How do strength requirements for the shot change when you move from the foul line out beyond the three point line and what if any changes should I make in my shooting technique?
Tisha Edwards
Dear Tisha,
If you have sufficient strength, the only major difference between a free throw and a three is in the leg action, what I call the Up Force. You need all you can muster when you go out to the 3-point line. And, of course, you need to shoot early to ìcatchî all of the leg drive energy. If your intention is to catch all of the strong leg/middle body power, you will find you have more power than you thought.
If necessary, especially for younger kids, you can lower the Set Point to give you more power. You might have to bring the ball down from a Set Point above the eyes for mid-range shots and long Twos to a position below the eyes for the three. Make it appropriate to your strength. If you are needing to jump over anyone to shoot threes, my suggestion is to pass off if you can. It is much too difficult to hesitate and then rely excessively on the more unstable power of the upper body to power the shot.