How to Play Basketball

How to Shoot a Basketball

 

 

Knowing how to shoot a basketball correctly is the most important skill you need to master in order to play the game. Using the right form helps you score more points. Below is a list of nine steps that can help you improve your basketball skill.

 

1. Face the basket and place your feet shoulder width apart. Point your feet in the general direction of the basket. Your feet should be slightly staggered, with your dominant foot, referred to as your "shooting" foot for these purposes, slightly in front of your non-dominant foot. Take a comfortable and balanced position. There is no perfect stance; the important thing is to find a stance that helps you launch your best shot.

• Bend your knees slightly. Locking your knees makes it easy for you to get knocked off balance. Bend your knees comfortably so you're in position to jump as soon as you have the ball.
• Some people prefer a closed stance, in which their feet point squarely at the basket, while other prefer an open stance, with their feet pointing slightly toward the side of the basket opposite their shooting hand. For example, if you're right handed, an open stance would mean pointing your feet slightly toward the left side of the basket.
• Keep your stance in mind as you learn the art of shooting and begin to practice. Once you find the stance that suits you best, use it every single time. The goal is to get so used to the stance that you don't have to think about it before your feet take the right position to let a great shot fly.

2. Position the ball in your shot pocket. You shoot the ball from your "shot pocket," located on the shooting side of your torso a few inches above your waist. The ball and your shooting eye should form a straight line to the basket. 

• Holding the ball too high or too low greatly affects the accuracy of the shot. Make sure the ball is positioned right in the pocket, a comfortable launching point just above your waist.
• Position your elbow so it's under the ball, not cocked to the side.
• Learn to position the ball in this same place every single time you get ready to take a shot. When someone passes you the ball, they should aim it right for your pocket. If you don't catch it there, you must position it there before you shoot.

3. Grip the ball correctly. Position your shooting hand so that your fingertips are perpendicular to the seams in the ball. This hand is responsible for launching the ball. Place your non-shooting hand on the side of the ball to act as a guide for the shot. 

• Leave be a little space between your palm and the ball, so the ball will be able to roll off your fingertips with ease. The ball should sit on your finger pads.
• Spread your fingers wide so you have greater control over the ball.

4. Push the ball upward with your shooting hand. Move the ball in a smooth motion from your shot pocket to eye level before launching it. 

• Don't let the ball go behind your head or off to the side; shoot it in a fluid, forward motion.
• Your non-shooting hand serves only to guide the ball to keep it steady while your shooting hand exerts force.

5. Straighten your knees and jump. Use your legs to help propel the ball by jumping upward while your shooting hand launches the ball. Move your legs, torso, and arms together in a coordinated fashion to take the shot. 

• Don't jump forward or backward. Your feet should land in the same position where they started.
• Don't lean forward as you jump, either. If your body is balanced, you will jump straight up as you shoot.

6. Release the ball. Just before you reach the height of your jump, release the ball with your shooting hand aimed at the basket. Straighten your elbow and snap your wrist so that the ball arches, rather than moving toward the basket in a straight line. 

• As you release the ball, your guiding hand should fall away.
• Roll the ball off your fingertips toward the basket. You can tell whether you shot it properly by looking at the backspin; if the lines of the basketball spin symmetrically, you positioned the ball properly.
• When the shot is complete, your shooting hand will resemble the shape of a swan; your arm is arched elegantly toward the basket, with your hand loosely cocked downward and your fingers pointed toward the hoop. This is called follow through.

7. Develop muscle memory. Basketball is a fast-paced game, and you won't have time to think about the mechanics of shooting while the clock is running down and your opponents are trying to steal the ball from you. It's important to practice shooting as much as you can, so that taking a shot - from the stance and grip to the jump and release - feels as natural as skipping and riding a bike. 

• Practice free throws. Free throws, or foul shots, are taken from the free throw line, located 15 feet from the basket. It's a good distance to practice from, and since it's located in front of the backboard behind the basket, the ball will usually bounce back to you and you won't have to chase after it as frequently.
• Practice from other angles. Shoot from all sides of the basket and from a variety of distances, using the same form every single time, whether you're shooting from the 3-point line or closer to the basket

8. Learn how to use the backboard. The backboard can be a useful tool, especially for shots you take close to the basket. Aim for the middle of the target square, which will help the ball drop straight down. 

• Your aim will be slightly different when you use the backboard. Practice shooting for the basket and shooting for the backboard until you can intuitively feel the difference.
• Use the backboard when you shoot layups, which are taken off the dribble rather than from a standing position.

