POWER SHOOTING
TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS FOR THE JUMP SHOT
By Robert Tilitz
Finally! An in-depth and all-encompassing analysis of the jump shot. It is called the whole-body jump shot theory.
The focus of the new and original whole-body jump shot theory is on athleticism, power, protection, accuracy, touch and gun-turret adjustability. Each of the several whole-body jump shots can be learned fast - like in hours or days or weeks.
The whole-body jump shots merge the jump of the jump shot and the release of the jump shot. The forward rotation of the shooting shoulder during the release is the dynamic that channels the jump into the release. The forward rotation of the shooting shoulder also partly powers both the release and the rotation of the square-in-the-air jump required by most of the strongside pull-up jump shots that maximize athleticism, power and protection in jumpshooting and that spearhead the attacking strongside game's full complement of shooting, driving and passing options.
There are two types of whole-body jump shots that are full-scale shooting-shoulder-centric and there are three types that are partially shooting-shoulder-centric. All are dynamic, but the two full-scale types, briefly described below, are more dynamic.
The whole-body elbow-out jump shot specializes in strongside to-the-basket pull-up jump shots, moderately angled strongside lateral pull-up jump shots from mid-range and strongside straight-up post-up jump shots.
The whole-body reachback jump shot specializes in strongside lateral fallaway pull-up jump shots from mid-range at both moderate and extreme angles and strongside fallaway post-up jump shots.
The whole-body strongside pull-up and post-up jump shot techniques are adaptable to long-range standing-start 3-point semi-jump shots, free throws, weakside jump shots and weakside stepbacks.
The lateral dribble, the most important dribble in basketball, is used for protection, acceleration, the first step, turning the corner, running, shooting, driving and the logo.
A critique of the prevailing but almost all wrong elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot theory, an analysis of ten player-sourced jump shots and more.
THE WHOLE-BODY JUMP SHOTS (See the disclaimer below which states the educational and non-commercial purpose of this website.)
The Whole-Body Elbow-Out Jump Shot
The Whole-Body Elbow-In Reachback Jump Shot
The Whole-Body Elbow-Out Reachback Jump Shot
The Whole-Body Reachup Jump Shot
The Whole-Body Elevated-Elbow-In Jump Shot
Stephen Curry’s One-of-a-Kind Whole-Body Sidegrip Jump Shot
The National Basketball Association is hard on jumpshooters. A big reason is that the players in the NBA unquestionably play the best individual and team defense to be found anywhere. But to make matters much worse, the NBA has all but officially endorsed a nameless, almost all wrong jump shot that the whole-body jump shot theory calls the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot after its main techniques: an elbow-in shooting position, a forearm stroke and a wrist snap. The unathletic and power deficient elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot has caused many otherwise good and even many otherwise great basketball players to significantly underachieve. In addition, because the NBA is the universally recognized leader in basketball, the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot has sabotaged the jump shot at every level of play worldwide.
The sabotage of the jump shot occurs because the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot does not work well off the dribble at mid-range, especially off strongside moves and run-ups. There are several reasons for that fundamental failure, but the most critical result from the too-far-out-front and horizontally-extended setup of the elbow-in shooting position that aligns with/points at the basket as a directional aid. For one, the too-far-out-front and horizontally-extended elbow-in shooting position is very vulnerable to defensive pressure because it sets up within easy reach of defenders while simultaneously exposing the basketball. For another, the too-far-out-front and horizontally-extended elbow-in shooting position disconnects by distance the strokesnap release mechanism from the jumpshooter’s body, which is the source of jump shot athleticism. To be more specific, the alignment and the disconnect of the elbow-in shooting position prevents the shooting shoulder from rolling back to merge with the release mechanism, thereby excluding the shooting shoulder from the jump shot’s release. No shooting shoulder involvement in the release leaves the jumpshooter with the grossly inadequate strokesnap release.
The resulting disastrous decline of the mid-range jump shot has distinguished 21st century basketball in a bad way. Moreover, in recent years, basketball’s powers that be, meaning NBA executives, NBA and college coaches and their minions in the media and beyond, have bought into a new application of old-time analytics to basketball that has come to the conclusion that the mid-range jump shot is inefficient and low-value. The resulting offensive trend in so-called modern basketball has been to cut back on the mid-range jump shot and to replace it with 3-point shots and layups. A cynic might sense a rationale contrived by basketball’s leadership to cover up their lack of attention to and plain ignorance of what makes the jump shot work. You decide.
In any event, basketball’s new winning analytics formula is clearly predicated on mid-range shooting percentages remaining low by way of the continued widespread use of the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot. All that changes, however, if a workable jump shot theory arrives and revives the mid-range pull-up jump shot. In fact, that workable jump shot theory has arrived in the form of my whole-body jump shot theory. To take over skill instruction and strategic thinking in basketball, my whole-body jump shot theory only awaits testing and approval by the NBA. Analytics will still work, but the new conclusions will reverse the current anti-mid-range jump shot conclusions. In a nutshell, mid-range high volume and high accuracy will outweigh 3-point low volume and low accuracy despite its added value when it comes to playing winning basketball.
