Christian Laettner who was double-teamed.
Pelfrey missed tipping the ball away by a fingernail,
and then backed off so as not to foul. Feldhaus too. Of course
Laettner didn't panic and even had time to fake one
way and turn back the other before he drained the
winning 17 footer.

I'd venture to say the whole state of Kentucky was
frozen in shock beyond belief in total denial, but more
so because this particular team deserved to win if any
team had ever deserved to win. They had gone toe to
toe with the defending champs and had proven their
mettle in a game that could only itself be described as
unforgettable.

The scoreboard might have said 103 - 102, but they'll
always be winners in my book.

Shoot for the Stars

Dean - The Dean of Hoops

P.S. I believe everybody has it in them to be
unforgettable at something. Sometimes it just takes
a caring parent, good friend, visionary teacher, or
great coach to get you believing in yourself. In the
realm of shooting baskets Coach Tom Nordland is
just such a coach. Take the time now to learn how to
unlock the unforgettable shooter you have trapped
inside you at:

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

P.S.S Swish 1 is an introduction to Tom's groundbreaking
methods. Swish 2 is his masterpiece. Order it today at:
http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Can You Believe He Missed 9000 Shots?

Is it possible the man synonymous with basketball
greatness missed over 9000 shots in his career
including 26 potential game winners?

I didn't believe it either so let me let you hear it
from the horse's mouth.

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career.
I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been
trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.
I've failed over and over and over again in my life.
And that is why I succeed."

- Michael Jordan

I'm a bit of a contrarian. I usually look for what the
crowd is doing and do the opposite. I missed the
original Star Wars movie in the theaters, and I'm
a sci-fi fan. Why? I just don't respond very well
to hype.

Because of that I seem to be attracted to paradoxes
and ideas that fly in the face of commonly accepted
wisdom. Jordan's quote would seem to be one of
those statements to me.

My conclusion is if you want to be like Mike you
should be 'failing' over and over and over again. Of
course, Michael didn't mean he was failing, but that's
what the crowd would have called it.

I'd even go so far as to say the quicker you can fail
and learn what doesn't work, the quicker you'll make
progress and become a success in any field. BTW,
another key is to invest as little money as possible
learning your lessons.

A good teacher can be worth his weight in gold on
both those counts.

If you want one of the best teachers of shooting hoops
that I know you want to get to know Coach Tom
Nordland and his Swish Method of shooting.
I've made it easy for you. Just saunter on over to:

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

and find out what Tom can do to make you a shooting
star.

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Mama Mia - What's A Man To Do

I had a reader email last week and suggest I was
gender biased. Since it's Mother's Day I want to
set the record straight. It's true. I confess. I am
gender biased. I'd rather spend time with the
women in my life than anybody else.

I don't think that's what he meant though. He
thought my talking about getting 'chicks' as a
reason for being a better shooter was putting
women down.

The man has a daughter who is very serious about
her hoops and plays on an elite travelling team. I
hope she continues with her focus, and rises to great
heights in the basketball universe. Getting dates is
not her motivation at all, and I respect that totally.

What I was thinking about when I wrote that was
the Greg Maddux commercial from awhile back
where he and Tom Glavine, pitchers for the Atlanta
Braves where taking batting practice and talking
about how 'chicks dig the long ball.'

I guess suggesting 'chicks dig the shooting star'
could be taken wrong, but that wasn't my intent, at
all. I'm all in favor of lady hoopsters, and especially
in the realm of shooting I've seen many who have
better shooting fundamentals than their male
counterparts.

If you're the parent of a beautiful young lady who
wants to excel at shooting the basketball you would
do well to watch how Coach Tom Nordland works
with young women teaching them his Swish Method
of shooting. You can see how good they are at:

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

Shoot For the Stars.

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Swish 1 is a best-seller so you may well have
it already. In the 9 years it's been on the market
though Tom has figured out a lot more about his
Method. All that expertise is now available in his
Swish 2 DVD. If you're a coach wanting to teach
Swish, or a player who wants the cutting edge
advantage it's yours for the ordering at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Make A Decision - I Dare You

I'm sure you've heard it said before in these
United States "You can do anything you want
if you just put your mind to it."

There's a lot of truth to that, and I agree with it,
but there is a Catch 22. You can't do
EVERYTHING you want. At least not at one
time.

