We just concluded our fourth and final Sunday of "Skills & Drills" with our Jr. Titans. I can't remember a better four weeks than this one! The players had great attitudes, concentration was high and their effort very good. Along the way it was our intention to lay the foundation, brick by brick, for the game of basketball.
In an era of too many games and too little practice, we can't emphasize FUN-damentals enough. The greatest of all-time, Michael Jordan said, "The minute you get away from fundamentals the bottom can fall out. Everything I did, everything I achieved, can be traced back to the way I approached the fundamentals and how I applied them to my abilities."
This building process starts from the ground up. We want all players to assume an athletic stance and posture (feet shoulder width, knees slightly bent, flat back). Hereafter we spend a lot time explaining, demonstrating, imitating and repeating the following areas:
Footwork - Starts, Stops & Turns
Ballhandling - Dribbling & Passing
Shooting - Layup, Form Shooting & Jumpshot
Defense - On Ball & Off Ball Positioning
Floor Balance & Spacing - Cutting & Screening
In this particular blog I want to spotlight our Form Shooting Progression (FSP). We are big believers in this very simple, yet often times neglected routine. FSP is a combination of what I learned from two of the game's greatest college coaches: Jerry Hueser (Kearney State College) and Don Meyer (Northern State). If done properly, over time, with high concentration; FSP will provide the framework for a smooth and efficient jumpshot.
Form Shooting
It is very important, prior to any shooting practice, to warm-up with proper form shooting. Such exercises are guaranteed to increase your shooting accuracy. A special thank you to Isaac Simpson featured in the video below:
Form Shooting Progression:
Wrist Extensions – While sitting on your knees, place your hands on the floor with your arms straight and stretch out your forearms. Then turn your hands upside down and repeat the process.
Trace & Retrace – Lay down on your back with your shooting elbow tucked close to your body. Assume the perfect platform and extend your arm into the air with full extension. Retrace the motion back to the original position.
Arm Swing – Sit down in your stance with your shooting arm hanging by your side. Swing this arm back and forth, eventually locking into the perfect platform position. Then with your guide hand, push your elbow up, fully extended.
Groove Your Shot / 1-Handed – With one hand bring the ball up into the perfect platform. From here, shoot vertical (up and out of the phone booth). After a made shot, take one step back and repeat. Do this on the right side and then from the left side, using your left hand.
Groove Your Shot / 2-Handed – Stand directly in front of the basket and simply add your guide hand. Concentrate on finishing “5 up / 5 down” with a special emphasis on a “clean release”.