"Hands on", rules
- Blog:
It really amazes me how often it is that I have to stop and make adjustments on players who I see for the first time when we are doing clinics or just shooting around.
We know that there are several variations and different philosophies about hand placement on the ball etc. Fair enough. If someone is shooting 95% then I will leave them alone unless they become obsessed with the pursuit of perfection. Even a 5% gap in shooting can be a problem in shooting competitions. (See my article on the "Imperfect Gap" under www.freethrowmaster.com, in the article section).
Some preach the "V" where the center of the ball is between these two fingers or where the mid finger really is closer to center or almost on the airhole.
I like the index finger at 90 degrees to the seams and dead center of the ball or on the airhole. Some balls like the "Baden" it is hard to see since it is so small. The reason for this is because the index finger is in the center of the hand and with the pinky and thumb spread out this forms an almost perfect triangle with the index finger centered and it is the strongest finger as well. I point with it, I write with it dominating the pressure and direction. Same with shooting. BUT the focus of this article is how so many players have their loose hand placed on the ball and when the mid finger is to the left of the airhole you will notice that all the finger pads on the ball are touching the ball sideways.
The pads of the fingers should be 90 degrees on the ball so you can get maximum touch and feel and strength working for consistency. No one talks about this. This is a huge part of shooting. Its where the rubber meets the road as they say. How come golfers are so picky about the correct grip on the golf club. All the pros have a master grip and they have spent hours on just getting the grip right. For those who have a problem here it will take some time to re-invent your "handle". I had to do this in golf. . Felt awkward for a while but mnow its most natural thing to do. Anyhow, hope this make you think a little about something you mnay never have thought about before...
best swishes
ed