Too many times we act like the kid who just got
his Easter candy and can't stuff it in his mouth
fast enough. He tries to eat it all at once, and all
he gets for his trouble is a stomach ache.

I've had to learn that lesson more than a few
times, not the candy one, but the general
principle. I've often spread my focus way too
thin because I'd found so many good things I
wanted to do, but all I ended up with was a
litany of good intentions. I wasn't able to
make a decision to focus on one thing, and
everything suffered.

With my apologies to Leonardo Da Vinci who
seemed to have been able to pull off the
superman gig (although I have read he only
slept 4 hours a night) most of us need to learn
how to limit our focus.

The word "decision" is derived from the Latin
root which means to curtail or cut off. Saying
"Yes" to too many things, no matter how good
they sound is a recipe for stagnation. We have
to learn how to say "No" to what sounds good
if we're ever going to bring out the best in our
lives.

If you want to be a great shooter you've got
decisions to make, and only you know what
they are. I hope you have the courage to cut
out the distractions which keep you from
being the best. Believe me though it will be
worth it come crunch time. You'll see

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. After you've made the decision to focus on
your shooting get all the help you need knowing
the basics of what to practice from Coach Tom
Nordland and his Swish shooting system. Don't
miss out at:

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

P.S.S. Take your knowlege even deeper by
ordering Tom's new Swish 2 DVD. With this
one you'll be able to coach yourself, your
team, your son, or your daughter to greater
heights of shooting glory. Order now at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Rick - The Freethrow Fanatic

I got an email yesterday from Rick Rosser, a
man after my own heart. Rick is a 46 yr old
truck driver from Birmingham, AL and ...

Come to think of it, with his permission, why
don't I let Rick tell you in his own words:

"I have a hobby. Well, a passion. Okay - its
an addiction! I don't have to get a fix everyday,
just a few times a week. I'm a shooting fanatic
like you."

"I probably practice a little more than most
shooters (which is a goal of mine) and its paid
off so far. I've won several contests, including
The International Shootout in 1996."

"I get a high just shooting around in a gym but
the people I've met such as Ed Palubinskas, Ted
St. Martin, and "Bunny" Levitt have been the
greatest part of my journey."

"I'll get to do a few basketball camps with (a
friend who works with the Birmingham ABA
team), giving tips to the kids on shooting. I've
done a couple before but hoping to do lots more
in the future. Also I'm increasing my practice
so I can go for a Guinness world record. That's
a long time goal."

When Rick practices he doesn't stop till he's hit
100 straight free throws. I don't know about
you, but that really fires me up. Go for it, Rick.

You'll be hearing more about Ed and Ted in the
not too distant future, and Rick reminded me
"Bunny" just passed away recently at the tender
age of 96. I didn't have the pleasure of knowing
him, but maybe I could write a book called "The
Longevity Secrets of The Master Freethrow
Shooters"

So you see shooting can become a lifelong pursuit
because it's all about self-discovery and self-
awareness, and there's a real sense of
accomplishment in hitting baskets over and over
and over.

Just ask Rick the Freethrow Fanatic.

Rick thinks Coach Tom Nordland is on to
something big with his Swish Method of shooting.
See what he's so excited about now at:

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

Shoot For The Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. If you already have Tom's first DVD or
just know you want to dig deeper into the
details you can order Tom's brand new Swish
2 video right now at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Humpty Dump Is Living A Fairy Tale

His teammates affectionately call him "Humpty
Dump", but not because he fell off any wall.

What he did was fall off his bicycle when it hit a
curb earlier this season and separated his shoulder.
Lee Humphrey is his real name, and he's the junior
shooting guard for the National Champion Florida
Gators who has been living a modern day fairy tale
lately.

I'm sure Lee didn't feel any magic though when he
had to sit out a game, and play 3 or 4 at less than
full strength. Not only was he tempted to get down
on himself, but his team lost five games during that
stretch.

Ask anybody who saw him play in the NCAA
tournament though, and you'll know Lee was the
3-point shooter who's marksmanship gave fits to
Florida's opponents when it mattered most.

When interviewed in a campus newspaper and
asked how he stayed confident in the face of
adversity Humphrey had this to say:

"You have to know you are going to miss shots.
You're not going to play the perfect game every
time either... You just have to keep working hard
and keep your head up and know there is more to
this life than wins and losses. You have to play
and do the best you can."

