A Treatise on Shooting (Especially 3 Point Shooting)

[CTtoSanDiego]

If you watch a lot of basketball, as many (most?) BoneYarders do, you may have noticed that more shots are missed short or long (especially short) than are missed to the right or left. The reason is relatively straightforward. Shooting the ball straight is mostly a matter of mechanics (good form—or at least repeatable form—and consistent release. Think KML.). The same mechanics enable a player to shoot straight from 3 feet, 8 feet, 15 feet or 20 feet. Admittedly, the greater energy it takes to shoot from longer distances makes it a bit more difficult to maintain that proper form. Being a little offline from 8 feet can still allow a ball to go in the side of the hoop, but simple geometry tells us that the distance offline is magnified from 20 feet, leading to balls clanking off the side of the rim, or missing it entirely (which we did a couple of times the other night).

Shooting the ball the proper distance, on the other hand, is a matter of feel, or touch. Some of that is simply innate; some of comes from repetition (practice). Hence, distance, not direction, is the more difficult parameter to master.

In watching our team, though, I notice more 3 pt shots missed to the side than seems normal. Nika especially (off to the right, usually, though she was 3 for 6 against Seton Hall), but also Evina and even Caroline. And don’t even get me started on Liv or AE or Dorka. The good news is this can be improved, with proper instruction and practice. Touch is more difficult to improve, but repetition helps.

Now, allow me to toot my own horn for a moment. In my younger years, I was a shooter, plain and simple. I wasn’t particularly quick or athletic, but I could, as Dick Vitale would say, “shoot the rock, bay-beee!” I earned the nicknames “Machine” and “Bank” (as in “money in the bank,” not banking it off the backboard). Being old (as so many of us BY’ers are) there was no 3 pt line when I played in high school, or intermurals in college, so I didn’t grow up practicing long distance shots. My sweet spot was 15-18 feet. But playing in rec leagues in my 30’s and 40’s there was a 3 pt line, so I started taking some, but I was never more than a streaky 3 pt shooter. My strategy was to take an open one early—if it went in, or felt good and was close, I would take another. If not, I’d wait until the second half before attempting another. There were plenty of 15 footers to be had.

Now, great shooters like Steph Curry or Kobe Bryant have the mindset that the next shot is going in, no matter how many they have missed, and that’s fine. Our team is not filled with great shooters, however. Geno has said that we only have 4 players who can shoot, and 3 of them are not currently playing. Paige is a excellent shooter. Azzi also is, by reputation, though unfortunately we haven’t seen it yet. It boggles my mind that our other players would shoot 30 3pt shots when so few were going in, especially given the height advantage we had inside. Miss one or two and stop shooting them, please. 6 for 30 is unconscionable. Shot selection matters.

Now, since we know that our players and coaches follow the BY religiously, I expect that this post will result in an improved 3 pt shooting percentage within the next month, as a result of better shot selection and maybe more and better shooting practice.

Admittedly, the return of Paige and Azzi may have something to do with that as well. J

 

[JoePgh]

I think Geno believes (as I do) that players like Evina and Caroline have to keep taking shots until they start making them. UConn isn't going to be successful against good teams if nobody is making 3's, and they certainly not going to be making a lot of them if they stop shooting as soon as they miss the first two or three such shots that they attempt.

I refer again to KLS as a freshman shooting 27% from 3 for the first 8 or 9 games of her career, and going on to become a great 3-point shooter, even later in her freshman year. Recently, we've seen Anna Makurat going 0 for America until she starting hitting them, and Nika doing similarly until she hit 3-for-7 last night.

Caroline's 3-point shooting problems have only existed for the last two games, far too small a sample size to support the conclusions you are drawing. Evina has a multi-year track record of being a 30-35% 3-point shooter, so she will eventually come around. Kia Nurse was always famously streaky from 3-point land, but her hot phases are good enough to make coaches tolerate her cold spells.