9. Practice in a game setting. After you're comfortable shooting on your own, get some friends together to have a basketball scrimmage, or join a league so you can play some games. Shooting during the pressure of a game is a little harder than doing it by yourself in your backyard, since you have to catch passes, dodge steals and be aware of the strategy your coach and the other players expect you to employ. However, if you practice the right form and develop good muscle memory, you'll be racking up the points in no time.


For more help visit: http://www.wikihow.com/Shoot-a-Basketball

Where to play Basketball at LSC

Here is our map on where to play basketball at Lyndon State College.


Basketball 1

Basketball 2

Final Overview

For our Final Project Tom and Duffy are going to go through the basics of 
how to play basketball with podcast, slideshow and video.

We will end with a pick up game with friends and see how Duffy does against 
his competitors after learning the basics of basketball.



Filming: Tom/Duffy

Editing: Tom/Duffy

Podcast: Tom/Duffy

Slideshow: Tom/Duffy

Interactive Map: Lyndon Basketball Court Locations

Interview/Video: Jeremy Holden, Zach Rodrigues, Adam Donnelly

Video on Baseball

Hockey Video Project

Video Project

For the video project assignment, Duffy and I will be focusing on hockey.

We will be focusing on Matt Drew as a goalie facing many different shots coming at him. This will take place indoors, as it will be in the Intramural's gym.

There will be an interview with him focusing on what it was like to be the goalie, how difficult and various other questions relating to what it was like as a goalie.

Video: Tom and Duffy
Editing: Tom
Interview Video: Duffy and Matt
Posting to Blog: Duffy

Sound is going to be on Matt, the sound of the hockey ball hitting the post or the wall behind it. The usage of the natural sound will bring the piece to life. The interview will be tied into the piece by having both a live interview with him and using pieces of that interview in the final project.

The project will have Matt introduced as a goalie heading towards the net. Then he will block some shots, have an interview scene, and then block a few more. This will all be done with sequential filming.

Online Newspaper Video Review

I found the Courier Post from South Jersey online. It has a few videos in it for me to examine. One of the videos I found was about football.

It was featuring DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles. The video was about 30 seconds long and seemed as if it was a phone camera recording the conversation that they (reporter and Jackson) had.

The subject was quite interesting but the clear lack of video quality took away from the news segment. The article focused on Jackson being released from his team and the video was about how much he cared about the fans.

This video is not as clear as iReport from CNN but it seems as though it could be a 3rd party source filming this not the Courier Post.

Review on iReports

I find iReports quite interesting because of a few things. It allows us to report the news and possibly get the story on air. It allows us to post things not many reporters would be able to cover.

Not many cable companies want to send their reporters to other countries to cover the news everywhere which means iReports can have other people who are not reporters but are people who are interested in the news report the news to them.

They could possibly get the benefits of having their story aired on the nightly newscast of CNN.

Reporters on iReport are able to cover stories reporters may not be able to cover that is one of the main benefits that I found.

Stories range from the Taiwanese occupying their legislature to the coverage of baseball stadiums.

Hockey Slideshow

Photos - TomWeineck
Audio- Duffy and Tom
Video production- Duffy

Hockey Slideshow Write-up

Duffy and I focused on hockey moves, also known as dekes or dangles. Some of the most famous dekes have been done. The dekes in the photos are some through the legs. These are some of the best ways to score in floor hockey.

Dangles, dekes, and stick-handling are all moves made to embarrass the opposing player by using stick handling to get past them. They are usually done by advanced players usually.

Some of the most notorious dekes were done through the legs. An example of this would be Pavel Datsyuk and Patrick Kane dekes.

These dekes are some of the finest, but they can help fine tune a player’s ability to stick-handle. Once a player learns how to stick handle they can move on to more advanced moves. A great example is the one handed Peter Forsberg dangle. He did this dangle during the 1994 Olympics to help seal the victory over Canada.

Each dangle is specific for a specific time, such as the Forsberg dangle was specifically to target the opposing goaltender. This will increase the chances of the player scoring and getting more goals to add to their statistics. Other dangles are moves to get around defensemen and forwards. These dekes are usually holding the stick out in one hand, and also sometimes a through the legs kick pass to yourself.

Most of these dangles are self passes or moves to evade the defense; they are usually some of the best attempts in order to make a great attempt at a shot on net.

