Posted: 2019-03-13 14:37:00 (CT) [ 671 views ]
Recently I wrote an article for the BaseballVMI website. In it, I described what is so difficult about hitting consistently in baseball when one has years of experience, especially in Major League Baseball. After adjusting to today’s physical differentials, it really boils down to mental focus.
So, how does that compare to three-point shooting in Basketball? Answer? Probably not at all, or maybe even the opposite.
In basketball, the outside shooters must be able to stop on a dime, go up and shoot without over focusing on the rim around the hole. Of course, that is commonly referred to as “Stop and Pop,” but what it identifies is the frequent tendency to over-focus.
An effective outside player must focus on the whole court and where he can deliver the ball to an open player. When he shoots, it must be a decision on the fly when he realizes he has an opening.
If such a player focuses on his release, i.e. a harder push or a softer push than normal for the distance, his natural ability will most likely be impeded. (Just try throwing a paper wad across the room to a waste basket a few times). So, the difficulty for the shooter is to adjust for the actual air resistance today without over-focusing on his release. Sometimes it works out just fine. Sometimes it takes half a game, sometimes a quarter, and sometimes the player doesn’t adjust before it is too late in the game.
So, in basketball an outside shooter must be focused on everything except the minute parts of his release, whereas a baseball player must have perfect focus on the pitch alone.
