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Message: [QUOTE="pj, post: 4769727, member: 2524"] At the apex (of the head, not the hand) the head is stationary, rather than rising or falling, and the eyes can best focus on the basket and judge location. An apex shot gives the most time to arrange hand-brain-eye coordination, this is best for accuracy. At the apex of the head, the arm is still straightening/lengthening and imparting forward momentum to the ball. So the hand is still on its way up, even though the head has reached the apex of its jump. You can get a bit more power and extend your range if you shoot while the body and head are still moving upward, but with a big cost in accuracy. It is unnatural to shoot this way and I have not seen anyone who does this. Bad shooters tend to shoot when the head is on the way down, good shooters at the apex of the head movement. I think the historical change is not about the timing of shot relative to jump, the shot always is controlled at the apex of the head movement -- that is, the moment shortly before release when maximum force is applied to the ball and direction of the ball most influenced is also the moment when the head is highest and slowest moving. What has changed is that people don't jump as high and they don't extend the arms as fully before release. Speed of release and controlled accuracy has mattered more than height of release, with the shift to 3 point shooting. Things happen so quickly it is hard to see the timing in real time. Slo-mo is needed and you'll find that for everyone, the shot leaves the hand very shortly after the head ceases to rise. 429 makes good points about the difference in shooting off the dribble and shooting off screens. [/QUOTE]

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