Hello coach! Shots getting better. I could now shoot a jump shot in side of free throw line. I did steve nash's suggestion that if your far you could bring your arms a little bit lower for more power. I notice something, after 1week of not playing basketball, my shot is getting back the bad way but it gets back on the right way after making a few shots. Is it normal?
By the way about school,school is kinda nice:) this morning our p.e. teacher is not arround so the substitute teacher let us play any sport we want and i played basketball with some of my classmates but when i got the ball and shoot it my form is very bad (yes very bad its like i never learned something) But maybe its because of nervous. What do you think coach? How to deal with nervous? And while im playing i think im the weakest player playing:( im just like running without thinking where to go or where should i position. Well the position that i really want is shooting guard. So how to be a shooting guard? Where should i position? How to play a real basketball game?
Thank you very much coach for all your help! God bless you always:)

Carlo -

Lets start with your shot - this is sonething that you have to work on all the time... not necessarily every day, but at least 4-5 times a day so you develop that MUSCLE MEMORY I've been telling you about. So, get back to working on your shot and it will come back to you. As far as missing a few after not playing for awhile.... perfectly normal... thats why players warm up before games and why they work on their shots all the time.... they are looking for more consistency. Remember, this is supposed to be FUN!!
As far as nerves - thats all about NOT wanting to make a mistake... heck, no one is perfect, otherwise you would be in the pros already haha Mistakes are part of the game... Don Kelbick always says - " IF you don't want to make a mistake, don't play! - IF you don't want to miss a shot, DON'T SHOOT!" So, you are 13, enjoy the game, don't worry about mistakes and have some FUN!
Shooting guards are usally positioned on a wing... but typically you wont always be there depending on what type of offense your coach runs. Get yourself into a positon where you are open and can take a shot, otherwise pass it to someone who is open. The only way to learn how to play in a real game is to be on a team and be coached. He should be able to teach you fundamentals of the game, how to play defense and offense and everything else that is involved in a game. Does your school have a team? Try out for the team and that should help you a lot.
Glad to hear that you are enjoying school.... :-)

hello coach :) i kinda know now where should a shooting guard should be positioned :) Im not afraid of having mistakes, Im afraid of being embarrassed in front of people. I remember the intramurals last year, I joined basketball that time i cant forget it because that time my team mates where shouting at me "You stupid dont know how to play basketball" :(
But right now everytime i play basketball i always say to myself relax and have some fun even if im not trully relax :)
Yeah, our school has a team but theres no chance i could join them. Well i would like to join but i cant because they only recruit good basketball players. Maybe next time :)
Thank you very much coach :) God bless :) By the way im turning 14 on November 18 :) I wish i could be a great basketball player :)

Carlo -

I think that a lot of people think the way you do, they just don't say it. We all make mistakes that can be embarassing... here is JUST ONE of my blunders... playing softball, second base.... went far to my left and the only chance I had of getting the runner was to throw the ball backhanded as I was running away from first base... well, I let it go, and threw the ball over the first basemans head.... landed right into a garbage barrell by the backstop.... it happens to all of us... a friend of mine was playing left field and was running back to catch a fly ball and the ball hit him in the back of the head. Well, we all had a good laugh.... both time. I could give you more examples but I bet if you asked some of those guys who are laughing or calling you names.... IF they had an experience like that... some of them would come up with examples.

Yes, relax and have fun. OK, so you cant make the school team.... how about talking to the coach and be a manager for him.... and ask him if you can run through the drills with the team... NO expectations of playing... Just another way to be part of the team and learn more about the game and work on your skills. Just a thought.

14 on November 18...... HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLO....... my birthday is on the 29th this month also...... I usually tell people that I am 10 years older than dirt.... I have a few years on you haha :-)

When I was younger, a lot of us wished that we could be like Michael Jordon, Hank Aaron or Willie Mays, Bobby Hull of the Blackhawks... its great to dream. You should just play the game and have some fun. As for the ones that call you stupid... I bet they wish that they were as smart as you are.

Good luck, God Bless and Have FUN!

Just to add this -

We all need to have our dreams.... IF I didn't dream of being a high school teacher and coach, I would have been stuck as a volunteer coach somewhjere. I was lucky, I finally decided at 32 to go to college, get my degree and go for my dream.... so dream high, set some goals for yourself and then GO FOR IT.

Good luck.

Thank you very much coach!

Hello coach:) I think theres something wrong with my shot`s arc. My shot is like a high shot. Its like this, check out this link http://www.winninghoops.com/wysiwyg/images/Building_Perfect_Arc/Fig1_35_45_and_53_degree_arcs_Large.jpg
my shot is like the 53 degrees (the highest one) . I have read about the 5 mistakes in shooting about the no arc or flat shot. My shooting form is NOT like the guy on the picture on no arc or flat shot in 5 biggest mistakes in shooting.
So how to fix this wrong arc?
Thank you so much coach and God bless :)

Carlo -

As you are releasing the ball your elbow should be around your eye..... that should give you at least close to the correct arc.

God Belss and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you coach :)

Carlo -

I've been thinking about you and your shot... you worrying about so many things.... Don Kelbick calls that over thinking..... get the form you want and then go out and work at it..... here is something from another coach..

The Motivation

"Most basketball players want to improve their shooting. That is good, but to reach your basketball shooting goals takes daily, specific, measurable goal setting and correct practice. For the average player it takes 20,000 correct repetitions to make your shot automatic. If you shoot 1000 correct shots each day, how many days would it take for your shot to be automatic? The answer is 20 days or less than three weeks. If you shoot 100 correct shots each day, how many days would it take for your shot to be automatic? The answer is 200 days or almost seven months. You have a decision to make. How bad do you want it?"

~Hal Wissel

So, YOU do the math and decide how fast you want your shot to become automatic.....
Good luck. :-)

http://www.coachwissel.com/index.php/videos/shooting-off-catch/catch-and-shoot-drills/111-catch-from-inside-out