Dump Your Junk

Can you pitch your junk mail without reading it?

Most people can.

There are curiosity junkies who're afraid they
might miss something valuable. It's tough for
them. But even those people probably could
if they knew there was a reward involved.

There is. If you can pitch it, you can concentrate
like me.

All I do is relax with slow, deep, complete
breathing and focus on a thought I want to hold.
My goal is to get to where I can focus on that one
thought and let all others flash by. I see them as
junk mail I don't want to open. The postman may
deliver it, but I don't have to open it.

Not that these other thoughts are all junk, but if
they don't contribute to my focusing thought I
want to let them drift away for the moment.

To get started I sit comfortably, take a couple of
deep slow breaths while relaxing my body. I start
with the feet, move up to the calves, quads and
hamstrings, glutes, abs, back, chest, shoulders,
arms, hands, neck and head.

Try it.

Don't worry how good you are. You'll get better
with practice and be able to relax almost at will.

Then focus on a thought, idea, or mental image
and begin to let go of all the other thoughts that
will bombard you. Keep your breathing nice and
relaxed.

Start with 5 minutes and build up to 15 or more,
and you will be growing your power of
concentration every day.

Shoot For The Stars,

Coach Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Hey, I just learned how to breathe this week.
Stay tuned the next couple of weeks, and I'll have
something to show you what I mean. If you can
take your eyes off of March Madness that is.

P.S.S. Coach Tony Alfonso has poured a lifetime
of experience at training ballers into his new 137
page Strength & Speed Training manual. If you
or your program can't afford a dedicated strength
and conditioning coach Tony's book will lay out
exactly what you need to do to get better.

And it's filled with workouts for all phases of the
basketball year: in-season, post-season, pre-
season, off-season/summer and everything in
between.

If you need more strength, flexibility, quickness,
speed, explosiveness, stamina, or toughness let
Tony show you how it's done right at:

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

Note: This blog entry is protected by copyright with
all rights reserved, but you do have permission to
copy and use it in its entirety as long as the links are
intact and the contact information is included.

Copyright 2006,2007 Delker Enterprises, Inc.

Coach Dean Delker
8413 SW 4th Place
Gainesville, FL 32607
352-494-6572

dean@deandelker.com
www.deandelker.com

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.

Don't Endorse That Check

f you are competitive, and I haven't met a good
shooter yet who isn't, I'm betting you know the
value of positive thoughts. They are golden.

Note though, I didn't say positive thinking. As good
as that sounds it's an ideal which I don't believe
exists. The reality is you will have positive and
negative thoughts. What you need to learn is how to
use both to your advantage.

Obviously you want to promote the positive and
constructive thoughts, but what about the negative
ones?

Number one, don't let your pride get involved so you
want to fight and strive against them. That gives
them power, and attracts more negativity. More so,
let them evaporate. Let them go. Let them drift
away. Or think of them as bears, and see a big,
"Don't Feed The Bears" sign in your mind.

Or think of your mind as a bank account, and just
don't endorse any negative checks. Don't let them
be deposited. They won't help your bottom-line.
In fact, they'll lower your balance. And certainly
don't co-sign for any bad loans you're going to be
paying on forever.

Coach Stan Kellner also understands how to use
negative thoughts and experiences as the fuel to
turn you into a positive shooting machine. You
may not understand how that's possible at the
moment, but it is. Find out how for yourself now
by sliding over to:

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

Shoot For The Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Another great way to let go of negative thoughts
is through controlled deep breathing, relaxation, and
visualization. Learn the secrets other cultures have
used for ages today from martial arts and health coach
Karen Van Ness today.

The sooner you act, the quicker you'll become the
positive, confident shooter you've dreamed of being.
Time's a wastin'.

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

Make Every Shot Count

Copyright 2006 Delker Enterprises, Inc.

Get A Tune-Up Today

I think we all realize how much stress interferes with
our performance. Intentional relaxation and deep
breathing are two of the tools we've already talked
about to combat stress and become better shooters.

There's a new kind of stress on the block though.
It's called electromagnetic frequency stress (EMF
stress) and it results from our modern hi-tech
equipment. So many gadgets, and since the body is a
network of electromagnetic fields itself interference is
inevitable.

If you suffer from unexplained:

- headaches
- poor digestion
- trouble sleeping
- anxiety
- fatigue
- negativity
- new allergies
- moodiness
- irritability
- anxiety
- poor concentration

EMF stress could be a contributing factor.

If I told you there is a revolutionary technology
that reduces and repels EMF stress, and gives
you more clarity, focus and energy would you
think I was crazy?

Don't answer that, but I have to be honest. I
would have thought that if I hadn't experienced
Q-Link technology for myself.

Q-Link is a resonance technology developed by
scientists at Stanford and UC-Irvine. It is worn
as a pendant with a microchip/tuner and amplifier
which acts like a high-tech tuning fork
strengthening your body's bio-energetic field.

You don't have to trust my subjective opinions
though. There is a lot of scientific evidence
coming to light.