Lee's right. If you're going to be a winner you
have to learn to use the feedback from failure, and
like a guided missle eventually hone in on your
target.

That's one of the first lessons you learn from Dr.
Maltz' "Zero Resistance Living" program, and that
lesson alone applied in your life can be priceless.
So stop missing your targets and zigzag on over to:

http://deandelker.com/zero_resistance.html

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

I'm listening this afternoon to a live recording of a
public rehearsal for Bruce Springsteen's latest tour
with his new "Seeger Sessions Band".

The players aren't household names, but they're at
the top of their acoustic craft, and the show is a
tribute to American folk & roots music, like that
popularized by Pete Seeger.

If you like washboards, dobros, honky tonk pianos,
pedal steel guitars, stand up basses, tubas, banjos,
fiddles, and acoustic guitars you're going to love
this tour and Bruce's new album. It's quite a
departure from his earlier acoustic work, and it is
filled with a joyous, uplifting groove that is
infectious.

Now playing is their rendition of the gospel-tinged
civil rights anthem "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize".

There's a world of wisdom in that title. Enough to
guide your life by if you'll take it to heart.

Whether you're talking about income, career,
championships, a mate, awards, free throws or
3-pointers the most important thing you can do
is focus on your target.

The sad truth though is way too much of the time
people are focused on what they DON'T want.
Guess what they're most likely to get?

More of what they don't want. It's just a law of
nature many call the law of attraction.

In shooting, coaches differ as to what a shooter
should be focusing on. What makes most sense
to me is the estimated center of the rim, one of
the back net hooks, or just over the front rim.
Sighting the net hook seems to put my eyes on
the center without having the ambiguity of an
open space to deal with, but mileage of will
surely vary on that.

If you want the wisdom of a coach who was a high
school prodigy and who has studied shooting
extensively for the past 16 years the place to start
is Tom Nordland's Swish 1 DVD at:

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

Swish 1 lays out the vision and basics for Tom's
Method of shooting. If you want to learn all
the refinements he has made in the 9 years
Swish 1 has been on the market then you want
to get your hot little hands on the new Swish 2
DVD. Swish 2 will prepare you both to coach
yourself and others in all the practical details
of Swish, including many more practice drills.
It's also twice as long for the same money.
You can order it now at:

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. What you focus on consistently in your
imagination supported by strong emotion
governs the results you'll see in your life.

Now you can learn how to use your mental
toolbox to the best advantage through a
comprehensive 12 CD and 2 workbook
masterpiece called, "Zero Resistance
Living" by the late Dr. Maxwell Maltz best-
selling author of the classic book
"Psycho-Cybernetics"

See http://deandelker.com/zero_resistance.html
for all the life changing details.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Take My Breath Away

Now that the NBA playoffs have started I'll
admit to you I like college basketball a whole
lot more than the pros. I really don't watch
the NBA much until playoff time. Call me jaded,
but I almost think of the regular season games
as a terribly long exhibition season.

So when the playoffs do start I'm a little
behind the 8 ball and not familiar with all the
teams. There's a team beginning to earn more
of my attention right now though.

Fresh off a tough 7 game series with Kobe
Bryant's new look LA Lakers I'm talking about
the Phoenix Suns. What I like about them is to
win they have to play hard-nosed team
basketball and shoot lights out.

Carl Bialik and Jason Fry of the Wall Street
Journal's "Daily Fix" column put it this way:

"Every Sun regular can dribble, pass and shoot,
yielding lots of open looks and stretched net
cords."

Then Kelly Dwyer of SI.com explained what you
have to do to stop Phoenix:

"You have to think on your feet, see the court,
explode toward an open shooter in an instant,
stop on a dime, and ignore your usual
defensive instincts."

What they do in a couple of words is leave you
breathless. They wear you out. That's what
happens with a team where everybody can
shoot well, as long as they have ball handling
skills and are willing to work for the best shot
available.

Maybe you have a burning desire to play in the
NBA someday, or maybe your glory days are in
the rear view mirror, and you just want to
dominate your industrial league compadres.

Perhaps you're a youth basketball coach who
wants to see kids learn how to win in life, or a
supportive parent who wants to give your child
his first experience of the thrill of victory.

Whatever you want from the game of basketball
though, excellent shooting will take you a long
way toward getting it.

Whether you're starting out, or already playing
at elite levels you never outgrow the fundamentals.
Coach Tom Nordland has been gifted to teach the
basics of shooting in a way most men and women,
boys and girls can understand.

