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Basketball Tip of the Month

2006

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December 2006: Common Mistakes Made In Executing the Pull-up Jumper

Common Mistakes:
1. Over-cupping the ball too much when dribbling (cupping and turning hand over too much when dribbling)
2. Long dribble (too far away from body)
3. Too high or too low of a dribble
4. Too wide of a dribble (out to side too far)
5. Too long of a stride
6. Incorrect footwork

Coach Baumgartner
Coach Baumgartner did an indept study on pulling-up and shooting off the dribble. In this study, he found out the above techniques will prevent you from being able to pull up and shoot at anytime and anywhere on the floor. The above mistakes are the reason why some of the very good basketball players don`t have a pull-up jump shot.

Pull-up jump shooting techniques are probably one of the least understood areas in shooting. We cover and drill the correct techniques at our shooting camps. The five best pull-up jump shooters in NBA execute the pull-up jumper like we teach it. Remember, the very best players executing the pull-up jumper correctly can pull-up at anytime and anywhere on the floor.

You can also learn about the correct techniques and drills for pull-up jump shooting by ordering the video or DVD on pull-jump shooting from this website.

Basketball Shooting Camps
At the Dick Baumgartner basketball shooting camps the pull-up jump shot techniques are covered very well. Players are also put into the very best drills which do a great job of teaching younger and older players how to pull up and shoot. The drills, individual instruction, and techniques given at camp are the best and definitely will help you.

Besides the pull-up jumper, the camp does a very good job of teaching the 3 pt. shot, shooting off the pass in general and the free throw. The camp also covers other offensive fundamentals such as passing, driving, finishing well etc.

Plan on attending the number one attended shooting camp in the U.S. With our 34 years of experience, we can definitely help you with your shooting and other offensive techniques.

Videos and DVDs
Coach Baumgartner has a great video and dvd out on pull-up jump shooting. It has the most complete and up-to-date information on the pull-up jump shot. The drills and techniques are simple to execute and if practiced correctly will automatically make it possible for you to pull-up at anytime and anywhere on the floor.

 

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November 2006: Head Level - Look Up With Eyes
Keeping the head level with eyes looking straight out or up plus body position are two of the most important aspects in teaching a fundamental well. Head and body position are very important in shooting a basketball, dribbling, and passing etc.

Head Up
Head up is a term used by many coaches. Steve Nash`s dad started saying to him at a very early age to"keep his head up". He has followed this technique as a young player all the way through his professional career.

Head Level - Look Up With Your Eyes
Coach Baumgartner has had a similar saying which he has used in teaching shooting for the last 45 years. "Head level - look up with your eyes" helps to balance a player as well as helping a player to sight the target.

Head level helps a player to execute body mechanics better. It also helps balance a player all the way through the shot. Of course, the eyes up helps the player see the target better.

Rudder of the Body
The head is the rudder of the body so a player doesn`t want his or her head forward or backward after lifting the ball to a position before thrusting it to the basket.

Before Lifting the Ball
If a player has a correct head and body position before lifting the ball he or she is more apt to have a correct position of head and body after the ball is lifted.

Head Back
If the head is back after lifting the ball, the shoulders are more apt to be locked to some degree. This will affect power and in turn distance. It will also affect the arc of the shot.

Head Forward

If the head is forward after lifting the ball, a player doesn`t get full power from the body and the arc is also flat.

Teaching Fundamentals

To teach fundamentals well a coach must not only understand the breakdown of the fundamental, but he or she must also understand the importance of head and body position. Head and body position affect balance, mechanics of shot, arc, and power, etc.

Coaches and Players

Head level - look up with the eyes is a great technique to use when teaching players to shoot a basketball

 

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October 2006: Sighting Target When Shooting The Basketball
There are three basic times when players sight the target and shoot the basketball.

1. When shooting a free throw
2. When shooting on-the-move
3. When spot-up shooting

Sighting Target When Shooting A Free Throw

Since a player has more time to sight the target when shooting a free throw he or she can pick out a more specific point. The best free throw shooters use the following sight points when shooting a free throw.

1. Over-the-rim
2. Down the Middle
3. Back of the rim
4. Whole basket, etc.

Again, a player has more time when shooting a free throw to pick out a specific sight point.