Dangles, dekes, and stick handling are some of the most important parts of the hockey game. Make sure to look for them during a hockey game, while you are watching one of course. They are one of the most exciting plays and can sometimes make the player look foolish (on defense, or if the player who tries to make the deke gets checked to the ice).

Dangling, deking and stick-handling is one of the most crucial parts of a hockey game, as it is supposed to keep the opposing team from knowing what exactly you are going to do.

Hockey Slideshow

Duffy Webster and I will be focusing on doing an audio slideshow on hockey. We will be focusing on Duffy and his stick-handling abilities.

He will be doing some indoor floor hockey skills. We will focus on him using different stick handling techniques. We will also cover the basics of stick handling.

The background will be white so the ball and the stick stand out from the back drop. The colors will help the viewer understand the pictures.

First, we will focus on the basics of stick handling, such as how to hold the stick and how to position it.

Next we will cover basic moves such as through the legs dekes or moves to get around the defenseman. There are several that we can go over but the easiest one for the viewers to look at we will go over.

We will have some audio during the slideshow for the viewer, as it will keep them entertained and keep them viewing the slideshow.

The audio will music introduction, and then the different techniques of stick handling. After that will be the music to end the slideshow with some other moves.

The music and the voice-over will keep the viewer entertained but also informed with facts about stick handling and dekes. 

Comparing Hockey Slideshows and Photo Galleries

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nhl/photos/1312/nhl-players-best-surprises/

This is the photo gallery I have chosen. It focuses on the best NHL surprises that have happened this year. It is a easy to read format and hits the main important topics. If you do not want to read about the article you can just see who the biggest surprises were.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1276626-20-most-gifted-teenage-players-in-nhl-history

This is the slideshow that I have chosen. It is about the top 20 most gifted teenage hockey players. It is much easier to read than the Sports Illustrated article because each paragraph is spaced out to make it much easier to read.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/610051-nhl-top-10-hockey-songs

The last one I have chosen was the best hockey songs. This is just videos about which songs resemble the best hockey songs. They were chosen because they represent big hits on players, crazy fights and also unbelievable plays.

I feel as though slideshows and photo galleries both do their own respective jobs, as it is all where the words are placed such as on the left or the right or the top or the bottom all depends on how many people actually want to view the page.

I feel as though music enhances the slideshow making it more appealing unless the music is too loud then it takes away from the overall point of the slideshow. The music is all how you look at it on some slide shows it works and others it does not.

It can take away by being loud, annoying or just plain bad music. Music that enhances the slideshow or is relevant to the slideshow, helps boost it and make it more appealing to the viewer.

Write up on Podcast

The podcast Duffy and I decided we would focus on Olympic hockey. We chose to focus on who we think will win the gold medal, and who will win the quarterfinals. We did this with no script and just based off of our knowledge of hockey. We did this after watching the USA game.

After watching that, it gave us a better view on Team USA and how they played. I personally have watched all of the other countries play and recognize what their styles of hockey are used in the game. I personally chose different teams than Duffy because it is who will win, in our opinion and why in each of the remaining three games.

We both came to the agreement that Team USA and Team Sweden would make it to the finals, but from there our views differed as Duffy said Team USA would win and I said Team Sweden would win.

We stated facts about why a certain team would win gold as a back-up for evidence to our theory of who will win.

Doing this podcast was really fun, I would not mind doing this again because it is really nice to give my views on hockey and what I am seeing and the difference in views from Duffy and myself.

We both came into the idea of this while watching Olympic hockey.

We also noted that we have to be speaking with unbiased opinions in this, as any sportscaster has to do. If there is some biases in an argument then it is easily noticed. This is why we tried to avoid clichés such as this player is not that good because they are not good. Our main goal was to use facts we knew from

Instead we backed it up with facts such as Sidney Crosby has not been producing the numbers Team Canada would like as their top line has only produced two points in the past games. Most top lines produce at least three to four, or even more, well depending on the team.

Sochi 2014 Olympic Hockey Podcast

Here is the Podcast as promised, reviews on team USA, Sweden, Finland, and also Canada so far and who will win the match-ups in the Quarter-Finals and predictions as to who will win the coveted gold medal and play in the gold medal game.

2010 Vancouver Olympic Hockey Goals

In honor of doing a podcast on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, I figured I would post a link to some of the best goals of the last Winter Olympics in 2010 (Vancouver) as a memory of what happened.

Canada beat the USA for the gold medal in 2010, but can they repeat that success? Or will another team rise to beat them in Sochi? Opinions? Feel free to reply below!