It might just take your game to another level.
See what I mean for yourself at:

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

Shoot For the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. If you already have Tom's first video I know
you will want his new Swish 2 DVD. It includes
everything Tom has figured out about his Swish
method since the original came out 9 years ago.

It also equips you to coach yourself or others in
the Swish Method, and it's twice as long as the
original for the same money. I'll be writing more
about it in the near future, but if you know you
want to order it now here's a convenient link.
Thanks.

http://www.deandelker.com/swish2_order.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

How To Win A National Championship

Don't worry folks. I'm not going to try to convince
you I know everything there is to know about
winning a national championship in basketball.

Obviously you need superior talent playing up to
their potential as a team, led by great coaches.
A number of teams though probably fit that
criteria in any given year, but only one is the
champion.

I did notice one puzzle piece I'd never seen
before though in the University of Florida's
recent run to the national title.

Did you happen to catch Coach Billy Donovan's
pre-game pep talk on TV? Props to CBS for
making that happen, and to the Gator coaches
and administration for letting it happen. It
was a rare chance to be a fly on the wall
in the locker room before a major sports event,
and I for one thoroughly enjoyed it.

Coach Donovan's speech wasn't unusually
fiery like you might have expected. It was
passionate, but not loud and preachy. What he
told those young men was to go out and
aggressively savor every second of that game.
To stay in the moment and to try to make it
last forever.

What great advice for anything you want to
do in life. And it sure worked out well for the
Gator boys.

How much time out of your day do you spend
dwelling on your past, or pining for your future?
Whatever your answer, those experiences you
could have had during those times, have now
passed you by. Never to return.

I have to confess I've been guilty as anybody
of sleepwalking through life sometimes, but
a course called "Zero Resistance Living" has
awoken this sleeping giant.

Instead of letting your untamed imagination
take you places that waste your time and sap
your energy, why not learn how to creatively
use your imagination to glean the best from
your past and to forge the kind of future you
really want.

Let yourself in on a little secret by sneaking
on over to:

http://deandelker.com/zero_resistance.html

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

He Just Can't Miss Anymore

Does the word "mastery" mean anything to you these
days? It's not something modern culture cares that
much about, is it? TV, media, & advertising all stress
the easy fix with instant results.

I was wandering in a video store a number of years
ago when I saw a basketball how-to video featuring
Red Auerbach and Larry Bird. In the section on
shooting Larry is showing how he shoots. He likes
the ribbing directly perpendicular to his shooting
hand, raises the ball to a certain point, stays
balanced, etc. Red has him demonstrate from
different points on the floor, all with the same
result. A basket everytime.

Then Auerbach has him demonstrate several times
what a bad shot looks like. Off balance, elbows too
far out, no follow through,etc. But do you want to
guess the result?

That's right. He still swishes every one. Auerbach
gives him this glaring look, and Bird shruggs his
shoulders, flashes his trademark sheepish grin, and
says, "Sorry coach. Guess I just can't miss anymore."

That's what happens when you shoot 1000 shots a day,
and much more than that in the off-season. You become
automatic. That's what mastery looks like.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. No shooting video is going to convey instant
mastery upon you. You still have to get your buns
out the door every day and shoot 1000 shots for
yourself. But a good video can help you practice the
right things, and cut down on the time it takes to
get automatic.

One of the best-selling shooting videos ever is
Coach Tom Nordland's Swish Method. If you don't
already have it, Swish is a must view for any
player, coach, or caring parent. Find it now at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Then Sings My Soul

What music would you think most round ballers listen
to when they're training or traveling? Depends on their
culture, but Hip-hop, rap, pop, hard rock, funk,
probably?

I can understand that. Basketball does depend a lot on
rhythm. But I think there's much, much more to the
game. I've got a radical proposal for you in a moment,
but first a bit of history.

I think a lot of football players would lean toward similar
genres of music, don't you? I know of one big exception
though.

Before the Gators won the national championship in
basketball this year the favorite son's of the Gator
nation were the players on Steve Spurrier's 1996
championship football team. And the ultimate fan
favorite has always been Heisman trophy winning
quarterback Danny Wuerffel.

Danny was everything anybody wanted in a leader. His
greatest quality was his ability to remain cool under fire.
He almost always found the open receiver even when
rabid pass rushers were breathing down his neck.

