     |
|
----------------------------------------------------------------- T H E “S W I S H R E L E A S E” N E W S L E T T E R A Conversation FOR Great Shooting! ----------------------------------------------------------------- By Tom Nordland, Shooting Coach Swish International, Inc. Issue Number 111 -- July 2008 Tel: 888/SWISH-22 (888/794-7422) or 831/338-4647 Email: Tom@swish22.com
============================================ IN THIS ISSUE ============================================
1. Welcome from the Coach 2. Purpose of this Newsletter 3. Going to a Quarterly Format with the Newsletter 4. A Batch of Testimonials, Including a Remarkable One 5. KIDS' KORNER 6. Shooting Clinics & Camps 7. You Can Republish Articles I’ve Written 8. Get the Swish Videos 9. Some Powerful Testimonials/Photos/Video clips for Swish 10. Please Bookmark this Website 11. How to Subscribe / Unsubscribe 12. Contact Information
************************************************* PLEASE NOTE: For these archived Newsletters, I'm just including the heart of the Newsletter, those sections that are instructional, not contact information, outdated clinic info, etc. *************************************************
------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Welcome from the Coach ------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to my free Monthly “Swish Release” Basketball Shooting Newsletter. Each month I write about the skill of shooting in the game today and how it can be more effectively learned and coached. If you like what I'm saying, please tell others about it and suggest they subscribe, too. Remember: Great Shooting CAN be taught!
------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Purpose of this Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------
This newsletter is a vehicle for communicating what I know about shooting and for a conversation on how shooting can be improved. With your help, I intend to shift the game and help players and coaches everywhere re-discover the Lost Art of Pure Shooting. Thank you for reading this and subscribing to it and sharing it with your friends. -- Tom Nordland
------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Going to a Quarterly Format with the Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve been writing this Newsletter monthly for over nine years, and now I’m going to switch to an approx. “quarterly” basis. Although I probably can find enough things to say to continue it monthly, I have other business priorities that need to take precedence, so I’m going to cut back a bit on my obligations for a Newsletter.
I appreciate the support I’ve been given by you, the readers. Please continue to send me feedback and new ideas. Shooting is still a Lost Art. I haven’t been able to shift the Culture yet (an awesome task), but I feel I’m getting a little bit closer.
Marketing is changing dramatically these days due to the incredible power and opportunity of the Internet. Some of the other priorities I mention above are related to that, to how video and audio can be used to market my videos and coaching, how viral marketing is to be understood and exploited, how Facebook and other On Line community tools are coming available.
I’m working on a Swish Shooting Manual that will clearly show coaches how to coach this Method (it willl be more detailed than the spreadsheet approach I now have available on the “For Coaches” page). I also plan to create short video vignettes on different areas of shooting to help learn and coach the skill. I’ll be exploring Podcasts and other such Web 2.0 tools for communication. We’re working right now with a wonderful graphic designer (and marketing and branding expert) to redesign the swish22.com website. We hope to have it up and running by October, so stay tuned for that.
------------------------------------------------------------ 4. A Batch of Testimonials, Including a Remarkable One ------------------------------------------------------------
[Ed. Note: You have seen my more recent testimonials appear on these screens/pages for all these years before they are migrated to my website. Here are a few more, including one that has to be seen to be believed. I’ll conclude this section with that “special” turnabout testimonial.]
“Dear Tom, I thought I would drop you a note letting you know what kind of progress Carlie is making. She has been working really hard preparing for her upcoming AAU season. Since we left you, her Jr. High team competed in the Louisiana State tournament where they finished 3rd among all classes. Carlie played extremely well, handling the opposing teams' intense ball pressure.
“She didn't get very many shot attempts due to the fact that she is still not looking to shoot. I can't convince her that great shooters look to score when the opportunities present themselves and that she could benefit the team by contributing more points. She still has that assist first, point guard, attitude which is certainly a valuable attribute in terms of team play but our team tends to have trouble scoring at times. Maybe her thinking will change as she matures and continues to become more confident in her ability to score.
“Speaking of confidence, Carlie and I just returned from the gym where I witnessed the most unbelievable shooting performance i've ever seen. Every single shot was swish, after swish, after swish. She could not miss! Every shot within the 3 point arc was nothing but the bottom of the net. As she moved out to the longer distances she tended to move the ball a bit off of her right eye, but overall her release is becoming more and more automatic every day. She still struggles with finishing with a floppy wrist and her rotation is still far from perfect, but overall she has made tremendous progress. This summer, after her AAU season finishes, we hope to return to California to spend more time with you, fine tuning her shot.”
Sincerely, - - Jonas G., Pineville, LA
--------------------------------------- “Tom, I just wanted to give you an update on my daughter Nicole. As you may recall we flew in for your clinics in Minneapolis.
