Are Your Eyes Lying To You?

Seems that I have touched a nerve with those over at Pro Shot shooting. That was not my intent, but it was probably inevitable. Sorry about that. Nevertheless, I have been challenged by some of the converts to this system to make videos explaining my theory why this system is not what it claims to be. I don't really feel the need to do that-my explainations and reasons why seem pretty clear to anyone who is interested in the truth. I am not in the business of making DVD's or selling camps etc. I am just trying to bring some clarity to the masses from a very a muddled situation they may not understand. 

Instead of using my own videos, I think I can illustrate the point by using Pro Shots. Anyone who wants to argue with me on the following issues is free to, but as you will soon see, the argument you should have is with Pro Shot and their tendancy to disparage others by giving INCOMPLETE OR INCORRECT information in the packaging of their own. Again, don't take my word for it, take theirs.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG6T0GAier8&list=PLjsWZ3Zb7D7HW5_okIqTTPrW4je3_OIse

Here is a very clear example of the techniques pro shot uses to illustrate their points, but sadly, for the unknowing viewer while it seems brilliant and obvious, it is actually quite disingenuous and a case can be made, intellectually dishonest.

As the video shows, narrow shooters are the best shooters because they are more in balance. Using that theory, conerbacks in football should be narrow, defensive players in basketball should be narrow as their wide stance slides are too slow, volleyball players should be narrow, boxers in their stance should be narrow and hitters in baseball should have their feet together when they hit. I am trying to wrap my head around how Pro Shot teaches balance on defense. Do they suggest players stand in stance with no knee bend (a staple of the system) and or with their feet together? Should they not slide because they are too wide? If it is balance of defense, it is balance on offense. Please explain the difference. I just don't get it. It could be possible that I have never understood balance as Pro Shot keeps reminding me, but if you want to claim that shoulder width is not in balance, and narrow is, then please tell me what to do defensively? Should players play with their feet narrow? If they should be playing wide on defense, why is that? For balance? Can one have balance that way in one element of the game but not the other? Does that make any sense at all? What am I missing here?

Now to the video. At about the 1:14 mark the coach pushes the player with his legs straight up, not bent, and shoulder width apart and the player falls over seemingly because he lacks balance. Next, he has the player stand legs next to each other or as he calls, narrow, and the player does not fall over. To the untrained eye, this seems to make quite a bit of sense. However, the untrained eye also doesnt realize that basketball is not played straight up and high, it is played bent and low. What should have happened was the coach should have put the player in a bent low stance and then tried to push him over with his feet narrow and bent. That wouldn't have been too hard. Then he should have tried to push him over with his feet shoulder width apart and bent and seen how easy that would have been. Good luck on that. 

I don't know if Pro Shot is intentionally misleading the public, or just misinformed themselves, but this information is at best incomplete, at worst, flat out deceitful. I am going to fall out on the incomplete side for now. You be the judge.

But unfortunately, that is not the worst of it. At roughly the 2:42 mark, he has three players line up and tells them to start shoulder length apart and jump up and down as well as across, but instructs them that they have to land wide as well. Huh? Who teaches that way? Anyone who understands shooting, knows that width of the feet on the shot, are for proper balance and a strong base. Once in the air, those feet will naturally come together as the movements of the body gathers the momentum to shoot the basketball. I have never heard, nor witnessed in more than 30 years of coaching basketball, any coach teach a player to land as wide as he started. I suppose that might happen and if so, I'd be the first to say it is the wrong way to go about it. But teaching that as a concept, which to my knowledge no one does and then suggest that it is a lie? In all honesty, I don't even get it. Can it be that blatant? Or is he just misinformed? I don't know of one teacher who would suggest that the landing on the shot be as wide as the starting point. Now I suppose there could be some, but I have never met them. 

Pro Shot then shows examples of narrow shooters and makes a point to show narrow shooters while when showing wide ones, it is usually either players shooting out of their range, or players within their range, shooting off balance for a variety of reasons. I would even suggest that the last three shooters he uses as examples from the 4:31 mark to the 4:40 mark actually ARE TOO NARROW IN THEIR BASE WHICH IS WHY THEY HAVE NO BALANCE ON THE SHOT, forcing their feet to come apart. You be the judge.

Now lets move onto this video. I wont address the fingers at the moment because it is not relevant to the point I am making here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Jj2Lb9wt8&list=PLjsWZ3Zb7D7HW5_okIqTTPrW4je3_OIse

When trying to illustrate their points, Pro Shot will use selective video to make their claims. Unfortunately, most of the time that they are trying to claim one thing, they contradict themselves on another. After just watching the above video on shooting from a narrow base, the shots in this video or exactly the opposite. I offer Kobe Bryant at :34 where he shoots from a wide base into narrow feet during the process. Some with Micheal Jordan at 2:39 and Robert Horry at 2:51. It's a pretty obvious contradiction to the lesson I just learned above...but wait! There's more! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqjKTDhvPjQ&list=PLjsWZ3Zb7D7HW5_okIqTTPrW4je3_OIse

On this video in which Pro Shot is trying to make the argument that players are not square to the basket, he uses Steph Curry as an example of someone who knows not what he does. But alas, as I said before, Steph knows exactly what he is doing and one of the most glaring things is he shoots from a wide base and always plays low both off the dribble and off the catch. Incidently, his knees are not flexed, they are bent and it's pretty simple to see. I offer Curry at :46, :49, 1:02, 1:06, 1:12, Kobe Bryant at 1:22 Michael Jordan who is very low, very wide and very bent at 1:27. Same with Derrick Rose at 1:30-very wide, low and ends up NARROW. Dirks fade at 1:37 is too obvious and Durant off the ball screen is wide and low to narrow. I think its Lebron at 5:01 off the ball screen, low, wide, into narrow. Rudy Gay at 7:14 is wide to narrow. Melo at 7:53 is not really wide, but he is very low and knees very bent. I would suggest he is wide but I can understand those who want to claim otherwise. Nevertheless, he is still playing low and THAT is the key as I have always maintained. 

I can go on and on dissecting each video and show you the obvious contradictions from one video to the next. That is what happens when you try to piggyback from one thing that you constantly disparage, to another that you disparage. I will make the same point that Pro Shot makes at the end of the video. You eyes will only see what you mind trains them to believe. Whether I agree with that statement or not, What did you see?