The Details within the Ball Path

The Coach Dave Love Podcast

In this detailed episode of "The Coach Dave Love Podcast," we delve into the intricacies of the ball path in basketball shooting. Coach Dave Love explores what defines the ball path—the trajectory the basketball takes from the start of the lifting motion until it leaves the player’s hand—and why understanding this aspect is crucial for optimizing shooting technique.

Episode Highlights:

• Understanding Ball Path: Discuss the importance of the path that the ball takes during a shot and how it impacts the shot's effectiveness and accuracy.
• Two Perspectives: Examine the ball path from two critical angles—the side view and the front view—to understand how each perspective contributes to shooting mechanics.
• Trade-Offs in Ball Path: Explore the trade-offs between a smoother ball path, which generates more power but is harder to control, versus a path with a more pronounced curve, which might be easier to manage but could reduce speed.
• Practical Training Tips: Discuss how to train for an optimal ball path, using techniques such as Differential Learning to encourage players to explore variations in their shooting form. Highlight practical drills like the "1-5 system with guided questions" and adjustments for different training days—blue days for exploration and green days for game-like practice.

This episode provides both theoretical insights and practical advice on how to understand and improve the ball path in shooting, offering coaches and players a deeper look into one of the subtle yet significant aspects of basketball shooting.