“So far in her summer league, the biggest difference I have seen in Nicole is her is that she now has the confidence to take the outside shot. Last season she would hesitate before shooting or even passing up a good shot because she was afraid she would miss. She is not the leading scorer on the team, but she is not afraid to shoot.
“When we are out shooting at the hoop, she is able to tell me what caused her to miss. She is able to begin coaching herself. She went to a basketball camp as she said the coaches said square up and keep the elbow in. She told me Tom would be disappointed in their coaching.
“Again it was a pleasure to meet you and watch how you worked with the kids. I can hardly wait until basketball season starts and I can start coaching the Swish method.”
- - Glen K., Stroudsburg, PA
--------------------------------------- “Hi Tom, Just a quick note to let you know we really appreciate you including Katy's story (testimonial) in your July Newsletter. When Katy read the testimonials you included, she almost felt out of her seat at the computer when she realized she was reading our testimonial.
“I would like to add a follow up to Katy's situation. Recently Katy spent a week at a basketball camp that draws kids from NE Pennsylvania and beyond. The camp has been in existence for decades and it has a very good reputation. Anyway, on the last day of camp as parents arrived to pick up their girls, semi-finals and a final game were played for the Camp Championship. Katy's team was in the 10-13 yr. old age group.
“With Katy using the Swish Method of shooting, and with a good deal of confidence, Katy took numerous shots when the opportunity presented itself and she was successful in over 50% of her shots taken. Katy's team won the camp championship and Katy was a major part of that accomplishment. At an awards ceremony at the conclusion of camp, Katy was selected to the Camp All-Star Team. An evaluation form, written up by each team's coach(college basketball players coached the teams and helped instruct at the camp), was given to each player. The evaluation form allowed the coaches to individually assess each players' skills. (Defense, passing, shooting, knowledge of the game, and court awareness were some of the categories listed).
“Katy's coach made many positive comments regarding Katy's game, but the one that caught my eye and Katy's was the comment made in the Shooting Category. Her coach noted that Katy had ‘one of the nicest and smoothest shots I have ever seen’. That comment made Katy's week, and her confidence level was bumped up another notch.
“Thank you and the Swish Method once again. As I said before in earlier emails, Katy and I will continue to work and reap the benefits of the Swish Method.”
Best regards, -- John C., Dallas, TX
--------------------------------------- “Tom, my team shot so well this summer league that other coaches complimented us on our shooting ability. It was hard for teams to zone us because they could never figure out who to guard. I often heard coaches refer to our team as a team full of shooters! It is beautiful to watch!”
-- M. Lanier, Glendora, CA (I’ve coached his teams for two years now, a couple clinics each year. He’s done the tougher job of extending and guiding the coaching after the clinics.)
--------------------------------------- [Ed. Note: The following is a remarkable exchange of emails. I won’t use the boy’s name or email, but I applaud him for being able to change his mind. Language removed ... you can get the idea.]
Orig. comment, posted on YouTube ~June 10th:
“This @#$% is so &%$#! If you really want to learn how to shoot look Dave Hopla on youtube. He' coached Michael Jordan and now coaches Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, and Gilbert Arenas how to shoot. This guy is the considered the best shooting coach in the world. His dvds are just $40 each. That's just $10 more than this video. Don't waste ur money on this piece of garbage.”
---------------------- Apology July 10th:
“I apologize sir for using foul language and belittling your ability as a shooting coach. I have just borrowed your swish2 dvd and tried its techniques. I was doubtful at first because everything you taught, my past coaches told me to never do. But after trying your approach to the flopping wrist I found that the shots consistently sank in more. It barely took any effort at all. I just had to point my hand at the hoop and the ball went in swish every time. Please accept my apology, I realized your shooting method was a breakthrough in basketball shooting(you should coach Lebron James). Please Coach Norland delete my comment I made on your "Swish 1 video and clips". I truly apologize for what I said in that comment and I take it all back. Please delete my comment on the "Swish 1 video and clips." Sorry about bothering you Coach Norland.”
---------------------- July 10th: Comment after I told him I could not find his orig. comment (I later found it):
“Ok coach Norland I'll find the comment I posted up and give it to you. "Swish 1" Basketball Shooting Clips & Video" is where I posted my comment. I'm sorry about the foul language on that comment Coach Norland, Please delete it from your "Swish 1" Basketball Shooting Clips & Video" video. Thank you Coach Norland for accepting my apology and your technique is truly a breakthrough. You should host camps in my area. No one around here shoots with your technique, I'm the only one and am known as the best shooter at a local gym. Coach Norland is the BEST shooting coach!!!!!”