With respect to shooting shoulder involvement in the release, the athleticism and the power of the jump shot very much depend upon it. Shooting shoulder involvement in the release, which starts with its rollback, enables the merge of the release, which is the jump shot’s defining technique, with the jump of the jump shot, which is the core component of jump shot athleticism. The merge occurs because the forward rotation of the shooting shoulder during the release channels the athleticism and the power of the jump into the release. The forward rotation of the shooting shoulder during the release also provides a primary power source both for the release and even more so for the rotation of the square-in-the-air jump that many strongside mid-range pull-up jump shots require and all could use.
Prior to the elbow-in-strokesnap era, do-it-yourself jump shot development was the order of the day. The do-it-yourself era’s success rate for jump shot development was significantly better than the elbow-in-strokesnap era’s is today. The do-it-yourself approach, in contrast to the dogmatic elbow-in-strokesnap approach, allowed for variation. That’s a big reason why a few do-it-yourself era players were able to invent the athletic and powerful jump shots that the whole-body jump shot theory has identified, analyzed and adopted as optimal jump shot models. The whole-body jump shot theory’s jump shot instruction success rate is likely to much greater than anything seen previously.
Big picture, the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot’s strongside and mid-range pull-up limitations along with its awkward and difficult techniques are directly responsible for the decline of the jump shot. As a consequence, there are not enough attacking mid-range pull-up jumpshooters to meet the demand. The decline of the jump shot led to the rise in usage of the easier to execute standing-start 3-point shot. The resulting 3-point revolution encouraged the mass migration of shooters to 3-point land in pursuit of scoring and excitement. With the 3-point migration, however, the growing action vacuum at mid-range initially brought on by the ineffectiveness of the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot only increased.
But by no means did the 3-point shot cause of the decline of the jump shot. If anything, the decline of the jump shot caused the rise of the 3-point shot. The historical timeline of the 3-point shot establishes that its arrival long preceded the decline of the jump shot. The 3-point shot started in the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961, resumed in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967 and was finally adopted by the NBA in 1979. At its inception, the 3-point shot was viewed as merely a gimmick intended to create a little excitement by adding scoreboard value to long-range shot-making. As such, it was intended to be a side dish, not the main course. It was only in the 21rst century, the mid-2010s to be more precise, that the proliferating number of 3-point shot attempts indicated that the jump shot had to a great extent reached a point of if not disuse certainly a lot less use.
When the decline of the jump shot became more and more widespread, the 3-point shot became a primary skill by default. The scoreboard value added to the 3-point shot was a factor. But probably more important was the diminished defensive pressure at long-range, which remedied the difficulty of getting off the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot against intense mid-range defensive pressure. As a result, the game of basketball itself drastically changed. While the reign of the jump shot had for years drawn the action to mid-range and closer to the basket with an emphasis on athleticism, the 3-point revolution reversed that trend and de-emphasized athleticism.
Plainly, that’s not a glorious origin story for the 3-point revolution. Nevertheless, the 3-point standard bearers, at present including management, media, coaches and players, have done their best to cast it in a positive light by hyping the 3-point shot as the most advanced shooting skill. The whole-body jump shot theory disagrees, maintaining that the athleticism of the jump shot makes it a far more advanced shooting skill. Because athleticism is the name of the game in sports, the whole-body jump shot theory is convinced that it holds the winning hand.
So much for the summary analysis and history of what has become the sorry state of the jump shot in so-called modern basketball. From here on out it’s an all-out battle of words and deeds to revive the jump shot and to reverse the 3-point revolution. The words are the whole-body jump shot theory’s website and book platforms. The deeds will be coaching the whole-body jump shots into widespread existence. The explanations for how and why the whole-body jump shot theory’s techniques work are on this website and in the book. The proof is in the performance.
