Sport - Basketball
Analysis of Core Skill 3: Shooting – Lay-ups.
Results / Data Analysis sheet.
Core Skill 1: Chest pass in Basketball
1. The performance was recorded on video to allow repeated viewing, and slow motion analysis.
2. The data collected was INTERVAL in nature. This means it has an implied order, so percentages and/or means will be calculated to highlight any trends
Results for my performer:
- 9 out of 10 successful passes
90% success rate (9 /10 x 100 = percent success)
Sport - Basketball
Analysis of Core Skill 4: Shooting – Free Throw.
Sport - Basketball
Analysis of Core Skill 5: Marking/Intercepting 1v1
Results / Data Analysis sheet.
Core Skill 4: Free Throw Shot in Basketball
- The performance was recorded on video to allow repeated viewing, and slow motion analysis.
- The data collected was INTERVAL in nature. This means it has an implied order, so percentages and/or means will be calculated to highlight any trends
Results for my performer:
- 5 out of 10 successful shots
50% success rate (5 /10 x 100 = percent success)
Core Skill Weaknesses
Core Skill 1: Passing / receiving a Chest Pass
Weakness 1: Loop on longer passes.
Often on the longer passes, my performer would loop the ball. This means that the ball is in the air for longer and is easier to steal. The main reason for this is that they do not use their legs to their full potential by using them to step into, and therefore put more power behind, the passes. Also, they do not snap their wrists through, this would give extra power. If the player was to increase strength in their biceps brachii, triceps brachii and pectoralis major through strength training and plyometrics this could increase the power behind the ball. As a result of the loop on these longer passes, the overall performance in the skill is decreased. The opposition finds the passes easier to intercept and therefore the receiver will not receive the pass for another passing/ scoring opportunity.
Weakness 2: Not always backspin on ball.
On many of the passes that my performer made, there was not a good backspin on the ball. This is due to poor technique - he did not snap his wrists through well so that his thumbs point to the floor. A top performer would snap his wrists through creating lots of backspin on the ball. A lack of backspin means that the receiver of the pass often found it difficult to catch. This meant that they often dropped or fumbled the pass, enough for the defensive team to steal the ball.
Weakness 3: Doesn’t catch the ball on balance.
When receiving passes my performer rarely hopped so that they would land on two feet and as a result be on balance and able to select their pivot foot. A top performer will almost always catch the ball in this way, increasing their opportunities once they have caught the ball. The cause of this weakness is simply a lack of practice. My performer needs to practice doing this repeatedly so that this becomes second nature and will do this habitually anytime they receive a pass. This decreases the overall performance of the skill. If the player is under defensive pressure, he may be knocked off balance and commit a travelling violation. He also loses the ability to select his pivot foot; this will reduce the options that he has once he has received the pass and trying to pose an offensive threat.
Weakness 4: Doesn’t catch the ball in triple threat.
On receiving the pass, my performer does not often pull the ball into the “triple threat” position. This means that the ball is pulled into the shoulder with the elbows out in order to protect the ball. From this position it is easy to shoot, pass or dribble the ball – hence the name “triple threat”. Like catching the ball on balance, this is also a result of poor technique. The player has simply not practiced this skill enough to make it habitual. This decreases the overall performance of the skill by making it much easier for the defender to knock the ball out of his hands. The ball is not very well protected which makes it much easier for the defender to get a hand on the ball. When shooting, the ball takes much longer to get into the shooting position from here and therefore the defender has much more time to block the shot
Diagram of Ideal Passing Technique
Core Skill 2: Dribbling / moving with ball with both hands.
Weakness 1: Ball sometimes bounces above waist height.
My performer often allows the ball to bounce high above his waist. This is a result of poor technique. With more practice the performer would be able to control the ball on their fingertips and keep it below their waist. When the ball is bounced high, it becomes easy to steal. This therefore decreases the overall performance of the skill as the defence can steal the ball more easily.
Weakness 2: Non-dribbling hand not always protecting ball.
Ideally, my performer would protect the ball from the defence using his non-dribbling hand. By not doing this, the defender gets much more opportunity to steal the ball. This weakness is a result of poor technique. My performer needs to practice this skill in the correct conditions with his non-dribbling hand guarding the ball so that it becomes habitual. By not doing this, he decreases his overall performance in the skill as the defender can steal the ball more often.
Weakness 3: Needs to look at ball when dribbling with left (“weak”) hand.
When my performer is dribbling with his left hand he often needs to look at the ball in order to keep it under control. This is a result of poor technique and with practice he will be able to do this. Looking at the ball prevents him from seeing oncoming defenders and potential passes, therefore decreasing his performance in this skill.
Weakness 4: Runs much more cautiously when dribbling with weak hand
My performer is much less confident when dribbling with his left hand. This means that he will always prefer to use his right hand and in doing so take away many of his options as an offensive threat. This weakness is a result of poor technique and my performer will need to spend a lot of time practising with his left hand so that it is almost as comfortable as his right. By favouring his right hand and being much more cautious when dribbling with his left, he is not as able to dribble through and around the defence and greatly reduces his offensive options, therefore his overall performance in this skill is reduced.
