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&NEVER DROP THE BALL BELOW THE CHEST

Set Point
The set point is where you position the ball just prior to releasing the shot. If you are right-handed and shoot with your shoulders and feet square to the hoop, have the ball to the right of your face, a little toward the right shoulder. Don't line the ball up in the center of your face, as this may result in your shooting elbow flying away from your body, and could actually cause your wrist to turn sideways (supinate) when you release the ball, imparting a side-spin. On the other hand, if you are more comfortable shooting with your body turned in toward the shooting side, then the set point can be more in front of your face. You will have to find which method works best for you. Also, it is best that the ball is as high as your forehead, or even higher (if you are strong enough or close to the basket), in order to keep your shot from being blocked. But do not cock the ball back over the top of (or behind) your head. This results in a "slinging" motion and a flatter shot. Finally, younger players who have less strength will have a lower set point, perhaps even below the shoulder, in order to get more power. As the youngster matures, the set point should move higher You know what. I thought the exact same thing when I first started studying shooting. I thought Dave Hopla doesn’t have that great of shooting form, but after studying shooting for countless hours and developing our new Shooting Guide, I have came to a NEW conclusion on [|**basketball shooting form**]… You don’t need “perfect” or even “great” mechanics to be a great shooter. You need CONSISTENT & REPEATABLE shooting mechanics. If your shot is the same every time, it’s easier to make adjustments. While I do highly recommend using “good” shooting mechanics, you can also look at Larry Bird’s and Peja Stojaković’s shooting form. Anybody with some knowledge of how to shoot would quickly notice that they had bad shooting form, yet they are arguably two of the top shooters that the NBA has seen in the last 25 years. Even though, they didn’t have good shooting form, they did have the same shot mechanics on every shot. Now imagine if a coach would’ve said to Larry after he won back to back 3-point shootouts, “Now Larry, your form doesn’t look good so we’re going to have to change it.” As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I think us coaches (me included) get a little obsessed sometimes with perfection not only when it comes to shooting, but other areas of the game as well. We want the players to have the perfect defensive slide or the perfect passing technique. We forget that basketball is an art. There is no perfect way to do anything. The real question is “Is the player effective?” which pertains to anything in basketball. I’m not saying that coaches shouldn’t critique and help players make adjustments to become a better player, we just need to be careful and use logic and rational when doing so. If a kid knocks down 50% of his three point attempts, but his elbow sticks out while shooting, I’m not going to be the one to change it. Now, if you have a kid with bad shooting form that shoots 20% from the field, you should try to help the player make some adjustments to his/her shooting form. That’s where coaching comes into play and where the top coaches/trainers earn their money. They know when to leave players alone and when to offer advice to help them become a better player. And back to Dave Hopla, the guy makes about 98% or 99% of his shots. I’ve never personally seen his speeches or shooting demonstrations, but I’ve heard they’re simply amazing and very few people in the world if anybody can do what he does. He’s had demonstrations where he’s made 350 of 350 shots while talking to the audience the entire time. If any of my players could do that, I couldn’t care less how he shoots the ball. Some of the NBA’s best players such as Kobe Bryant have consulted with Hopla. He is also currently an assistant for Washington Wizards. So I do highly value what he has to say. The end goal is to put the ball in the basket. It doesn’t matter how pretty it looks. I know Dave Hopla does a heck of a job, so I’m more than willing to listen to what he has to say. What are your thoughts about basketball shooting form? Basketball Shooting Form Fundamentals of Shooting a Basketball We have found that the following basketball shooting fundamentals are the most difficult for the jump shooter to master in trying to learn how to shoot a perfect jump shot: Proper wrist action – Many basketball players use only half of their wrist power because they fail to cock the hand so that there are wrinkles in the back of the wrist. Proper elbow position – the “Y” between the thumb and index finger is important. If a player places his hand directly behind the ball so he looks into his fingers in the starting position, he will force his elbow out. This basketball shooting skill is necessary for developing a great basketball shooting form. Proper follow-through – The shooting arm should be straight and the shooter's right wrist should be down at the completion of the player's jump shot. If this is done correctly, the basketball will travel to the basket with an easy reverse spin. Proper balance – A basketball jump shot shooter should go straight up and straight down. This will improve the basketball shooters accuracy. Sometimes during our basketball shooting drills, we place chairs in front of the jump shot shooters to encourage this important basketball-shooting fundamental. In the NBA, Ray Allen's jump shot is a great example of proper basketball shooting form.http://lakers.topbuzz.com/gallery/v/kobe-bryant/kobe+free+throw+shooting+form.jpg.html [] Basketball Shooting Techniques As the shooter leaves the floor and rises into the air, he brings the ball up, keeping it close to his body until the ball is above his head at the top of his jump, or possibly even on the way down. (This position eliminates having too much body action in the shot.) Some jump shooters – Jerry Lucas was one – have been proficient in executing the jump shot from shoulder level, sighting over the top of the ball. However, the above-the-head position makes the shot more difficult for the defense to deflect if the shooter isn’t 6’10” like Lucas. In either position, the shooting elbow must be bent. In executing the jump shot, the player must remember (1) to make a proper stop before shooting and (2) to jump up rather than forward. Stopping before shooting will permit the jump shooter to go straight up in his jump and thus will afford him better body balance. Jumping forward in going up for the shot gives an alert defender the opportunity to draw a charging foul on the shooter. It may be better to lean backward slightly (and away from the defender) than to jump into the defender, although leaning backward slightly makes following one’s shot to the boards more difficult. Step 1 Hold the in your shooting hand, making sure that the ball is not touching the palm or butt of your hand. The ball should touch from the tips of you fingers to the balls of your hand. Your wrist should be bent back with the butt of your hand pointing toward your target. Place your other hand, called the guide hand, on the SIDE of the ball. (Shooting hand should be behind/under the ball.) Your thumbs should form a disconnected "T" when held correctly. Balance your body by placing your feet about shoulder-width apart with your shooting foot slightly in front of the other. Bend your knees and bounce up a down a little to make sure you have proper balance. Make sure that your elbow is kept in and is perpendicular to the floor. If your elbow is too far in or too far out it will greatly affect the outcome of your shot. Try to make your elbow point to the base of the basket. Keep your eyes fixed on your target. Depending on the spot from which you are shooting, your target could be different. For the most part, however, your target should be the front of the rim. Pretend that there is a small bug crawling on top of the front of the rim and try to smash it with the ball. Follow through EVERY TIME. Holding your follow through makes it easy to see what you're doing wrong. You should straighten your legs and elbow and snap your wrist simlutaneously, and hold you arm in the air when you are finished. Your elbow should end next your ear and it should appear as though your hang is lying over the edge of the rim.
 * Here’s my response that explains what I’m talking about:**
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[|Shooting Pocket]
To solve the problem of arm position on your shot, learn where your shooting pocket is. Let your shooting arm hang down at your side and swing it back and forth and several times. Swing it up toward your shoulder and hold it when it stops. This position is your shooting pocket and is the position that the ball should be in when you begin your jump shot**Points of Emphasis**

Continually tell your players...


 * Hold your follow through.
 * Take your time and always make sure your form is perfect.
 * Bend your knees.
 * Don't stand back too far! Stay just a couple feet from the basket.**Points of Emphasis**.

April 25, 2010, 6:14PM
Cavaliers grab 3-1 lead in first-round series with possible clincher coming Tuesday at The Pics of Dave Hopla who once made 14 million consecutive freethrows. [] Michael Jordan hits the game-winning jumpshot in the 1982 NCAA Title Game


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