The following is a copy of Power Shooting's table of contents:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..……..............................……...…………………………………………...……….1
PART 1 – THE BASICS: THE WHOLE-BODY JUMP SHOT THEORY'S NEW AND DIFFERENT FUNDAMENTALS………........…….…….………………………………………………………………4
Jump shot breakthrough: New techniques, better results………….........…....…..………………....5
A newfound purpose of the jump shot: As important as elevation..................................................7
The shooting shoulder: Crucial to the athleticism of the jump shot………………..……….…....…..9
The lateral dribble: Protection, acceleration, first step, turning the corner and more....................11
The strongside game: Complementary shooting, driving and passing options.............................14
The footwork for the strongside pull-up jump shot: The two-step stop..........................................20
How to set up the shooting grip for strongside pull-up jump shots: The key to the kingdom.........22
Shooting hand control of the jump shot: The right tool for the job.................................................25
The jump of the jump shot: What's it all about, Luka?...................................................................30
Jump shot theory: The old vs. the new…………….……………………...………………….......……35
Jump shot how-to: What works and what does not work…….....……………...…….…...…...….…37
Reading: It makes a difference…………………….....………....…………………………….…..……39
PART 2 – THE PREVAILING JUMP SHOT THEORY:
POOR ATHLETICISM, POOR POWER, POOR PROTECTION........................………………...…40
The jump stop and the two-step stop: False equivalency...............................................................41
Shifting the shooting-side foot forward:
Ahead of where the step into the jump shot should land................................................................43
The alignment shooting stance: Starting off stiff..……………….…………...……………….........….45
Square the shoulders: More rhetoric than reality..……..........................................…………...........47
The elbow-in shooting position: Locks in the straitjacket effect…….…………………......……..…..49
The underneath shooting grip: A good idea gone bad
by way of the out-front and horizontally-extended elbow-in shooting position...........................….51
The timing of the release:
On the rise is best for the elbow-in-strokesnap jump shot…….........……...……...……………...…53
The strokesnap release: Power deficient.......................................................................................55
The fingertips control: Too small and too weak………….…………...…...............………….....…....57
The follow-through: After the fact……….………………………...…………………...…....………..…59
Final comments: From blame to hope……..…………………………...……..…….………………….61
PART 3 – PLAYER-SOURCED JUMP SHOTS:
FAILURE LEADS TO MODIFICATION AND INNOVATION…….….....….…..………………......….62
The squat shot: Good power, poor athleticism (e.g., Magic Johnson)….……….......…….….…….63
The push-off shot: Streamlined and mobile, but no vertical jump (e.g., Trae Young).....................65
The elbow-in-push jump shot: Limited attack capability (e,g., Anthony Davis)…….…………….…67
The semi-sideways jump shot:
Good going weakside, bad going strongside (e.g., Goran Dragic)………...……….......………...…69
The cupgrip jump shot: Long on power but short on control (e.g., Tim Duncan)………………..….72
The elbow-out-strokesnap jump shot: Good start, mixed results (e,g., Jimmy Butler)…....…….…74
The wrongside jump shot: Modest benefits, major defects (e.g., Kevin Martin)…………………....76
The reachback-strokesnap jump shot: Not fit for a king (e.g., LeBron James)..……....…..……….79
The roofgrip jump shot: Clamps down on athleticism (e.g., Al Horford)…….…....……………..…..83
The winggrip jump shot: Avoids external rotation
of the shooting hand during setup (e.g., Peja Stojakovic)…....…........................…………….........85
The cradlegrip jump shots: Easy power, limited athleticism (e.g., Jamal Murray)….……………...89
PART 4 – POWER SHOOTING’S WHOLE-BODY JUMP SHOT THEORY:
BIG-MUSCLE POWER, SHOOTING HAND CONTROL ....…….................................…………....94
Whole-body primer: Push and pull and pictorial preview……....…....…..…..……………….………95
The whole-body elbow-out jump shot:
Strongside forward and moderately angled strongside lateral pull-up capable,
plus post-up, weakside and 3-point adaptable……........…….......…........………………..........…...99
The whole-body elbow-out jump shot as executed by Reggie Miller…......…..………………...…104
Whole-body elbow-out jump shot comparisons: Shot-putting and more....………....……………..105
The whole-body reachback jump shot:
Strongside lateral pull-up capable at both moderate and extreme angles,
plus post-up, weakside and 3-point adaptable……………….……….………………...……….......107
The whole-body reacback jump shot as executed by Kobe Bryant…..…...…...……………..……113
Whole-body reachback jump shot comparisons: Throwing and more…….………...……….…….114
The whole-body reachup jump shot: The less reachback, the better (e.g., Kawhi Leonard).…....116
The whole-body elevated-elbow-in jump shot:
Small change, big improvement (e.g., Kevin Durant)…………........…….………………...…..……120
Stephen Curry’s whole-body sidegrip jump shot: Max power, max control…..………………….…123
Kyrie Irving: Jump shot diversity…......……………………………………….….……………………..128
Free throw shooting: Derived from the player’s jump shot…….......……..…..….……………….....133
Long-range/3-point semi-jump shots:
The up-and-out effort to shoot, not a jump, gets 3-point shooters in the air…..……………………135
The sky hook: The correct analysis makes it teachable………….…………...………………….…..139
How to play point guard: Shoot first, pass preferred…........…………………...……………….……144
Jump shot instruction: Theory meets reality…………........……….....………....……………….……152
Final comments: More and better jumpshooters…….........………………………………..…...…….154
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email address:
rtilitz@optimum.net
Mailing address:
Robert Tilitz
6629 Broadway Apt 2H
Bronx, NY 10471
Disclaimer: The information (text and pictures) provided on this website is for educational and non-commercial purposes only. The information provided is intended to be a free-of-charge public service self-help tool for basketball players, basketball teams and all other interested people and organizations. Use of the information provided does not constitute a professional relationship between the user and the provider. All content (text and pictures) on this website is protected by copyright. Permission to reproduce or distribute any part of this content for non-educational and commercial purposes must be obtained from the copyright holder.