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Message: [QUOTE="CTtoSanDiego, post: 4170809, member: 8375"] 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 [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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