Free throw shooters should find the sight point that works best for them. Once a player has found his or her sight point that is what he or she should concentrate on when shooting a free throw.

By concentrating on the sight point you are more apt in a natural way to coordinate body parts towards the target.

Sighting Target When Shooting On-The-Move And Spot-up Shooting
Most of the great outside shooters sight the whole basket when shooting on-the-move or spotting-up. A player has less time when shooting on-the-move to pick out a specific sight point like in free throw shooting. Again, the great and very good shooters that I have checked out pick up the whole basket when shooting on-the-move or spot-up to shoot.

Keep Head Level and Look Up With Eyes
Another technique to practice is keeping the head level and looking up with the eyes to sight target. This technique should be used when shooting a free throw or on-the-move shooting and spot-up shooting.

Sighting Target When Shooting 3 Point Shots
It is important to sight the target in all shooting situations. But it is especially important when shooting 3 point shots. By sighting the target a player has much better depth perception which is important in all shooting situations and especially in 3 pt. shooting. Most "air balls" are the result of not sighting the target. Remember, to become a great all around shooter you must sight the target. If you develop the above sighting the target techniques you will be headed in the right direction to becoming a great shooter.

 

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August 2006: Tip on Foot Position
Position of Feet when Shooting a Basketball

With an incorrect foot position a player`s shot can be affected even more when on the move. Foot position affects alignment to basket, balance, and power to shoot the basketball.

Position of Feet
When shooting a basketball the player`s feet should be basically underneath him or her. This allows the power generated for shooting to be used in the most efficient way.

1. The player`s feet should be shoulder or hip width apart.
2. The feet should be basically pointed ahead or have a slight turn. This varies some with the very good shooters.
3. The shooting foot (right foot for right handers and left foot for left handers) should be even or slightly ahead.

SOME INCORRECT FOOT POSITIONS

1. Shooting foot positioned too far in front. Some coaches teach that the heel of the shooting foot should be in line with the toes of the opposite foot. This foot positioning takes away some of the power in shooting. This foot positioning is also more apt to cause a players`s shooting arm to go more flat on release. This causes a flat shot with little arc. If you observe the vary good shooters you will see they do not use this foot positioning.
2. Another incorrect foot positioning is where the shooting foot is out too far with both feet turned too the left for right hand shooters. Of course with this foot positioning the body is also turned. With this procedure the player`s body will turn in the air when the player pulls up to shoot. This spinning and turning motion is caused by the beginning foot position.

WHAT IS CORRECT
A good guideline to follow is to basically have the feet under the player with the shooting foot even or slightly ahead. The spread of the feet should be hip or shoulder width. If you see slight variations from these techniques and the shooter is shooting well, I would not mess with the player`s shot.

At our basketball shooting camps we spend a lot of time with footwork. I have been involved in teaching shooting for the last 51 years and each year it becomes more important. All the great shooters and scorers have great footwork.

The information given above is based on 20 years of coaching teams and 31 years of drilling players at our basketball shooting camps, It is also based on working with over 48,000 player`s shots on a one-on-one basis.

Start watching the very good shooters on television and check out their footwork. What we teach at our shooting camps is what the very good players are doing.

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July 2006: Footwork for Pull-up Jump Shooting
Best Footwork Method for The Pull-up Jump Shot

Coach Baumgartner probably has spent more time and study than anyone on basketball shooting footwork. He first published a footwork article in the Scholastic Coach in the early 70`s. The method shown then is still the best over-all footwork method used when shooting on-the move. The footwork method is the 1-2 stop where you put inside foot down first going both ways.

Coach Baumgartner`s last study on footwork was done a couple of years ago (2004) when he did an in-depth study on pull-up jump shooting. At this time he went through all of the footwork methods used by players when shooting on-the-move. With his past background and a thorough understanding of all the differences in footwork he was able to sort through all the variables. You will find what he recommends is what the very good and great pull-up jump shooters use.

Three Main Footwork Methods

1. 1-2 stop with inside foot going down first going both ways.
2. 1-2 stop with same foot going down first going both ways. (For right handers this would be putting the left foot down first going both ways. Opposite for left handers) Another way to explain this would be the right hander puts his inside foot down first going right and his outside foot down first going left.
3. Jump stop with both feet going down at the same time is another footwork procedure.