He didn't get ruffled one year when his team was
down 30-21 at the half to arch-rival Tennesee with
Payton Manning at the helm. Wuerffel even cheered
up Coach Spurrier at half-time, and went on to lead
his team to 48 unanswered points in the 2nd half.

Now tell me, what music do you think he listened to
before every game?

Baroque music.

That's right. It was classical music.

Pachebel's Canon in D, to be specific.

So then if you want to be a hoopster who plays with
an inner calm that few can match maybe you should
consider some new music on your IPOD. So I challenge
you to add classical music to your pre-game ritual.

Shoot for The Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. If you want the true lowdown on the power music can
have over your performance check out the research done
by a friend of mine, the beautiful and talented Tania
Gabrielle French at:

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

Give yourself the winning edge of enpowering music
today.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

What Time Is It

What time is it?

Let me give you a hint. Everybody should come
up with the same answer.

Got it now?

Another hint then. It's a trick question, and I've
already given you the answer.

"C'mon Dean, enough with the brainteasers."
You're making me think.

O.K. My answer is, it's the only time you ever
really have. NOW. That's right, now.

So what?

Well the trick is when you're aiming to improve
your shooting, your love life, your finances,
anything, you want awareness to be at the highest
level. That's where the most discovery and
learning goes on.

To rise above average results you need to
consistently act in the now. When you've done
something before it's too easy just to do it from
memory, living in the past - cruising.

If you're shooting hoops and just going through
the motions though, and your shots are off
target you'll have no real idea how to make
adjustments. Muscle memory is important to
shooting, but awareness is the true king.

It's especially important that you practice with
your eyes wide open, not coasting on your past
experiences for true learning to take place.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. You can practice shooting and constantly be
learning. Coach Tom Nordland would love to show
you how at:

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

Can you afford to be on cruise control any
longer?

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

It Wants You Too

I don't know if you've seen it, but there is a billboard
which advertises the sleek, sexy BMW Z-4 sports
car. It proudly shows the shiny car, of course, but
also boldly proclaims:

"It wants you, too."

That's advertising speak, but there is something very,
very profound that happens when you really want
something and concentrate your focus on that thing.
Desire like that is the source of most, if not all, human
accomplishment.

Proverbs 13:12 says, "When desire comes it is a tree
of life."

You think that might be because what you desire
wants you too. I believe so. That's one of God's laws
called the "Law of Attraction."

What you want, you will think about. If you add
intense feelings you can see yourself having what
you want already in your mind. And what you
see in your mind to that degree will inspire you
to action. That will make what you want happen.

That definitely works for shooting hoops too. If
you really want to be a great shooter, it WILL
happen for you.

Remember, it wants you too, so don't hold back.

Now scoot thine buns on over to:
http://www.deandelker.com/swish.html and
begin to see yourself mastering the art of
shooting.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. If you want to learn precisely how to use
your thoughts, and feelings, and imagination
to engineer results in your life you want to
checkout Dr. Maltz' "Zero Resistance Living"
course available now at:

http://deandelker.com/zero_resistance.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Gatormania

Greetings from the land of the 2006 NCAA National
Champion Florida Gators. Last month I attended the
celebration/pep rally in the O'Connell Center where
the Florida fans honored Coach Donovan and the
Gator Boys fresh off their visit to the White House.
My voice was hoarse and my ears were hurting, but it
was worth it. That team deserves the best I can give.

This Gator bunch is probably the most unselfish, most
unified, most basketball-loving team I've ever seen.
That didn't happen by accident. They have been
molded by good coaches and even better parents.
They have learned the right stuff and now they're
walking in rarified air.

I think it's also a sign of what can happen with the
fine art of shooting. Led by dedicated teachers
like TomNordland more and more kids and young
people are learning the fundamentals of good
shooting.

Make sure you get in on that revival yourself by
checking out Coach Nordland's best-selling video
at: http://www.deandelker.com/swish.html

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled too for Coach
Nordland's new Swish 2 DVD coming soon. I've
seen it, andTom should have called it Swish
Squared instead of Swish 2. It's more than
double the first one.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Dick Vitale's Days Of The Week

If we let the colorful sportscaster Dick Vitale
name the days of the week we'd end up with
something like:

Marvelous Monday

Terrific Tuesday

Wonderful Wednesday

Thrilling Thursday

Fabulous Friday

Superb Saturday

and

Scintillating Sunday

You know that's not a bad way to start off
each day. I used to be somebody who thought
it was cool to be cynical. Maybe some still
think it is, but do you really want to be heading
on your way toward cold.

