You have probably heard a coach say "BEEF" or "Hand in the cookie jar!" or "Hold your follow through". But do these really help and what are they for?
A lot of times, coaches throw these out because they do not have a deeper understanding of shooting. Most of the time it is simply information passed down by the person that taught them how to shoot and now they pass it to the next generation. These can be helpful pieces of advice, but the issue with taking a traditional "checklist" approach to shooting is that it can completely overlook fundamental flaws. Instead, we must take a "domino approach" and focus on the movement rather than the static list of things you need to do to make a shot. A young player can "put his hand in the cookie jar" and "follow through", but if they have their feet together and push the ball with two hands, this advice is useless.
In order to shoot correctly and truly own your shot with a sense of control, you need to understand how to connect the ball to your body, put energy into the ball, and use movements you already know to build your shot. Shooting in its most simplistic form is "passing the ball to the rim". We set our base like a squat, move our arms like we run, power through like we jump, and then pass the ball to the rim. The key is taking these and making them fluid, precise, and consistent. While some coaches may use outdated explanations, others try to overcomplicate the process in order to display their "knowledge". One professional shooting teacher once explained to me that it is a concerning statement when someone says they "have spent thousands of hours studying shooting", because it really is not that complicated.
Embrace the new and be willing to learn what you do not already know! Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.