---------------------------------------
July 11th: My request to him to get his email address:
“Can I get your full email address? My top assistant would like to communicate with you so we can get a deeper understanding of the steps you went through to this transformation. This is a great story! What methods out there are really "coachable?" It's one thing to be able to perform something well; it's another to be able to coach others in the skill.
“I’m fascinated with how people learn, and your story is a great one. Sure, we're all resistant to change, and we might feel good belittling someone else, whether we truly understand a situation or not. I know I've done it, usually to myself, thankfully. (To do it via the Internet opens the door to all kinds of responses and historical permanence, and should be avoided, of course.)
“Another way to say it is, it's easy to say ‘no’ to a new idea; it takes more courage and personal strength to change one’s mind, to say ‘yes’ or ‘maybe,’ and then check something out that might challenge our beliefs. The media has gotten into the unfortunate habit of calling this ‘flip-flopping.’ We used to call it ‘changing one’s minds,’ being willing to change a point of view after receiving new information, a good thing.
“I’m humbled by this young man’s change of mind. I know I can be closed-minded to some things, thinking I have all the answers. It blocks learning, blocks enjoyment, blocks lot of things.”
--Tom Nordland
------------------------------------------------------------ 5. KIDS' KORNER ------------------------------------------------------------ (Reprint of a very valuable article)
FOCUS ON THE TARGET WHEN PERFORMING TO REDUCE FEAR! (A young girl from New Mexico has a realization!)
One problem we all have is trusting a new stroke (or new anything) when there is pressure, when it "counts!" Why is it that, even when we're getting pretty good with a new stroke or behavior, we revert to our old habits in games and screw things up?
FROM PRACTICE AREA TO THE COURSE Golfers have this problem all the time, the difference between golf swings or putting strokes they can make on the driving range or practice green and the swings or putts that happen on the course when each shot counts. The latter is usually disastrous, with tension, fear, doubt, or all of the above interfering with the result.
MAKE THE TARGET MORE IMPORTANT! A young girl from New Mexico I coached this winter just wrote me with her discoveries in this area. The question is what can you do to perform your best in competition, in what she calls "in public." Here are her words:
"Hey Tom! I think I have a clue that may help me to better my shooting in public. When I was reading some things on your website, something really clicked. There was a question that a boy had that had the same weakness as myself. Your guess was lack of concentration on the goal.
"I started to notice that when I am being very self aware of how I am shooting, I miss. Now that I have gotten the method down, I just need to focus mostly on the goal, and not worry about much else. Does this sound familiar? Thank you."
-- Kelly B., Springer, NM
PROFOUND DISCOVERY Yes, Kelly, you had a really profound discovery! Thoughts about HOW you're performing in the middle of a competitive action usually lead to fear (of the future) and doubts (about your abilities), those two worthy adversaries we all have in our lives. Thinking is not in the same dimension as physical action. If you're thinking, it's usually about the past or some future outcome that you're interested in or about some failure from the past. Often these thoughts are about what did happen, what could happen, what might happen, etc., and they're usually negative (I could miss the basket, I could airball it, I DID screw it up, I could ook foolish, I could fail!).
However, if you can minimize the thinking and return more and more to the "present moment," to the action that's happening, and be more with feel than with thoughts, you will perform better. That's been my experience. It's tough to do when the doubts and fears get really intense, but with practice you can get better and better at this process, like you are doing.
THE TARGET -- A GREAT FOCUS! One wonderful focus is on the target. You could focus on other things, like feeling the ball in your fingers as you shoot, or noticing when in the jump you start your Release, etc., and that focus will help put you in the present and performance will improve. Focus on the target is another place to put your attention while you perform, and it's probably the most effective because it increases awareness of where you're going!
TRY IT! Play with this and notice if you can just see the basket clearly with little or no emotion or attachment (how am I doing?) as you shoot. Just see it! You'll find your mind gets calmer and your "connection" with the target goes up. Trust will also go up because trust occurs in the present, not in any future or past. If you're truly aware of where you're going, there's a natural sense of trust that occurs, especially when you have a stroke that works, a stroke you can count on, which is what Kelly is developing. Try shooting this way and your experience will teach you how to do it.
SUMMARY In practice pay attention (awareness) to HOW you do things, what's happening with your body, where you're getting your power from, your wrist and hand, height, spin, etc., but in games, when it counts, shift your attention to the TARGET, to where you want the ball to go. When it counts, keep it very simple and learn to trust your body to do what it knows to do. It won't always do what you want, but with practice and more and more trust, you'll surprise yourself with how well you can perform under pressure.
Thanks, Kelly, for a wonderful subject for the KIDS' KORNER!
************************************************* End of archived Newsletter *************************************************
(c) Copyright 2009 Swish International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
| Privacy | Disclaimer | Copyright © 2010 Swish International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | |||