Core Skill 3: Shooting – Lay-ups.
Weakness 1: Ball not pulled to shoulder between dribble and shot.
My performer does not protect the ball in his shoulder with his elbows out when he takes his lay-ups. He tends to hold the ball loosely at waist level and then bring it up for the shot. This is simply a result of poor technique; he needs to practice to make this habitual. By not doing this he reduces his overall performance in the skill during a match situation. By holding the ball where the defence can get to it, he gets the ball taken often during his steps. Also, from this position it takes longer to pull the ball up into a shooting position, so his lay-ups can be blocked easily.
Weakness 2: Releases ball underarm and doesn’t protect the ball with other hand.
He tends to flick his lay ups underarm, this makes it easy for the ball to be knocked away. He does not protect the ball from the defence with his other arm. This is a result of poor technique. He needs to practice while protecting the ball with his non-shooting hand. As a result, his performance is decreased. The ball is often knocked out of his hands when he takes a lay-up, or the ball is knocked off-course easily because he does not have his other hand guiding and protecting the ball. He may also receive more foul calls in his favour if he were to place his arm between the ball and the shot blocker in this way.
Weakness 3: Doesn’t get much height on jump.
My performer does not get much height from his jump. This is a result of 2 factors. Firstly, he doesn’t dip his knee a lot when he takes off for the lay-up shot, this means he travels faster forwards than upwards and while not getting much height is also out of control. Secondly, it may be due to strength related factors. If he increased the power in his lower body especially he would inevitably gain height on his jump. This reduces his performance in the skill. He does not get as much control on his shot because he is jumping too quickly towards the basket and also he does not get high above defenders to avoid being blocked.
Weakness 4: Incorrect footwork on his left hand lay-ups.
When taking his left hand lay-ups, my performer jumps off of his left leg rather than his right leg. This is simply a result of poor technique and insufficient practice under the correct guidance and conditions. While this may be difficult to do at first, it is much easier and more comfortable to take the shot. It is unnatural to jump off of the same leg as the hand you are shooting off of, it reduces the height that he gets from his jump and also reduces the balance that he has so the shot is off target often. Hence, the overall performance in the skill is reduced.
Core Skill 4: Shooting – Free Throw.
Weakness 1: Poor trajectory on shot.
My performer has a very flat shot; this is due to poor technique. He does not bend his knees enough before release, bringing power from his legs. Also he doesn’t extend his wrist to a good height. A top-level performer will take power from his knees and have a high follow through on his shot, both resulting in a high trajectory of the ball. By not having this, his overall performance in the skill is reduced, as there is less chance of the ball dropping through the hoop if it hits it at a lower angle.
Weakness 2: Doesn’t focus on basket until shooting the ball.
My performer does not look at the basketball throughout his routine, and therefore does not see where he is aiming until he is about to release the ball. A top-level performer will focus on the hoop throughout. This is simply a result of poor technique and lack of good quality practice. By not doing this, his aim is thrown off, and he is not fully concentrating so his shots do not travel on target often. Therefore his overall performance in the skill is reduced.
Weakness 3: Elbow out of alignment with leg and knee.
When he shoots, his elbow points outwards. The correct technique would place the elbow in a straight line, in line with the leg and knee below. This is another result of bad quality practice and poor technique. By having his elbow out of alignment the overall performance of the free throw shot is reduced as the ball is often inaccurate and floats off to the right of the basket.
Weakness 4: Jumps on shot.
My performer usually jumps as he releases the shot. While this is good for a shot during regular play in a match, it is risky on shooting a free-throw as it is likely that you will jump over the line and the shot will not be counted. This follows on from the incorrect technique of not taking the power from the bend in the knees, and he feels he needs to add power to the shot by jumping. It may also be due to a lack of strength in the biceps brachii and triceps brachii. This decreases the overall performance in this skill as his shouts are often discounted.
Diagram of Ideal Free-Throw Shooting Technique
Core Skill 5: Marking/ Intercepting 1v1.
Weakness 1: Often falls for ball fakes.
My performer tends to follow the ball when he is marking a man with the ball, whereas a top-level performer would watch the chest of the man. This weakness is a result of poor technique and lack of good quality practice. With your eyes following the ball, it is easy to be misdirected or “faked out” by ball fakes made by the player. Therefore the overall performance of the skill is reduced.
Weakness 2: Doesn’t apply much pressure to man with ball.
When my performer is defending the man with the ball, he allows him too much space to make decisions and allows him too many mistakes. He gives him a lot of space when dribbling and does not apply lots of pressure once he has picked up the ball. This is a result of both poor technique developed through lackadaisical practice, and lack of speed. This develops the overall performance of the skill as it allows the offensive player lots of time to make decisions and therefore gives the opposition a greater opportunity to score.
Weakness 3: Arches back when in defensive position.
My performer tends to arch his back when he is in defensive stance. This is a result of poor technique. It leads to his back hurting and having to stand up often, which dramatically reduces your speed. This decreases the overall performance in the skill as it takes his concentration and speed away and provides the opposition with scoring opportunities.
