Skill Cues: Trunk facing ring with feet
slightly less than a shoulder’s width apart, and staggered with shooting foot
forward and head aligned with basket (Knudson, 1993:Babcock, 2005)
The first movement phase aims to create a
balanced base of support to reduce horizontal motion and produce an accurate shot
(Knudson, 1993). In preparation for the vertical jump, quantitative literature
(Martin, 1981: Ryan & Holt 1989) recommends aligning the body to the ring
with a staggered feet stance. A staggered stance allows the player to minimalize
forward and backward motion of the body in the jump (Knudson, 1993). It is
critical to maintain a near vertical jump, to be able to release ball at the
intended/desired angle and height. Knudson (1993) notes that highly accurate
players, such as Stephen Curry, are recorded to have little horizontal motion
in their vertical jumps. Shown below, Curry’s shoulder is almost perfectly in
line with his back foot in each phase of the jump shot, demonstrating the
little shift in horizontal motion. In addition, a staggered stance assists with
maintaining side-to-side alignment of body to basket and ensures appropriate
direction (Knudson, 1993).
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Stephen Curry is considered one of the best
three-point shooter in the NBA league, with an impressive average of 24 points
per game (Point After, 2015).
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