More Basketball Articles from Robert Tilitz
Player-Sourced Jump Shots
From: Essential Sports and Fitness Article Channel
Players have often invented their own style of jump shot.
Many probably did so in response to their lack of success with what most of the coaches teach: the all-wrong elbow-in strokesnap jump shot.
Most of the player-sourced jump shots have flaws that outweigh any redeeming features.
But a few of the player-sourced jump shots range from somewhat effective to first-rate.
In the following articles, Robert Tilitz identifies and analyzes player-sourced jump shots that were developed
by Magic Johnson, Anthony Davis, Kevin Martin, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Goran Dragic,
Alex English, Stephen Curry and Austin Rivers among others.
- Good power, poor athleticism
Magic Johnson’s squat shot had plenty of power.
But the squat shot’s low shooting position for the start of the release squashed Johnson’s athleticism.
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- Lacks attack capability
The elbow-in straightstroke-push jump shot is a nice piece of work when it has room to operate.
But even Anthony Davis, big-man athlete extraordinaire, cannot attack the defense with it.
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- Modest benefits, major defects
Because it is virtually impossible to shoot a strongside pull-up with the wrongside jump shot,
Kevin Martin was left with one-half of a jumpshooting game. And it was the wrong half.
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- Small change, big difference
Elevated-elbow-in jumpshooters, such as Kevin Durant,
set up the shooting position for the start of the release over the front of the head,
not the widely recommended head-high, out-front location.
As a result, Durant’s jump shot acquires whole-body capabilities, making it athletic and powerful.
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- Long on power and short on touch
DeMarcus Cousins has size, strength and athleticism.
But because Cousins starts his release with the semi-convex cupgrip, he has does not have a post-up jump shot.
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- Good start, mixed results
T.J. Warren adapts to the physicality of the elbow-out shooting stance by fully extending his shooting arm
and stretching out his forearm stroke during the release.
His hybrid part-whole-body/part-strokesnap release outperforms the condensed pure strokesnap release.
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- Not fit for a king
LeBron James sets up his jump shot with a reachback that looks like those of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Jerry West.
But looks can be deceiving.
James’s rolled back shooting shoulder does not engage with the release mechanism.
For James to activate his shooting shoulder as a source of athleticism and power, that engagement must occur.
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- In pursuit of easy power
Goran Dragic’s semi-sideways jump shot has good power
because because its upper-body twist to square the shoulders inadvertently activates the shooting shoulder as a primary power source.
But the difficulty of setting up the semi-sideways shooting stance off strongside moves makes it a poor fit for strongside pull-up jump shots.
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- The less reachback, the better
Alex English showed the strengths and weaknesses of the reachup jump shot.
He dominated from inside to shallow mid-range. He was less effective beyond that distance.
Klay Thompson is one of the few to significantly expand the range of the reachup jump shot.
Thompson’s secret is whole-body supplementary power production techniques.
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- Easy setup, easy power
The sidegrip jump shot gives Stephen Curry athleticism, power and accuracy from long-range.
But because his release starts low and finishes low and because the low release holds down the jump of his jump shot,
Curry does not attack with his sidegrip jump shot at mid-range.
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- Protection and security problems
Austin Rivers has got game. He shoots three pointers, he drives, he handles and he passes.
But Rivers seldom pulls up at mid-range, which stifles his attacking abilities.
That’s partly because his off-hand-back shooting grip cradlegrip jump shot,
which locates the off-hand back behind the basketball,
exposes the basketball as it is being raised to the shooting position for the start of the release.
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