Not me. I want to be WARM and on my way to
being HOT, so I dropped that cynical mess. Now
I know what I did was raise my energy to a more
attractive level.

I'm not talking about being physically attractive,
although some of that happens too. I'm talking
about being more magnetic. About attracting
good things at at the vibrational level including
relationships, opportunities, success, prosperity,
etc. How 'bout joining me tomorrow by getting
up and setting the tone for your day by giving
it a new name.

Then my mentor Matt Furey recommends I sit
down, quiet my mind, be grateful for everything
I have had, do have, and desire to have in the
future.

Then I'll focus on my goal for the year, seeing
myself having attained it all,experiencing the
feelings in glorious technicolor, perfect sound,
and clarity. I've done that for awhile now, but
just this morning Matt reminded me to always
have daily goals to focus on too. I hadn't been
doing that so faithfully.

It's mega important though because daily goals
which are a stretch but are doable, will give you
a steady sense of accomplishment and
confidence. That then will give you momentum
to overcome those unforseen challenges that
come your way.

Maybe you'd want to start at 100 free throws a
day,and another 100 jump shots. Then as
confidence builds you'll want to accelerate your
progress by raising your goals day by day. Think
of it like compound interest. Every small goal
you hit makes the next day that much more
productive.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker The Dean of Hoops

P.S. Matt Furey is the driving force behind extending
Dr. Maxwell Maltz's "Psycho-Cybernetics"concepts
and legacy into the 21st Century. The information in
the "Zero Resistance Living" 12 CD - 2 workbook
course is literally life changing.

If your life is dragging don't you dare hesitate. Stop
talking about doing something, and find out how to
super-charge your life today at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Chomp, Chomp, Chomp

I still haven't come down from the Florida Gators winning
the NCAA Championship this year. What a team. In fact,
they were the essence of team play all year long. This
from a group of guys the press had written off before the
year began.

They won as a team - 17 straight to start the season, and
they lost as a team. Not blaming one another, just using
losses to point to what they needed to work on. Areas
they thought were doing just fine. Instead of staying in
denial, these guys worked their tails of and believed they
could get better.

They did and finished the season with11 straight wins
taking them to the national championship. Go Gators.
Chomp,Chomp, Chomp.

You need that attitude in your career as a shooter too. If
you can learn not to let your miscues mess with your
confidence, but to teach you something you can see your
shooting percentages soar through the roof.

Let Coach Tom Nordland teach you to become your own
shot coach with his simplified natural feeling Swish Method.

Get started now with Swish I at:

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

And you'll soon be ready for the more intense learning in
Swish II.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Daddy, Why Is The Sky Blue?

Have you ever thought about the power of a
question?

What kind of question is that, Dean, you say?

Ask any 5 year old. Questions are how you learn
everything. Questions are how progress is made.

Questions you ask your parents. Questions you ask
your teachers. Questions you ask your priest.
Questions you ask your friends, and more than
anything else:

Questions you ask yourself.

Questions are truly how we think. They are also
how we activate our intuition, and reach new levels
of performance.

So what are you asking yourself?

Even more importantly.

Is what you are asking yourself building you up?
Is it enpowering you and leading you to excel?
Or is it blaming somebody else?
Is it stunting your growth?

And the same question may do either depending on
your attitude. Check this out. Let's say you're on
your basketball team. You're not playing nearly as
much as you think you should, so you're asking:

"Why doesn't coach give me more playing time?"

Make's perfect sense, right?

If you believe in your heart your coach is being
unfair (even if that were true), and you're just
complaining, you've just given up. In your mind
it's not your fault, and there's nothing you can
do about it. You're the helpless victim. You're
at a dead end, and that's where you'll stay. Right
on the end of the bench.

If however, you believe you are on the team to
grow and learn, your question means, "How can I
raise my game to the level where coach can't
afford not to play me."

Now that's a question with a world of power behind
it. That kind of question takes you new heights.
That's the kind of question Michael Jordan asked
himself when he didn't even make his freshman
high school team. You think that one was worth
asking?

Truth is you can be the VICTIM or you can be the
VICTOR in any situation. It's all according to what
you're asking yourself and why?

