Practise session 5 - Arch of the shot.

After I have projected the ball it is on a certain arc or pathway towards the hoop. The path it travels is determined by 2 main things; angle of release and velocity. The ball is going to travel to the hoop with an arch, the ball is able to go in the basket with a low arch or a high arch. The high arch has more chance of going in. 

 "The optimal vertical velocity for a basketball free throw is between 6.0 and 6.3 m/sec, depending on the height of release; with an angle of release of 50-55 degrees" (Brancazio, 1981).

A high arch is better because it means when the ball is coming down it has more basket to connect with. A low arch shot does not have much basket to connect with.

The ball is going to start on a higher, better arch if it starts higher in the air, in order to get this big arch and the ball starting high in the air I need to fully extend my shoulder and elbow.

As you can see from the picture above I have extended my elbow as far as i could in order to get the ball started on a high arch. You can just see the ball starting on a certain arch as i have released it.

Information collected:

20 shots put up, 8 successful.

30 minute practise session

Of the 12 shots missed, 4 had a low arch and ended up short (hit the rim and bounced back). 5 missed to either the left or right due to poor release angle. The other 3 missed long due to too much power.

Reflection:

I felt my arch was good apart from the 4 shots that came out too low and hit the rim. The ones that hit the rim and bounced back taught me just how important a high arch on the shot is.

References:

Brancazio, P. J. (1981). Physics of basketball. American Journal of Physics, 49(4).