Dr. R. O. Young, a microbiologist reports when
patients had worn Q-Link for 72 hours red blood
cells under a microscope were more healthy in
appearance and form than they had been when
the experiment started. And white blood cells
were more active and mobile than before.

But you don't have to believe me. You can check
it out for yourself, or even try to prove me wrong
by gliding over to:

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

Shoot For the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. A clear mind makes for a better shooter.
and Q-Link can give you phenomenal clarity. I
know it sounds like science fiction, but so did
most of the technology we take for granted
today 50 years ago. Give it a chance today at:

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

Copyright 2006 Delker Enterprises, Inc.

Resistance Is Futile

The fourth and final factor the Gunslinger shared
with me about his shooting success was allowing
his mind and body to relax.

He started relaxing with the familiarity and routine
of his pre-game rituals. He continued relaxation
techniques before the mental rehearsal of his
upcoming match. Then he got deeper into
relaxation during his controlled, deep breathing
routine.

Only then was Dwight ready to release himself
upon the competition at hand. You can do
likewise.

The secret, Dwight said was in knowing relaxed
minds and muscles both move more quickly and
accurately than tense ones. That's just common
sense, but it's been proven over and over in the
arena of competition.

Look at the greatest performers in whatever field
you want to think of. They all look like they are
barely trying. They make it look so easy. They
are cruising.

Part of that is because they have repeated the
movements so many times it IS easy. It's easier
for their muscle memory to do it right than to
mess it up. There is little or no resistance to
getting the results they want. The neural
pathways and muscles are trained and
conditioned to where the movement is quick,
automatic, and literally easy.

One of my favorite guitar players has always been
Duane Allman, founder of the Allman Brothers
Band. Of course I recognize Jimi Hendrix' talent
too, but of all the musical cats who died young I
think Duane's passing affected me the most. I am
facinated by what he had to say to Tom Dowd his
producer just days before his fatal motorcycle
ride.

"Just a little more, and this instrument is gonna
be so connected with my brain that my fingers
aren't gonna have to play it."

That was Duane's way of saying his body was no
longer resisting what his mind wanted to do. The
connection was there.

Repetition and relaxation the keys to that kind
of mastery.

Rest in peace, Brother Duane. You were right.

You can reach that kind of mastery in your life by
employing the principles of Psycho-Cybernetics as
taught by Dr. Maxwell Maltz.

And now the Foundation named for his methods
has pulled out all the stops in publishing an in-depth
comprehensive home-study course called "Zero
Resistance Living".

Find out how you can eliminate all resistance to
your success today by hustling over to:

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

Shoot for the Stars,

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Another way to achieve peak performance is
by understanding the power of music. The
vibrations of good quality sounds that bring out
good feelings act like a pure water rinse, washing
away the junky, negative, constraining, stuck
emotions that keep you from doing your best.

You have the rare opportunity to learn from a
master teacher and performer in her own right
through the magic of the Internet. See what
Tania Gabrielle French can do to enhance your
performance today. Let her show you her magic
at:

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

Make Every Shot Count

Copyright 2006 Delker Enterprises, Inc.

Interview With A Gunslinger

I have a co-worker Dwight who's a shooter in his
spare-time. Not a basketball shooter, and not a
hunter, but he does have a lot of guns.

Don't worry. He's not a hit man or anything. And
the ATF is not after him.

He's a competitive shooter. He shoots pistols, rifles,
and shotguns at targets. And very fast. Faster than
most of those he's competing against.

He wins trophies, and the other day I asked him how.

The first factor Dwight mentioned is always following
his routine. Especially in his pre-game ritual. He
wears the same clothes every time. He loads his own
shells, loads them in the same order, stacks them the
same way, and cleans his guns in the same order
everytime. He draws comfort from the routine.

He says routine breeds familiarity which leads to
more relaxation which generates focused attention.
That's the atmosphere in which good shooting
happens whether it's with guns or roundballs.

I remember Kyle Macy from Indiana high school
sports, the University of Kentucky, and 7 years in
the NBA. He had a fixed routine when he shot free
throws, and he still holds the career free throw
shooting percentage record at UK.

Find a routine that works for you. Sight the basket,
take a deep breath, release and relax, visualize a
swish, bend over, pull up your socks, dribble three
times, set, raise and shoot, etc.

Don't make it too complex, and make it something
that leads to a relaxed, confident concentration.

If you want some more pointers Coach Tom
Nordland teaches how to apply his Swish Method
of shooting to free throws in his detailed two hour
Swish 2 DVD.

Discover how to prime your mind with a confident
routine today by running over to:

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

Stay tuned for part 2 of Dwight's interview on
breathing next time.

Shoot For The Stars

Dean - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

P.S. Hal Wissel's emphasis on confidence,
rhythm, and good shooting mechanics leads to
good free throw shooting too. See how Hal gets
you shooting at the top of your game consistently
by taking focused action right now at:

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

Copyright 2006 Delker Enterprises, Inc