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Whatever you've been asking yourself, don't
worry about it. If it's not helping you, forgive
yourself and let it go.

If you want to know how to ask the right questions
though, here's a question for you. What is this "Zero
Resistance Living" thing, and what can it do for me?

Find out for yourself at:

http://deandelker.com/zero_resistance.html

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Life Is Messy Sometimes

A friend reminded me today the most orderly place in the
world is a graveyard. There's truth to that. Too much
order can snuff out life sometimes. It's not that there's
anything wrong with order. We need it, but we have
problems when our penchant for order keeps us from
growing, and changing, and experiencing life.

Sometimes we confuse stagnation with order.

Proverbs 14:4 says, 'Where there are no oxen, the manger
is clean, but from the strength of an ox comes abundant
harvest.'

If you want a nice, neat clean empty barn with no crap, no
foul smells, no oil spills, no mess period, all you have to do
is get rid of your oxen, your tractors, or your combines.

But if you do that, guess what?

You've got no way to have a big harvest. No way to have
abundant life. If you play it safe, stay in your comfort zone,
and never risk anything I would say you're not really living.
You're just existing.

I know from raising 5 kids real life is messy, but that's also
where the best stuff is.

If you're a basketball player you need to be willing to make
a mess too. That's what practices are all about. Like most of
you, I watched the Florida Gators destroy a very good George
Mason team in the NCAA semi-finals last month, and one of
Florida's biggest weapons was Lee Humphrey who hit six
3-pointers in the game.

I just learned recently how the UF coaches had the whole
team practice getting the ball back to Humphrey after
misses in practice, until he drained several in a row. They
were emphasizing to him the confidence they had in him,
and to the whole team not to lose faith in him, either. I'd say
that worked out pretty well for all concerned.

They were wise enough to allow messes and failure in
practice as long as it led to growth and progress.

Hopefully you can see parallels to this in everything you do,
but as shooters you would be wise to incorporate more risk,
more experimentation, and more 'messiness' in your
practicing.

If you want to work on something in a scrimmage make sure
you let your coach know what you're planning, of course. If
you were working on shooting with the off-hand, for example.
He'll support you if it works for the team. Otherwise just
experiment first in pickup games till you've polished your
skills enough for the big time.

If you want to supercharge your shooting practices and mess
with your form you're going to need Coach Tom Nordland's
best-selling Swish I video available today at:

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

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Coming soon. Coach Nordland's New Swish 2 video.
Twice the length, twice the detail, twice the learning. Learn
to coach yourself, your child, or your team using the Swish
Method.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Out Of The Madness

Now that the dust has settled on March Madness and the
Gator boys have made me proud it's time for a little
reflection on days gone by.

One of my favorite teams in last year's tournament was
West Virginia. With their long range shooting it looked like
they were taking up the banner of Hall of Famer Jerry
West, one of the most deadly outside shooters in history.
Can you imagine his impact if they'd had the 3 point shot
in his day?

In last years 2nd round you might remember West Virginia
downed highly seeded Wake Forest 111-105 in double
overtime. One of the stars of that game was Mike Gansey.
What you might not realize is Gansey was a local prep star
from Cleveland so that was a homecoming for him.

If that's not enough figure this. Gansey had spent most of
the previous summer shooting basket, after basket, after
basket on that very court. And guess what he would do?
That's right, picture himself making big shots in an NCAA
Tournament game.

The next spring he got the chance to do that very thing as
he poured in a career-high 29 points - 19 of those coming in
the 2 overtime periods.

Coincidence? You can believe what you want, but in my
book not a chance.

So, go thou and do likewise.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. If you want to learn how to use your imagination to
become unstoppable on the basketball court and at
whatever you choose to do in life make sure you pick up
the ultimate in Psycho-Cybernetic training, Dr. Maxwell
Maltz' blockbuster Zero Resistance Living course at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Typo Of The Month Club

To be a truly good shooter you have to have a sense
of humor sometimes. It's also extremely important
for building team chemistry.

It can also invigorate you and build your strength.
As the Bible says, "The joy of the Lord is my strength".
If you're feeling tired or mentally drained find
something to laugh about as you run down the court
or during a time out and watch your strength come
back in spades.

With that in mind I got the following in my mailbox
the other day. It's from an ebook on healthy eating,
and a recipe there calls for:

1 cup of rolled rats

That's right. Rolled Rats. LOL.