Numbers to ten in Spanish and English

Hockey Podcast

I have decided that my friend Duffy and I will be talking about hockey in our up and coming podcast.

We will be focusing on who is the favorite in Olympic hockey and why. Such as team Canada is the favorite because they have the most talent and so on and so forth. Then other person states who they believe is the favorite to win and why.

For the interviewing we will ask what people think of the Olympic Hockey teams.

After we will change into talking about the NHL and who are people's favorites to win the Stanley Cup at the midpoint during the season. We will also explain why they are the favorites. Such as the Bruins have the best shot at the Cup because they are playing the most cohesive hockey before the break therefore they will play it after the break too.

Then we will ask a few fans of hockey about who they think will win, whether they agree or disagree with what Duffy and I have said or if they have their own completely different opinion.

Numbers

Comparing Podcasts

The two podcasts I will be focusing on today are, PTI (pardon the interruption) and around the horn.

Both are podcasts done by ESPN. I will be focusing on the most important aspects of them, what I liked, didn't like, whether I put them on my iPod, and whether I will view/listen to them again.

So first off I chose these because I am a huge sports fan and these are some of my favorite things, both shows cover all the various topics of sports.

PTI- I liked many things about it. I think my favorite part is when they cover the mistakes that are make in the middle of the show. It shows that they care about the mistakes they make and that they have to correct them. I didn't like how many different topics they cover as some of them are not as important to me, such as who cares about Lebron's fading fade. I used to have this one on my iPod until I bought a television a few years ago, and I will still listen to them.

Around the Horn- I love this podcast, because I love hearing the disagreements between the sports writers. There are some interesting ones and then others it just seems as though all of them agree and it doesn't make the show interesting because when they disagree things become interesting. I have this one on my iPod and I listen to it every time it comes out.

Writing Exercise 2

                                       Springfield Vt changes student and teacher's manual

(Springfield, Vt) -  Springfield High School teachers are no longer allowed to use physical punishment on students, under a revision in the school manual.

Superintendent Max Schmidt proposed that students can wear their hair as long as they would like and they can drive to school. The he also proposed students are not allowed to be physically punished by their teachers.

These changes were met by some opposition. Springfield Board Member, Janet Bliss said, "These rules were good enough for my generation; they're good enough for the students now."

However, the board voted 5-2 and approved the new manual.

News Channel Comparsion

So I compared two blogs, now it is time for me to compare two news channels. The difference and the similarities between the two.

I started with comparing two Boston news channels, channel 7,http://www.whdh.com/ and channel 5 http://www.wcvb.com/

For the writing segment, I based it on which one wrote more for the internet. Channel 5 seemed to me as though it was based for the internet with easier to read writing and a nicer font. Channel 7's was just too small for me to read.

On both sites there were slides and also videos for each news topic.

The local news is covered through the tabs and there. Also if you scroll down they both have it. The top videos seem more important that anything else.

They both seemed to have around the same sized staff, because they are both from the same sized city. If not then either one of the channels, if one of them is shorter on staff then it is almost unnoticeable because the work is done nicely.

Writing Exercise

Craftsbury Man Cited on Aggravated Assault

(ALBANY, Vt) - A 76-year-old Craftsbury man was cited for aggravated assault in Albany late Sunday afternoon, in which he shot a Wolcott man, police said.

 "Conrad Masse, of Craftsbury and Wayne Goff, of Wolcott were hunting bears together when Masse shot Goff," police said. "Masse fired off three shots at a bear, one round struck a tree, one round hit the bear, the last round hit Goff."

Goff  was struck in the pelvic area and was transported to North Country Hospital, he later was then transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Goff was later released from the Dartmouth Hitchcock and is in stable condition. Masse was cited to appear on Feb. 28, 2014.

Fake Press Release

(LYNDONVILLE, Vt) - A 59-year-old man from Concord has died after helping a motorist who crashed into Central Restaurant in Lyndonville on Tuesday afternoon.

 John Barker was assisting 82-year-old Annie Coulter, of Barton, after she crashed into the Central Restaurant around noon on Tuesday when he complained of chest pain, Vermont State Police said. Barker later collapsed and died of a heart attack.

 Coulter told police she swerved to avoid a pedestrian and her brakes failed. That is when she crashed into front window of the restaurant.

Coulter suffered minor injuries in the accident. No one else in the restaurant was injured.




A 59-year-old Concord man died assisting a motorist who crashed into the Central Restaurant. John Barker was assisting 82-year-old Annie Coulter, of Barton, after she crashed into the Central Restaurant around noon on Tuesday when he complained of chest pain according to police.

