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PostPosted: 07 Apr 2010, 20:59 

Posts: 19
Coaches,

I have a pretty simple but important topic to ask. I was fortunate enough to reach a lot of my personal basketball goals, and a vital key to that was consistent shooting.

I now do some consulting work for young players and I am trying to describe the importance of the follow through. All my career I just did it without thinking because thats how I was taught, so it became natural.

But no one ever told me why I need to hold my follow through? Its hard to describe the rationale for why players should do it.

When you guys get a free second, I would really like to hear from the collective intelligence of this group!

Thanks everyone,

Dan
www.innovativeathletes.com


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PostPosted: 08 Apr 2010, 06:41 
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Danny,

I liked the way that George Lehman taught BEEF and follow through was one of the important items. As a youngster I was never a great player... and no one really taught me how to shoot.... I pretty much picked it up from watching good shooters. I didn't become a good shooter until I was 16....

I found out that IF I didn't follow through my shot was all over the place - you jerk your hand back and the shot falls short... you let your hand stray and the shot is all over the place. Its part of the process that makes you a consistent shooter... its the RIGHT way.....

I used to tell the kids at my camps and my players to HOLD the follow through until you see the ball go in the basket... and to put your hand in the cookie jar. At our camps the first thing we did when it came time for the shooting segment.... I had the kids do BEEF check - standing on one of the blocks.... using ONE hand only... 1 dribble, bring the ball up to the shooting position and then shoot the ball - HOLDING the FOLLOW THROUGH.
It was all about FORM and creating muscle memory.


I hope this helps.


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PostPosted: 08 Apr 2010, 08:07 
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One other thing we used to do was to show G. Lehmans video "The Road To Success" During the entire video he didn't miss one shot. Of course one kid said, I bet they took the misses out.

I told him that I had seen him do shooting camps and he really didn't miss ONE shot.. I saw 3 of his camps, one at our school. A few of the kids that had seen it agreed with me. You cant knock success.

He IS the picture of CONSISTENCY.... and successful shooting.


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PostPosted: 08 Apr 2010, 10:39 

Posts: 19
Coach,

Great stuff and I think you hit a key word there and that is "Muscle Memory" If we really think about it, basketball can be boring, there are no secrets to being successful.

Its time, repetition and maybe most important doing things the right way.

Appreciate the response,

Dan
www.innovativeathletes.com


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PostPosted: 08 Apr 2010, 12:55 
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What is it that they say about practice? PERFECT practice makes PERFECT!


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PostPosted: 09 Apr 2010, 10:34 
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Location: New Britain, CT.
Holding their follow thru reminds shooters of proper shooting form.
The ball will always go in the directions that the hand sends it. If squared up, knee and elbow aligned, the ball will go in the direction of the release. If a shooter "short-arms" it, snaps hand back, or if follow thru goes to right or left then adjustments must be made.
Analyzing your follow thru and the direction of the release is a good troubleshooting tool for shooters and for coaches watching.
So holding your follow-thru is a good diagnostic tool.

It helps with accuracy...that is why a baseball pitcher must follow thru, and a bowler must follow thru. The ball will always go in the direction where it last left the hand.

Call it reaching high for "cookies in the jar", call it "gooseneck", call it "waving bye-bye" to the ball. Anyway you say it, it is esstential to shooting accuracy.

I jokingly, often tell my players during shooting drills, "Hold your follow thru for a month!!!!"

Out,

Coach A


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PostPosted: 09 Apr 2010, 10:46 

Posts: 19
Coach A,

You present a great perspective of the follow through via your comparison to a diagnostic test and troubleshooting.

This is very useful for me.

Thanks

DM


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PostPosted: 10 Apr 2010, 05:42 
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Danny,

Here are some snippets from our Basketball Shooting eBook and Guide (http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/btshooting.html). I think you might find this helpful.

Why is follow-through important?