They went 6-for-30 against Seton Hall because: (a) they were winning and could afford to spend time getting shooters untracked; and (b) there was a reasonable expectation that the next shot(s) would go in. Geno said in his postgame comments that he had no issue with Evina's 3-point attempts because they were good shot attempts, despite the fact that they didn't go in.

 

[Charliebball]

I think a visit to see Herb Magee would serve each of the UConn players well...............he turned my daughter from a 60% to an 80% foul shooter and increased her three point shooting percentage by 10% with some very simple training techniques......he's been teaching high school, college and NBA players for many years with great results.......

Who is Herb Magee? | Herb Magee Basketball

 

[CocoHusky]

Very timely thread @CTtoSanDiego. There are a few alarming things about the UCONN 3PT shooting lately 1) Quite a few of those shots were uncontested 2) That many uncontested deep shots leads me to believe that is what the defense is conceding and UCONN is taking the bait by hoisting that many deep shots aka UCONN is playing to a weakness vs capitalizing on a strength.

@JoePgh while your observations regarding KLS and Evina are hard to argue with my perspective is that with Freshman KLS UCONN could afford to shoot 39% for the season because among the other 4 starters there were 4 very reliable 3pt shooters + a 6 person ( Saniya Chong). Saniya would be the second most accurate 3PT shooter on this team by a fairly wide margin.
Over the last 6 games the UCONN 3pt shooting has been poor= 25% or 36/142
3 of 15 Louisville: 5 of 20 Creighton: 11 of 34 Butler: 8 for 25 Xavier: 6 of 30 Seton Hall: 3 of 18 Oregon
I would not be advocating for any individuals or the team to be hoisting more three pointers at this point or even when Paige and Azzi return. As Geno has said on many occasions some players are wide open for a reason.

 

[Zarathustra]

My imagination during the Seton Hall game was that
GENO told everyone to shoot some three pointers!
Get in the necessary "practical experience" in games
that Should be won anyway. That way some players
will get out of their individual slump and some will
not, those that fail the experiment will have to wait
until next fall to have significant playing time. I
think this applies to all Big East games until the
end of the regular season. Or ..Geno does what he thinks!

 

[TCC Kid]

If you watch a lot of basketball, as many (most?) BoneYarders do, you may have noticed that more shots are missed short or long (especially short) than are missed to the right or left. The reason is relatively straightforward. Shooting the ball straight is mostly a matter of mechanics (good form—or at least repeatable form—and consistent release. Think KML.). The same mechanics enable a player to shoot straight from 3 feet, 8 feet, 15 feet or 20 feet. Admittedly, the greater energy it takes to shoot from longer distances makes it a bit more difficult to maintain that proper form. Being a little offline from 8 feet can still allow a ball to go in the side of the hoop, but simple geometry tells us that the distance offline is magnified from 20 feet, leading to balls clanking off the side of the rim, or missing it entirely (which we did a couple of times the other night).

Shooting the ball the proper distance, on the other hand, is a matter of feel, or touch. Some of that is simply innate; some of comes from repetition (practice). Hence, distance, not direction, is the more difficult parameter to master.

In watching our team, though, I notice more 3 pt shots missed to the side than seems normal. Nika especially (off to the right, usually, though she was 3 for 6 against Seton Hall), but also Evina and even Caroline. And don’t even get me started on Liv or AE or Dorka. The good news is this can be improved, with proper instruction and practice. Touch is more difficult to improve, but repetition helps.

Now, allow me to toot my own horn for a moment. In my younger years, I was a shooter, plain and simple. I wasn’t particularly quick or athletic, but I could, as Dick Vitale would say, “shoot the rock, bay-beee!” I earned the nicknames “Machine” and “Bank” (as in “money in the bank,” not banking it off the backboard). Being old (as so many of us BY’ers are) there was no 3 pt line when I played in high school, or intermurals in college, so I didn’t grow up practicing long distance shots. My sweet spot was 15-18 feet. But playing in rec leagues in my 30’s and 40’s there was a 3 pt line, so I started taking some, but I was never more than a streaky 3 pt shooter. My strategy was to take an open one early—if it went in, or felt good and was close, I would take another. If not, I’d wait until the second half before attempting another. There were plenty of 15 footers to be had.