1-2 Stop With the Inside Foot Down First Going Both Ways
With this footwork method you can get into the shot from any angle to the basket. This is not the case with the jump stop. From tough angles the jump stop is more difficult to get squared to the basket. It is also slower to get into a shot from those difficult angles. Players who have mastered the 1-2 stop with inside foot down first going both ways can pull-up at any time when the defensive player makes a mistake. Check out the great pull-up jump shooters on T.V and you will see that they will be using the method Coach Baumgartner recommends. This 1-2 method is very explosive and again it is easy to execute from any position on the floor. As a player, once you have mastered this footwork method and have also developed quickness in your footwork you will be able to pull-up at any time.

Jump Stop
Some coaches believe that the very good pull-up jump shooters are using a jump stop to pull -up and shoot. If you watch closely you will see this is not the case. There are some decent pull-up jump shooters using the jump stop, but no great or very good ones. As I said they are limited because usually they have to be facing the basket to pull-up and shoot.

1-2 Stop With The Same Foot Going Down First Going Both Ways (right hander, left foot)
Some coaches teach this method because they think it is quicker when a right hander is going left. This method when going left for a right hander is not as explosive. It also doesn`t fit into the scheme of things where a player through practicing this method will automatically learn to pull up at anytime Players using this footwork method rarely become over-all great pull-up jump shooters. In the past I have seen where coaches have changed very good pull-up jump shooter to this 1-2 method. After they were changed they no longer pulled up well. Remember, after correctly practicing the other 1-2 method where the inside foot is put down first going both way , a player will start to automatically pull-up well. Of course it takes practice to become a real good pull-up jump shooter.

What Do The Great Pull-Up Jump Shooters Use?
They use the 1-2 stop with the inside foot going down first going both ways the majority of the time. They also use a jump stop occasionally when the foot positon dictates a jump stop.

Again, a player will find if he or she practices correctly with the footwork recommended they will automatically be able to pull-up at anytime.

We do a great job of teaching the pull-up jump shot at our basketball shooting camps.

You can order the video or DVD: "Great Drills and Techniques to Develop the Pull-Up Jump Shot" off this website. I believe you will find that the information given on the pull-up jumper is easy to understand and put into practice. If you follow and practice the drills given you will be able to automatically pull up at any time. You will find that this video or DVD covers all the techniques and drills to make you a great pull-up jump shooter. It shows and explains the different footwork procedures explained in this article.

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June 2006: Another Tip on Touch
Locking the Elbow on Release

If this technique is followed literally, it will make the release hard and the player will also have less control. This technique of locking the elbow on release creates a good angle of the arm on release, but definitely is a very poor tecnique for touch and control. There are also better drills and techniques for developing a correct angle of the shooting arm on release. Drills that won`t affect touch and control.

When players literally follow the locked elbow technique they will bang the ball off the target. It is a very poor technique to be used in teaching shooting in general.

In Coach Baumgartner`s shooting lessons in the last 40 years he has had to unlock a lot of locked elbows. In this time he has done over 48,000 players shots. Locked elbow shooters use the arm too much to get the ball to the basket and not enougth fingers and wrist. When the ball is released correctly there is a slight break in the elbow.

Shaq`s Free Throw

One of Shaq`s free throw instructors uses the technique of locking the elbow on release. Of course, we all know Shaq`s free throw shooting of around 47% isn`t very good. The shooting instructors who have worked with him haven`t been able to get him into the correct shooting mechanics or they have given him incorrect shooting techniques. The locking of the elbow would be just one of the incorrect shooting techniques he has gone through.

Through the years he has made about every mistake you can make in shooting a free throw and he still is making a lot of mistakes. They have credited his poor shooting to his wrist-hand structure, size of hand, etc.. Until someone puts him in the correct mechanics of shooting and then sets up a few simple drills which make him execute, timing, etc. correctly he will continue to shoot poorly . Of course, locking the elbow on release wasn`t a shooting technique that was going to help his release and soft touch.

Coaches when watching the shooter from the shooting hand side, his or her elbow should have a very slight break when releasing the basketball.

Remember, this technique of locking the elbow is not only very poor for free throw shooting, but also for shooting in general. For the untrained eye the form of the shooting arm looks great when using this technique, but the ball bangs hard off the target. Also remember, coaches using this technique will have some success because some players will not literally follow locking the elbow.

