Using A Video Camera To Analyze Your Shot

If you have access to a video camera, use it to record yourself taking jump shots and free throws. It’s one thing to be out on the court trying to figure out why things are going right (or wrong) when you are shooting. But it’s amazing to see for yourself the little things that you do when you are shooting. 

Remember to warm up at your own pace, but the objective is to shoot your shots at game speed. You want to be able to see how you shoot in a game. If you have a friend or relative that you shoot with, have them to play light to moderate defense against you so you can see yourself shooting in game-like situations. 

Tip: Make 2 different recordings, one with you shooting by yourself, and one with someone playing defense against you. That way, you can analyze your relaxed shooting form (when no one’s guarding you) and also see how you shoot when there is pressure (when someone is playing defense). 

Here are some things to look for when you record yourself:

• Overall look – Does it look like a nice fluid motion, or is it choppy? Do you have a consistent shooting form, or do your mechanics change shot after shot?
  
• Leg power – Remember, your legs are your power source for your shots. Are you bending them enough when you shoot, or are you using your upper body and arms to throw your shots up to the basket?
  
• Release – If the ball doesn’t have a good rotation, maybe you aren’t letting your wrist naturally flop forward to finish the shot.
  
• Follow through – Set the camera near the sideline so it will get a side view of your shots. Pay attention to your shooting arm to see if you have a proper follow-through. Are you holding it long enough so that it guides the ball straight to the target?

Arc – Are your shots going toward the basket flat like line drives? If your shots are bouncing hard off the rim, you’ll notice that you aren’t shooting with a high enough arc. When you are out on the court, it might feel like you are shooting with a high enough arc, but you’ll actually be able to see it for yourself on the video. Remember, so many good things happen (you give the ball more area to fall into the basket; friendly rolls, etc.) when you shoot with a nice arc. See the Swish DVDs for a thorough explanation of this.

• Missing Left or Right – Set the camera a couple feet behind the 3 point line facing the basket (straight-on facing the front of the rim). Take your shots in the area between the free throw line and the 3 point line (but make sure you are shooting directly in front of the basket so it’s a straight-on shot). This can help you to see if your misses are to the right or left. With the help of the camera, you can see if your misses are caused by your body leaning, bad follow-throughs, or any other reason. One thing to remember is that your shooting arm should be "pointing" to the basket after every shot. (When you miss, you want it to be too long or too short, never to the left or right).
  
• Free Throws – You should have the same routine every single time. With video you can look for anything that’s different from one shot to the next. Remember, you want to get a consistent, repeatable method for free throw shooting, so it’ll be reliable for you. From the side view, look for a nice, smooth transition from the power-up of your legs, to the up-and-out release and follow-through of your shooting arm. Try to notice a good rhythm. Also pay attention to see if your shooting hand is naturally flopping forward as you release your shot. Viewing from the back, pay attention to see if your shooting arm is "pointing" to the basket in your follow-through after every shot. I like to hold my follow through until the ball swishes through the net.