Now, great shooters like Steph Curry or Kobe Bryant have the mindset that the next shot is going in, no matter how many they have missed, and that’s fine. Our team is not filled with great shooters, however. Geno has said that we only have 4 players who can shoot, and 3 of them are not currently playing. Paige is a excellent shooter. Azzi also is, by reputation, though unfortunately we haven’t seen it yet. It boggles my mind that our other players would shoot 30 3pt shots when so few were going in, especially given the height advantage we had inside. Miss one or two and stop shooting them, please. 6 for 30 is unconscionable. Shot selection matters.

Now, since we know that our players and coaches follow the BY religiously, I expect that this post will result in an improved 3 pt shooting percentage within the next month, as a result of better shot selection and maybe more and better shooting practice.
S
Admittedly, the return of Paige and Azzi may have something to do with that as well. J

Some of what you write on the subject rings true, some is not in my training, teaching, or experience. I agree with mindset. Good shooting, (my opinion only) comes from the kid that learned by rote, and muscle memory, and forgets immediately the last miss or any miss. That shooter doesn't think of the next shot, it comes in the flow of the game. But when in range take ha shot. Uconn kids are nice kids everyone. Sometimes too nice. Take that shot. You shot 10 in a row keep shooting, Geno will tell you when NOT to shoot. The bit about KML is accurate at least in her ability to shoot. She was taught day and night by her step dad and she followed his directions. I don't know her stats but visuals say she was a better than 50 percent 3 ball shooter. Maybe, her Step Dad should make a visit or write an article on how to shoot the 3.

 

[TCC Kid]

Very timely thread @CTtoSanDiego. There are a few alarming things about the UCONN 3PT shooting lately 1) Quite a few of those shots were uncontested 2) That many uncontested deep shots leads me to believe that is what the defense is conceding and UCONN is taking the bait by hoisting that many deep shots aka UCONN is playing to a weakness vs capitalizing on a strength.

@JoePgh while your observations regarding KLS and Evina are hard to argue with my perspective is that with Freshman KLS UCONN could afford to shoot 39% for the season because among the other 4 starters there were 4 very reliable 3pt shooters + a 6 person ( Saniya Chong). Saniya would be the second most accurate 3PT shooter on this team by a fairly wide margin.
Over the last 6 games the UCONN 3pt shooting has been poor= 25% or 36/142
3 of 15 Louisville: 5 of 20 Creighton: 11 of 34 Butler: 8 for 25 Xavier: 6 of 30 Seton Hall: 3 of 18 Oregon
I would not be advocating for any individuals or the team to be hoisting more three pointers at this point or even when Paige and Azzi return. As Geno has said on many occasions some players are wide open for a reason.

I read nearly all you write. Agree with much, even some others disagree with. You are right some shooters are left open for a reason. Some, are streak shooters. On those you never know when they will streak for 10 in a row (KLS). NIKA in these last 2 games, couldn't hit the barn from 3 ft in the first (of 2) on the Seaton Hall game she made them pay for not guarding her. Every coach may at times experience a Nika. When do you turn them on or off or just let them play. IF---IF, you have 2 or 3 other "shooters" like Paige, Caroline, (hopefully) Azzi, CW you can accept those misses when Nika is missing. It is a coaches gamble, win some lose some.

 

[CocoHusky]

My imagination during the Seton Hall game was that
GENO told everyone to shoot some three pointers!
Get in the necessary "practical experience" in games
that Should be won anyway. That way some players
will get out of their individual slump and some will
not, those that fail the experiment will have to wait
until next fall to have significant playing time. I
think this applies to all Big East games until the
end of the regular season. Or ..Geno does what he thinks!

