tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8213298060389132689.post-59413188438272999502007-04-21T22:57:00.000-07:002007-04-22T19:27:51.359-07:00When shooting the basketball, whether its a free throw, jump shot or set shot, the 1st thing that all players must establish is balance. Proper shooting techniques state that at the end of a shot, the player's body should remain relatively in the same place from where it started. This is made easier when your body is balanced prior to the shot.<br /><br />Balance is achieved by having your feet shoulder width apart and having your knees slightly bent. The best way to demonstrate proper balance is by standing straight up with both feet together and having someone genly push you. This gentle push with will cause the person to lean and have to re-establish themselves so they don't fall. In other words, the person loses their balance and has to adjust in order to regain that balance. Now try the same exercise, but with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. It is much harder to lose your balance this way. Another thing to keep in mind during your shot is to keep your body upright and try not to lean in any direction. Leaning forces the body to naturally compensate in order to be on balance, that being said, you will have to adjust your shot based on this natural movement. The key is to minimize the amount of compensation you have to perform on your shot due to your body naturally trying to balance itself. All this said, when practicing your shot, focus on starting out on balance.<br /><br />When I'm watching a basketball game, I can almost always predict whether a shot will make it in the basket or not based on the player's stance prior to the shot. If the player is leaning or running into their shot, a large majority of the time, the shot won't go in. There are few players in the world that can consistently make off balance shots, but most of those players are professionals that have perfected the basic on balance shot. If you are a coach, make it a point to tell players when they are off balance prior to their shot and instruct them that it is a bad shot.lakeshowdawghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03396525825276193251noreply@blogger.com