Before you tune this one out due to the dangerous dive I am taking into physics, math, and basketball – give me a moment to explain the topic.  It might be one that can make the difference between a 30% FG percentage shooter and a 50% shooter.

Have you ever wondered why some very physically strong players shoot the ball and have no range to the shot – and if you add any distance, it almost seems as if they have to use all of their energy just to get the ball to the rim?  While at the same time a very small, skinny kid can accurately get the ball to the rim with ease from great distance?  Ever wondered what is happening?

We do – we wonder about it all the time.   In fact, we measure it and try to understand what is happening and then develop ways for others to teach how to shoot more efficiently.   The answer, as it turns out, is found in kinetic energy.   In simple physics, kinetic energy is very briefly described as the transfer of energy between moving objects.

In basketball terms, it becomes the transfer of energy from the legs, through the core, and into the shooter’s wrist.     This is no easy task and it requires a lot of coordination and very precise timing, but it clearly explains why a very skinny player can have great range with effortless motion while strong players have no range, accuracy, and a very effort-full shot.   The effortless shooter has learned how to time the transfer of energy from one large power source (legs), to a very specific point (wrists and hands) to make a shot go further, with more accuracy, and less energy.

We have learned and studied the various power sources used by great shooters vs. those used by just average or poor shooters, and we understand how to train shooters to transfer energy efficiently.   In the series of posts to come, we will be examining these power sources specifically and describing how we measure them so that all of our readers can get in tune with their inner “shooting energy.”

Before we all go start to meditate and sign up for yoga classes, just spend some time during the warm-ups of the next game you go to and watch every player shoot.  But instead of watching just whether the ball goes in, see if you can start to spot the good energy transfer shooters from the not so good.  Our next post will explain what is happening.

Ever wonder about the source of poor shooting mechanics?   Where do they come from and why?   When you think about what a player is trying to accomplish, it’s pretty simple to identify.   Poor mechanics come from the need for power.    Not power in the “I am going to run the world” variety, but power in the “the ball needs some form of energy to get  to the rim” power.    So what do players, who have not developed mechanics or strength in the right places do?  They search for sources of power that while inefficient in motion – at least get the ball to the rim.

We have talked about these before.   Players use their shoulders instead of their wrists.  They jump with their dominant leg while forgetting they have another one to use, turning their hips into the shot, pushing the ball or thumbing it with their off –hand.    All in attempt to get distance too soon in their playing days because for some reason we have become fixated with making 3 pointers.   Yes – players can develop a decent shooting percentage with an imperfect mechanical release, but they rarely if ever become automatic shooters.

The discipline to develop the proper sources of power is rare, which I suppose it is so noticeable when someone has a perfect shooting stroke – its rare.   But the correct sources of power for the perfect stroke are not secrets.   They just take patience to develop.  What are they?  Here is the list:

1)       Your wrists.    Believe it or not the wrists are the most important source of power to develop.  Strong wrists bring proper backspin, arch, touch, and distance.    Once strong wrists are developed, players quickly develop confidence in eliminating extraneous movement in the shot because they don’t need them anymore.   To develop this power, we have a number of simple drills that players should live by that we will discuss in another post.

2)      Your legs.  With an emphasis on the plural.   Too many times we see players that rely on only their strong legs to shoot, forgetting that they in fact, have another leg that also wants to join the party but is too often left at home.   Why?  Its easier to jump off the strong leg and heave the b all at an early age.  Once the single leg jump is in the brain, the off-leg never really learns to jump with the same force and power as the strong leg unless you spend the time teaching it too.  It’s well worth the effort though, as not only does a two-leg jump give you power, it also gives you a very straight shot because the shoulders and release will stay square with the waist (in most cases)

3)      Your core muscles.   What?    Ok – you mean legs again?   No.   Your core, as in abdominals, obliques, lower back, and hip muscles.   You will be amazed at how much lift those muscles play into getting off the ground, and that lift is energy and power transferred into the ball.   Strengthen these muscles, and you gain distance quickly along with a great deal of balance.  Both critical for maintaining a square jump off the dribble or pass.

Notice that I did not mention shoulders or biceps.   While these two muscle groups are popular because they make you look strong, they should not play into your ability to have a consistent, deep, mechanically sound shot.   I’ve seen way too many super skinny shooters with perfect mechanics that can shoot the lights out of it from just about anywhere.   They simply know how to generate power from the right places and maintain a very efficient motion.

So remember – take the time to strengthen the wrists.  It is one of the most overlooked muscle groups in this game that can have a huge impact on your shooting and ballhandling.