A general rule to follow in teaching shooting is to not over exaggerate any one part of the shot unless your are over compensating for a bad mistake. When you over exaggerate a part, the muscles don`t work well together.

At our shooting camps with our drills, techniques, word usage, and one-on-one instruction we can easily help a player with his or her touch.

 

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May 2006: Developing Touch In Shooting
There are 7 parts that I consider important in developing very good touch. The tip of the month for May is about one of those parts which helps develop great touch.

Over-Spreading Of Index Finger And Thumb, And Other Fingers Of Shooting Hand
Over-spread of index finger and thumb and fingers on shooting hand is one of the most common causes of a hard shot. While you are sitting there, over-spread your index finger and thumb and other fingers on shooting hand. Feel the tightness in your shooting hand. This is one of the common causes of poor touch and hardness in shooting.

Two of the greatest basketball players ever had different grips. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of UCLA gripped properly without an over-spread. He had a very good touch and shot a very soft shot.

Wilt Chamberlain, the number one scorer ever in professional basketball had an over-spread of index finger and thumb. Most of his shots were dunks. Both great players did an over-spread when dunking, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a natural way gripped differently when shooting a basketball. Wilt Chamberland did an over-spread in dunking and also in shooting. This is why he didn`t shoot an ouside shot well from any distance.

Added Tip On Grip For Players Who Practice Dunking
Remember, if you are practicing dunking make sure the dunking grip doesn`t get carried over into your outside shooting. When not dunking and shooting from the outside you should have a comfortable spread of the index finger and thumb, and other fingers. Have a comfortable spread for one of the essentials in great touch.

It is also incorrect to have the thumb and index finger and the fingers on the shooting hand too close together. With too close together the player will have a weak grip and not have good control of the basketball.

Proper touch and other important parts of shooting are easily taught through the drills, techniques and word usage we use at our camps.

For a shooting instructor to teach proper touch he or she must first understand what causes good or bad touch. Then to be able to easily teach soft touch, they must construct drills, techniques and word usage that make it very simple and easy for players to learn. We use very simple teaching methods at our camps.

Coach Baumgartner in the future will cover other correct and incorrect procedures which affect touch.

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April 2006: Shot Fake

It is best to have a short quick shot fake. When you fake don`t raise the basketball too high (over head) because when you bring the ball down from a high position it is usually still in a high position before you put the ball on the floor. A high shot fake is slower and the ball is positioned too high for driving. From a high shot fake the player will travel more and it is slower because the ball is farther from the floor than when using a short shot fake. Again, the high shot fake is slower and the player is more apt to travel when ball is put on floor.

Remember, players who start their drive move with the ball positioned at the upper stomach or chest level travel a lot. From this position it is difficult to time putting the ball on the floor at the correct time with the step.

With a short quick shot fake you are less apt to travel and it is much quicker. Check out the shot fake of the very good players who put the ball on the floor. You will find most of them will have a very short or medium shot fake.

Techniques For Teaching Or Learning The Shot Fake

1. Short quick fake
2. Hold head still while lifting ball
3. Stay down while lifting ball with arms ( just lift arms )

Practice Drills

1. Your can practice by yourself by using the ball toss out drill. Just toss ball out and step into shot and execute the ball fake. You can put it on the floor or shoot.
2. You can also have someone toss you the ball and then have them step towards you and play dummy defense where they go for the fake.

Drill for coaches
Have some defensive players ( 2 or 3 ) on the low block and some offensive players ( 2 or 3 ) back of 3pt line. The defensive player throws the ball to the player behind the 3pt line and then rushes toward that player and defenses the player behind the 3 pt line. The player behind the 3pt line shoots or uses shot fake. Players rotate lines. The timing of this drill is set-up by the defensive player starting on the low block and the offensive player positioned behind the 3pt line. This drill works well with 4 players to a basket.

Word Usage
The below terms are good teaching words to get your players to do the shot fake correctly. Tell your players:

• Quick - Short Fake
• Hold Head Still
• Stay Down
• Don't Move Head

E-mail: Dick Baumgartner
549 Meadowbrook Road
Richmond, Indiana 47374
Phone (765) 939-2500 or (765) 966-4994

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