There’s a saying in coaching that “a good follow-through solves lots of shooting problems”!

Well, it does solve a lot of problems. Good follow-through will give you a nice soft arc, helps with distance control, and improves consistency.


CORRECT YOUR SHOT

If needed, immediately correct your mechanics. For example, if you notice that you didn’t follow-through; reposition your arms for a proper follow-through right away.

Why?

This technique will quickly break your bad habits. By immediately correcting yourself after each practice shot, you train your mind to do it correctly the next time.


Tricks to Help You Remember Shooting Fundamentals
To help you or your players remember shooting fundamentals, we’ll provide you with a variety of memory tricks. Some of these word-plays really stick with players.

Choose the methods that resonate best with you.

ALLITERATION

It’s easier to remember phrases and names that start with the same letter. For example, the names Bed Bath and Beyond, Ronald Reagan, Donald Duck, and Steak N Shake all use alliteration.

Here are a few alliteration phrases that might help you remember shooting mechanics:

• Toes to target

• Palm to passer

• Wrist wrinkle

• Elbow above eyebrow

• Freeze follow-through

• Shoot and stay


ANALOGIES

Word association can help you remember too. Here are just a few ideas:

Wave Good Bye: This reminds you to have a relaxed wrist in your release and follow-through, as if you were waving good bye to someone while holding your position. This will help to soften your shot and give you good touch.

Reaching Into a Cookie Jar: This reminds you that your follow-through extension should be high and that your hand should be extended forward and a little downward. Be careful not to overdo this by straining your wrist so that your hand is rigidly held straight down, because this will disturb your shooting touch.

The 3 S’s (Spin, Stop, Sight): This reminds you to line up your fingers with a ball seam and to follow-through so that your shot has a straight, moderate backspin on it. It’s also a reminder to pay attention to correct footwork so that you are shooting from a balanced stance and to keep your eyes on the hoop rather than the flight of the ball. Shots with straight, moderate backspin are usually soft and give kind ”shooter’s bounces”. Correct footwork is the topic of our next section.

Gun Barrel: This reminds you to have the ball ready to shoot from the shoulder through the finger tip follow-through. Freeze the follow-through until the ball reaches the rim.

L.E.A.F. (Legs, Elbow, Arch, Finish): This is particularly easy for young players to remember.
L= Legs. Make sure you have your legs in your shot. If your shot is short, not enough legs.
E= Elbow. Is your elbow in and under the ball in a comfortable position?
A= Arch. Shoot the ball up and not at the rim.
F= Finish your shot. Let the arm and the hand stay out there like you are posing for a photo. If your distance is inconsistent, this will help. (Mom needs time to focus that new camera!)

TEACHING IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN.

One of the best ways for a player to learn is to teach the fundamentals to someone else. Once you show someone else a few times, it will be very hard to forget.

Coaches might consider asking their players to study shooting mechanics and teach some 3rd graders how to shoot.

_________________
Jeff Haefner
http://www.BreakthroughBasketball.com


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PostPosted: 10 Apr 2010, 06:00 
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We used to do this in our camps - I had the Varsity players work the camps (they came free) We had taught them how to shoot, my feelings were - IF they can teach it they could do it better and they would remember all the little things......... AND here is the other benefit....... they learned what it was like to work with kids and teach them how to do something. They learned how difficult it might be which made my job a lot easeir during the season. ANOTHER plus... they learned how to give something back. ( IF I had a difficult kid on my team I gave him the most difficult kid at the camp or the one with the least talent... amazing how quickly they picked up on how to deal with people) My other players would just look at me and smile.

TEACHING IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN.

One of the best ways for a player to learn is to teach the fundamentals to someone else. Once you show someone else a few times, it will be very hard to forget.

Coaches might consider asking their players to study shooting mechanics and teach some 3rd graders how to shoot.

One thing I told my kids was, when your shot is not falling in games, get yourself to the free throw line and think about your form and the shot process.


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