They meant rolled oats of course, and in a correction
the author says:

"That has to be one of the funniest typos ever. Still, I
really want you to steer clear of dining on vermin."

Now that's a valuable tip, don't you think?

Talk about no brainers, if you want the best video
available on intuitive, natural shooting slide on over
to http://www.deandelker.com/swish.html. Your
coach will love you for it.

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

Try A Little Confidence

Larry Bird is legendary for his basketball savvy and
competitiveness but when the NBA published "The
Perfect Team: The Best Players, Coach, and GM's -
Let the Debate Begin!", they focused the chapter
about Bird on his confidence.

You've probably heard how he strolled into the locker
room preceding the first 3-Point shooting contest at the
1986 All-Star weekend and announced. "Hey, guys,
which one of you is going to finish second?"

For some people that might just be a a psych-out
technique, and he was a master of that, but that's
because people knew he could back up what he said.
That kind of confidence was well earned.

Jackie MacMullan who wrote the chapter on Bird
details why:

"Bird spent hours after practice preparing for the
competition with Celtics teammates Danny Ainge and
Scott Wedman, two excellent long-ball shooters. He
left nothing to chance, importing red, white, and blue
balls into his workout, knowing they would be used in
the competition and would be worth a point more than
the regular balls. He positioned the five racks around
the three-point arc in deliberate fashion, always placing
them in the same spot, with the seams lined up
uniformly. He simulated timed rounds and tallied his
results in his head. By the time he arrived in Dallas,
Bird wasn't just the most confident contestant, he was
also the most prepared."

Any shooter wanting to improve couldn't do any better
than to take to heart what else Larry had to say:

"At that point of my career, I had all the confidence in
the world. When I took a shot, I believed it was going in,
every time. I had taken so many shots, I couldn't
imagine missing. I only thought in positive terms. I've
always done a lot of shooting on my own in the summer.
I got to the point where I could hit eighty to a hundred
in a row without missing. That leads to a feeling of
'Give me the ball. I know I can make it.' "

How much will you do this summer to build your
confidence?

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. You can become a master at anything you
want if you're willing to put in the training time.
It has been said it takes 1000 hours to develop
mastery at a task, and you can cut that as much
as in half with great coaching. Get a dynamic start
on reaching mastery in shooting with Coach Tom
Nordland's one hour Swish video available at:

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

P.S.S. Coming very soon too - Tom's Swish 2
video. Twice as long. Twice as much detail.
Twice as much learning.

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006

I Can Predict Your Future

My favorite time of year is March. I'm sure that's true for
many of you too. I always get sick with Final Four Fever
and March Madness. And as much as I love Christmas, I
think the Final Four should be considered a holiday
season too.

Like most people I love the underdog stories, and it's good
to see the mighty falling on occasion, but it's mostly just the
intensity of the competition and the will to win I like seeing
so much.

It's also the time of year everyone takes their turn at
predicting the future and filling out their NCAA brackets.
I've done well before, and I've totally tanked, but there is
one area I can predict a players future in almost every
time. Check this out:


Champions do not become champions on the court.
They are merely recognized on the court.

They BECOME champions in their DAILY ROUTINE.

Players do not really decide their future.
There are too many variables and unknowns.
They decide their habits though,

And their habits decide their FUTURE!!!

That's true in basketball, and of course it's true in any
walk of life. Heed it and you will go far.

If you're looking for the ultimate program for building
success habits into your life, you're looking for the
Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation's "Zero Resistance
Living" course.

I will warn you, if you're not used to prosperity thinking
it may seem expensive at first glance. It did to me, but
I realized it was something that would keep on giving
back into my life for as long as I lived. And I knew if I
didn't find a way to change my way of thinking, nothing
much would ever change in my life.

It's certainly less than any professional seminar I've
ever attended though, and it's proven to be the most
useful, most versatile, most productive information I've
ever seen or heard. If you want to be a true champion
you owe it to yourself to learn to develop a daily
success routine by sprinting on over to:

http://www.deandelker.com/zero_resistance.com

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. If you want to get a leg up on the rest of the
shooters out there and play in the NCAA tournament,
win a state title, or your rec league title I know of no
better starting place than best-selling Coach Tom
Nordland's Swish System of Shooting now profiled at:

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

Copyright, Delker Enterprises, Inc. 2006