If you are going to use the 3Pt shooting in Seton Hall game to decide who sits until next fall then you are not going to have enough players to finish this season. It was pretty brutal!

Women's Basketball vs Seton Hall on 1/21/2022 - Box Score - University of Connecticut Athletics

The official box score of Women's Basketball vs Seton Hall on 1/21/2022

uconnhuskies.com

 

[Bill In Georgia]

Been there done that ... The name of the game is "Reps" or "Repetition" ... Visualize .. muscle strength and muscle memory.

Here we go.
4AM lights go on, court is shut down to half court .. 30 basketballs are scattered ...a helper walks to a ball, picks it up, the shooter walks to the helper he toss's the ball, shooter gets the ball and shoots, could be left hand..could be right hand .. if he misses, they try three more times, then slow the motion down and make the necessary correction, they repeat till the shot is made..then on to the next position and ball. Break for breakfast then continue till noon.
Do the math, take 15 seconds per shot, now how many shots in the days time frame? It's called Dedication.

There was a kid played football for the Falcons on Sunday afternoon ...then would come home eat supper, rest for a hour, then turn the backyard lights on , where stood a batting machine and cage... and then hit 200 to 300 balls. Each time his helper would change the speed and type of pitch... "Dedication"

The key is. Start with professional advice and correction, then Practice and Reps!!!

Same with vertical jump height. First go see your schools track coach, then reps, reps...Kids can double their two and one foot jump elevation with "Pro Advice and Reps and Dedication" (PRD)

Then again .. "Free Throws", everybody should be 85% or better, if not then .. PRD!!

Could go on for five more pages, but you get the idea...PRD, even in the off season, as dictated by the coaches as improvement area's!!

 

[Huskee11]

Like all repetitive sports activities, practice is the key to getting better. Shooters get better by shooting. But if the shooting form is off, practicing mistakes is of limited value.

Of course, this is true of other sports activities as well. There are plenty of us out there on the driving range, working up a sweat, not getting any better and just getting our swing faults more firmly ingrained.

I think most good shooters:

keep their shooting elbow underneath;
keep the muscles in their shooting hand and forearm relaxed;
balanced on balls of feet to begin, and get a good knee bend so they get their legs into the shot; and
have good arc and backspin, roll it off the finger tips.

If I were coaching someone on how to shoot better, I would focus on these areas. A typical bad shooter appears stiff in the knees and forearm, tends to launch line drives at the basket, and is often off balance to begin with.

 

[Papa33]

This is the most interesting and imformative and relevant series of observations I've read on the BY in a very long time. Thanks!!

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

See, this post has already helped... we took fewer 3's and made more. Onward and upward!

 

[Topdawg]

Like all repetitive sports activities, practice is the key to getting better. Shooters get better by shooting. But if the shooting form is off, practicing mistakes is of limited value.

Of course, this is true of other sports activities as well. There are plenty of us out there on the driving range, working up a sweat, not getting any better and just getting our swing faults more firmly ingrained.

I think most good shooters:

keep their shooting elbow underneath;
keep the muscles in their shooting hand and forearm relaxed;
balanced on balls of feet to begin, and get a good knee bend so they get their legs into the shot; and
have good arc and backspin, roll it off the finger tips.

If I were coaching someone on how to shoot better, I would focus on these areas. A typical bad shooter appears stiff in the knees and forearm, tends to launch line drives at the basket, and is often off balance to begin with.

Thank you for your comments. The point you make about arc and backspin is often overlooked. When the ball has arc, the hoop becomes a ”bigger“ target. The backspin pulls the ball in when it hits the rim. The combination of the two increase the odds of the ball going in by a lot. The jump makes it less work and better control for the arms. The timing of the release happens just past the peak of the jump when the ball is stationary relative to the shooter. Physics in action!

Many of the tallest players tend to use a ”windmill” action which makes for low shooting percentages.