Being a basketball player, there is no greater individual feeling than being in “the zone”. Shooting the ball in the hoop is no longer difficult while in the zone. Getting open is easy, the defense appears to moves slower than normal, and most importantly, there is an extremely high level of focus and confidence that is a component of being in the zone.

Though it might not happen frequently, basketball players don’t go into the zone by accident. This is a result of many, many years of skill development, based on proper shooting fundamentals. The zone is the realization of maximum physical performance coupled with the highest degree of concentration and determination. It happens for athletes in other sports as well, and it happens for the same reasons in other sports as it does in basketball.

Michael Jordan is known to have said that throughout his playing career, on games when he was in the zone, he usually woke up the morning of the game knowing he would have an excellent performance. In Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals, Boston Celtics’ shooting guard Ray Allen made the first 7 three-point shots that he tried, on the biggest stage in basketball while undoubtedly drawing extra attention from the defense after the first few makes. Allen is among the best at his craft, and an important part of his game-day routine is to go through a shooting workout three hours before every game.

Because of their work ethic and love for the game, Allen and Jordan have both been rewarded by entering the zone often throughout their careers, putting on shooting displays that dazzle the crowd and anger the opponents. In reality, any driven basketball player has the opportunity to enter “the zone”. It’s all about learning the best way to shoot the ball, and practicing it a whole lot. This is a primary focus of our instructional video “Pure Shooting”. No matter your age, athletic ability, gender, or experience, learn and apply our 6 Principles to Pure Shooting, so you give yourself the opportunity to be a great shooter, hopefully putting on a couple of shooting shows in the process!

Billy Lewis & Jonathan Schneiderman

Aim High Hoops, Inc.

www.AimHighHoopsOnline.com

“Learning to play” basketball means two things.

The initial factor is the individual skill development; i.e. dribbling and shooting the basketball well. Tools and direction for appropriate skill development are what we provide at Aim High Hoops. Our skill clinics, instructional videos, and Pure Shooter’s Report Card help players discover which skills are required, and also proven approaches for maximizing those essential skills.

The second part of learning to play is playing. Players must be on the court, in game situations, trying things out and gaining knowledge from errors. Playing doesn’t always have to involve an organized 5-on-5 game with coaches and referees. Actually, if the players call fouls and it is a situation of either win or sit for a long time (no coach to make substitutions), players develop a strength and hunger to win.

One without the other is not enough.

Players that spend all day in the gym working on their dribbling and shooting, but don’t get involved with competitive games in the off-season might be behind during the season. Why? Because in games is when a dribbler learns to find seams in the defense to penetrate, and in games is when a shooter discovers how to use a screen against a defender that trails, or cheats the screen, and it is in games when a scorer learns to utilize head fakes and draw real fouls for three-point plays.

Players who just play games all day long will no doubt establish good instincts for the game, but without proper dribbling and shot development, these players could be pressured into dribbling mistakes and left open to shoot a shot they are not comfortable with during clutch situations of games.

During an NBA Summer League game, the announcers commented on #1 draft pick John Wall. They hit on both components of the two-part process of learning how to play basketball. First, they said Wall had to continue perfecting his jump shot (skill development). After a dribble spin move that finished with Wall’s lay-up attempt getting blocked off the backboard, they said that Wall would have to utilize the summer league to begin becoming accustomed to the speed and athleticism of the NBA (playing).

A few possessions later Wall floated a lay-up off the backboard and also got fouled for a three-point play attempt. It appears like he’s learning quickly!

Billy Lewis & Jonathan Schneiderman

Aim High Hoops, Inc.

www.AimHighHoopsOnline.com

It turns out that establishing proper habits in early stages is not simply for basketball players! In the June 14, 2010 issue of Sports Illustrated, there is a story entitled: “Tim Tebow: The Making of a Quarterback.” The subtitle says the Denver Broncos are “starting from scratch” with Tebow, a national champion and Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida, because his throwing mechanics are so poor.

Tebow’s NFL future relies on if he is able to master the throwing motion that his fellow quarterbacks mastered while very young. Take a peek at some of the quotes from the report:

“Most scouts saw him as a 6’3’’, 236-pound option quarterback with poor throwing mechanics.”

“He has to completely overhaul the way he throws.”

“The goal, of course, is for this new motion to become natural,…”

“But he’s in a race to remake his delivery.”

The way in which Tebow manages this obstacle should be a lesson for each and every young athlete trying to learn a new sport: “The mechanics—I’m going to be thinking about them for a long time. I’ve got to make the uncomfortable comfortable, and I’ve got to hurry.”

“Tebow treated every pass as if it were a game.”

Head Broncos’ coach Josh McDaniel’s and his assistant coach and brother Ben are on the front lines of this challenge for Tebow, and he comments on not just the urgency of the situation but the very necessity of getting it right, mentioning, “Imagine you’re throwing darts and your body is spinning like this. You can’t have the control you want. How’s your release point going to stay the same?”

The Mechanics: For any quarterback, it is a consistent release point. For any baseball batter, it’s a compact swing with a great bat angle. In golf, a great grip and correct club angle at impact bring about deep shots down the fairway. For basketball, Aim High Hoops presents The 6 Principles of Pure Shooting instructional video, to show what is required for any driven basketball player: a well-balanced jump shot on line with the target and with a chance to go in EVERY time the player shoots. Many basketball players guess how to get to that point, while others learn it well through good teaching and plenty of practice. Let us help you learn to be a pure shooter!

Billy Lewis & Jonathan Schneiderman

Aim High Hoops, Inc.

www.AimHighHoopsOnline.com