In Reply to: I've always believed the most important physical trait posted by traprh on April 02, 2024 at 12:08:09
I was surprised how many kids shot with the ball resting on their palm. Every kid I coached became better shooters after a period of adjustment after I got the ball off their palms and onto their fingers. Finger tip control gives the ball the backspin needed for a soft touch and helps with the accuracy.
You're right, that and the follow through which I call the breaking of the wrist is hard to teach but not impossible. I think the analogy of the golf swing is a good one. In both motions (golf swing and shooting a basketball) there are so many little things that can go off kilter and have profound effects on the results. Putting it all together is something akin to feeling effortless, smooth, and a strong sense of perfection. Like you said, repetition (correct repetition) is the key to bringing all those elements together into some sort of natural instinct.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of shots a day is no joke. If one wants to improve their shooting they have to be dedicated, methodical, persistent, and put in long hours. I remember when I was young playing outdoors for hours all by myself going over the same moves again and again from different spots on the court (sometimes placing a trash can out there to move around and pivot against) getting sometimes so hot and sweating that the canvas on my old Chuck Taylors would get so soaked that I thought I could wring them out.
In my artistic career I did some teaching in workshops and I became convinced that one of the things that separated students from professionals was the ability to be self critical - to be able to see and assess one's work with a clear eye, and then make whatever adjustments were called for.
Well, an athlete needs to be able to see and assess what their bodies are doing and correct things when needed. In other words, to be able to break down everything they're doing, see it, and build it back up. Unless they always have a coach with them that can do this for them they are going to have to develop the ability to do this for themselves. Like in art, this is necessary if they want to progress and get better.