Higher altitude does NOT affect shooting accuracy.

[Olde Coach]

There was a long thread here last week seeking answers about the affect of higher altitude on shooting accuracy. I promised I would get an answer from Colorado experts, and report back. Here's the answer:

"There is no noticeable affect. Sea level athletes coming to mile high Colorado do not have to make any adjustments in their shooting. And Colorado athletes going down to sea level gyms do not have to make adjustments for the more dense air at lower elevations."

My source is the SID at Colorado State University who played college ball in Colorado, and now travels often to lower altitudes with CSU basketball teams.

 

[AboutWeston]

Thanks for the final word!!!

 

[UCinsider]

There was a long thread here last week seeking answers about the affect of higher altitude on shooting accuracy. I promised I would get an answer from Colorado experts, and report back. Here's the answer:

"There is no noticeable affect. Sea level athletes coming to mile high Colorado do not have to make any adjustments in their shooting. And Colorado athletes going down to sea level gyms do not have to make adjustments for the more dense air at lower elevations."

My source is the SID at Colorado State University who played college ball in Colorado, and now travels often to lower altitudes with CSU basketball teams.

Coach: I really appreciate all the great info you provide here, and I didn't see the thread about this, but my take is different. I've walked around at high altitudes, and have noticed that the first place you feel it is in your legs. And, as you know, legs are important for shooting the basketball, so I would think thin air would lead to tired legs and shots falling a little short.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[easttexastrash]

I concur. When I moved to Denver my tennis game suffered for a while as the altitude does affect a tennis ball, but it does not affect a basketball. I continued to shoot as poorly as I always have.

Fortunately, when I moved here I was accustomed to running 5 miles a day and the altitude really did not affect me.

 

[Olde Coach]

Coach: I really appreciate all the great info you provide here, and I didn't see the thread about this, but my take is different. I've walked around at high altitudes, and have noticed that the first place you feel it is in your legs. And, as you know, legs are important for shooting the basketball, so I would think thin air would lead to tired legs and shots falling a little short.

Just my 2 cents.

The original post was focused on lower air density (less drag), not on issues of muscle fatigue caused by a decrease in oxygen.

These are two very separate issues. Most people understand that with less oxygen athletic performance is limited to some degree -- and varies widely depending on the athlete.

The question people were asking was whether a 3 point shot (with the same energy input) would go a little further in thinner air.

And the answer is that no adjustments are needed by shooters moving from sea level to 5,000 feet (or vice versa). The reason for this is that the velocity of a basket ball on a 3 point shot (or shorter) is slow enough that the air drag is minimal. Many golfers know that golf shots in Denver go 8 to 10% further than at sea level. And the same shots at Vail, Aspen or other mountain courses (where altitudes are approaching 10,000 feet) will carry almost 20% further. So the question is: why does the altitude affect a golf ball more than a basketball?

The answer is that the speed of a golf ball leaving the club face is much higher (100+ mph for good players) ---- and, here's the rub: The air drag increases as the square of the speed.

This is a basic law of physics that is well understood by the designers of airplanes, fast cars and boats etc.

For what it's worth: Volley Ball players do have to adjust for altitude -- because the speed of the volley ball on serves and kill shots is much faster than the speed of a basketball.

P.S. Next week, when the basketball season is over and we are all bored to death
(except for learning where DD wants to go to college), we can do some studies of the adjustments for altitude that have to be made for ribbon gymnastics. Stay tuned for this special Boneyard service.

 

[Samanthabrown3]

Too bad. I was hoping we'd see a lot of floaters go into all four baskets with less effort.

And, Olde Coach, I'm looking forward to the series on altitude and ribbon gymnastics!

 

[arty155]

P.S. Next week, when the basketball season is over and we are all bored to death
(except for learning where DD wants to go to college), we can do some studies of the adjustments for altitude that have to be made for ribbon gymnastics. Stay tuned for this special Boneyard service.

Coach,
-Thanks a lot for addressing this in such an interesting manner. No kidding - really appreciate all the examples & highlighting air drag vs speed as key. I think I got it.

Now as for the rest…
- Hey, great to hear DoggyDaddy is picking a college! Man, guess I really need to start following Twitter to keep up on all this stuff .
-Ribbon Gymnastics? Too Cool !!!
-In that case, I’ll hold onto all my concerns regarding Coriolis Effect variation between Gampel and the Final Four Arena until 2013,... when you may have more (OK, less) latitude addressing New Orleans. (My head is spinning!)