Concord Man Dies Assisting a Car Accident


centralrestaurant.com

Best Hockey Shootout Moves

Every time I watch this I am still amazed by how good Pavel Datsyuk and Linus Omark's shootout goals were. Omark lightly flipping the puck over the Swiss goaltender....Unbelievable....Then Datsyuk paying homage to it by beating the Chicago Blackhawks net-minder.

Those are some of my favorite shootout goals, well the one-handed shots, the Datsyuk and Omark moves...Not to mention Mike Ribeiro and his #1 goal.

I think one of my all time favorite goals (not a shootout goal) has to go to Steven Stamkos.

I doubt anyone will ever see a goal that great. The hand-eye coordination must be off the charts for Stamkos.

He hits a puck and it goes right over Jonas Hiller's glove side.



Questions or Comments? Feel free to reply below!!

Last Out of Every World Series since 1989

I know this video doesn't have the 1995 Atlanta Braves or the 2005 Chicago White Sox, I find it is quite unique how they have the past 25 World Series last pitches here.

Some of these are unforgettable words, such as when the Red Sox won in 2004 and in 2013.

If you want to see the White Sox win (and their last out) click here (may have to scroll to around 2:34:45)
For the 1995 Braves (their last out scroll to about 2:11:41) winning the World Series click here


Questions or comments? Let me know!!

Press Release

Sunderland, VT- At 8:35PM on Monday night, the Vermont State Police activated an AMBER Alert for juvenile Zachary Lee, age 12 of Sunderland, VT.

               

Police activated the AMBER Alert after Lee never made it back to his foster home. He is described as a white male with brown hair and eyes who speaks with a French accent. Lee was last seen wearing a black coat with a white stripe, a light-colored sweater, and black sneakers.

Authorities believe that Lee is with his biological mother, Patricia Kane. Kane is a 49 year old white female with blonde hair and brown eyes, who also speaks with a French accent.

According to the Vermont State Police, since Zachary Lee has arrived in the US, Kane has been highly unstable and volatile, which causes the state police concern.

Anyone with information regarding Zachary’s disappearance, please call 802-442-5421 or submit an anonymous tip to www.vtips.info<http://www.vtips.info/> or send a text to “CRIMES” (274637) with keyword: VTIPS.

A few of the best links for NHL hockey and MLB baseball fans

Gotta love some nice goals here. Not surprised that Pavel Datsyuk is the number one on this list. He has had some ridiculous dekes before.

Next up is some nice baseball plays.

I think that Juan Lagares (1st clip, center fielder for the Mets) should have been much higher up on this list. He made a juggling shoestring catch. That ball was basically on the ground when he caught it. I also think the Yankees triple play though was the best or one of them, because it does not happen often.

Finally some nice goal tending here. I think that being a goalie has to be one of the hardest positions in all of sports. It takes athleticism to a whole new level. Anyways, cannot go wrong with having some of the best saves here. Kari Lehtonen had one of the best saves on this list with his pad up in the air. Also, props to Mike Smith for his goal while being a net minder.

Questions or comments? Reply below!



videos provided by youtube. I do not own the rights to any of these videos, MLB and NHL do.

Critique a Blog

Today I am critiquing a blog based on a few things such as: something I liked and did not like, how often it is updated, the comments (to tell how many people interact with the blog), and finally what other media is used.

Well I will be reviewing and critiquing http://thehockeywriters.com/

I really enjoyed the articles that are on here. It is constantly updated as new information is discovered in all categories of the NHL. It basically is a collection of all of the things happening in the NHL. The logo stands out and it makes it quite unique as it is a shield and two hockey sticks in the background with the initials of the blog.

One of the things I was not really a fan of was the fact that there are a lot of advertisements on the website, but not enough to discourage the reader from viewing the site.

There are also plenty of comments on each page and it is quite unique to see what they have to say as some of the articles written are opinion pieces, to see the many different views that people have on a certain topic is quite interesting to say the least.

The media that they use mainly is Facebook, twitter, google plus and also tumblr.

All in all this is an excellent blog and I highly recommend it for any fan of hockey.

Background Changes and More

I had to change the background to something much more different than just a color scheme. It just seemed a little to boring. So I found a picture of a baseball laying in the grass. It resembles the fact that I am very passionate about sports. I also adjusted the colors of the words in the text and the title. I figured it would be easier to see over the green background. I figured I would make my blog about sports, as I am a huge sports fan. I will also write about various other topics!!