Weakness 4: Turns head when intercepting in the “passing lane”.
When intercepting, a top level performer would look at a point between the man with the ball and the man that they are marking in order to see both using their peripheral vision. Being between the man and the ball in this way is known as being in the “passing lane”. My performer tends to turn his head to look at the man with the ball, losing all awareness of where the man that he is marking is. This decreases his overall performance in the skill as his man will often be able to make an easy cut to the basket and receive the ball to make an easy shot or further pass.
Major Core Skill Weaknesses
Of the 5 core skills that I am analysing, my performer’s weakest core skills are:
- Core Skill 4: Shooting – Free-Throw
- Core Skill 5: Marking/ Intercepting 1v1
The weakest part of my performers free throw shot is that he has a very flat shot; this is due to poor technique. He does not bend his knees enough before release, bringing power from his legs. Also he doesn’t extend his wrist to a good height. A top-level performer will take power from his knees and have a high follow through on his shot, both resulting in a high trajectory of the ball. By not having this, his overall performance in the skill is reduced, as there is less chance of the ball dropping through the hoop if it hits it at a lower angle.
The main weakness in my performers defence is a result of him turning his head when in the “passing lane”. When intercepting, a top level performer would look at a point between the man with the ball and the man that they are marking in order to see both using their peripheral vision. Being between the man and the ball in this way is known as being in the “passing lane”. My performer tends to turn his head to look at the man with the ball, losing all awareness of where the man that he is marking is. This decreases his overall performance in the skill as his man will often be able to make an easy cut to the basket and receive the ball to make an easy shot or further pass.
The weaker of these two skills is the free-throw shot. The weakest part of the skill is the flat trajectory that the ball has when in the air. This reduces the amount of shots that my performer makes as a large number either hit the front of, or bounce off of the back of, the ring. More generally, a poor free-throw shot will decrease performance in a basketball match, as important points that should be easily claimed after a foul are lost. This can also result in a coach selecting other players over a weak free-throw shooter. “…Free-throw shooting is a skill that must be practiced constantly if it is to be maintained” (J. O’Neal - NBA Player)
Technique is a well-defined procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task, which can then be repeated. (www.Google.com)
As my performer needs to improve his technique, I would use guidance training to improve it. This would involve verbal, visual and mechanical guidance to correct the technique and improve the shot. “Guidance is the information given to the performer in order to help them limit possible mistakes (incorrect movement) thus ensuring that the correct movement patterns are carried out more effectively.” (Wesson, 2005)
To carry out this training, there is little equipment that I would need. I would only need a basketball and the performer to be wearing sufficient sports clothing.
In terms of facilities I would obviously need a basketball court with a regulation sized hoop and regulation court markings to shot free throw distance.
I would not necessarily need any extra participants for the training as I only need to give technical guidance to my performer on his own.
Justification of Major Weakness
The major weakness of my performer was the flat trajectory that the ball has when in the air on his free-throw shot. This reduces the amount of shots that my performer makes as a large number either hit the front of, or bounce off of the back of, the ring. More generally, a poor free-throw shot will decrease performance in a basketball match, as important points that should be easily claimed after a foul are lost. This can also result in a coach selecting other players over a weak free-throw shooter. “…Free-throw shooting is a skill that must be practiced constantly if it is to be maintained” (J. O’Neal, NBA Player)
As my performer needs to improve his technique, I would use guidance training to improve it. This would involve verbal, visual and mechanical guidance to correct the technique and improve the shot. “Guidance is the information given to the performer in order to help them limit possible mistakes (incorrect movement) thus ensuring that the correct movement patterns are carried out more effectively.” (Wesson, 2005)
Training to improve this would greatly improve the performance of my performer in this sport. Firstly, he would make a greater number of free throws. This would be very beneficial to the team as they would feel the benefit of the extra points. Making these free throws would also increase the coach’s faith in him and would likely result in more court time and respect. The opposition would also start to be careful not to foul him, as they would be aware that he is dangerous from the free-throw line. Away from improvements to the free-throw shot, my performer’s field goal shooting during regular play would probably increase. Correcting small flaws in his shot technique here can be passed on into the rest of his game hopefully increasing the number of shots, three-pointers and lay-ups my performer makes.
Forms Of Data Collection
To aid me in collecting data on my performer, I used video analysis.
I videoed the performance of a basketball player because:
- Allows repeated viewing.
- Slow motion analysis.
- Able to pause at technical stages.
- Forms a History/benchmark to refer to.
- Ensures we do not miss any part of the skill.
- Allows observations.
- Allows us to see impact of the environment on skill.
Bibliography
I used the following resources to help with this project:
- Wesson, K., Wiggins-James, N., Thompson, G., Hartigan, S., (2005) “Sport and PE: A Complete Guide to Advanced Level Study”. Hodder Arnold, Sevenoaks
- Titmuss, David (1989) “Basketball”. Ward Lock, London
- Peter Symonds Student Intranet -
http://intranet.psc.ac.uk/private/subjects/sport/home.php [2007]
