Apply Math and Geometry in Basketball
Look your surroundings, look at your environment, Have you noticed something? No? Maybe it is that everything around you has a shape, angles, and involve certain measures. Yes, Geometry and Math are everywhere, in music, in your house, in video games, in yourself and even in basketball. Here we'll talk about how you can use these two great disciplines in your own benefit inside the court, so you can increase your percentages.
Contents
Steps
- Get to know the court's geometry: You have to know all the measures from where you play, so you can have a better spacial notion. The hoop diameter (18 in), the length from hoop to hoop (94/84 ft), the ball itself (9.4 in diameter), the field wideness (50 ft), and the length from the three point line to the hoop (19 ft).
- Understand shooting implications: When you shoot you are involving three factors: angles, the impulse, and the position of your arms. You have to apply a greater angle (understanding the angle as a perpendicular line from your hips, and the extension of your arms) if you make a field shot, but a smaller one when you shoot from inside the free throw zone. You may shoot higher when you have some defenders in front of you. Also I recommend to shoot from a 45 degree angle or greater angle, because that helps the ball to enter softer and cleaner to the basket. Your elbow should be the closest possible to your face so the ball goes in a straight line. Extend your arm as far as you can so you have greater force.
- Recognize the math in bouncing: The ball is a semi-sphere that, according to Newton, will have a reaction depending on the force you apply it. When poorly pumped up, it will not bounce as well as when it is full of air. It also doesn't bounce as well when you don't it bounce correctly. You have to apply the ball a relative amount of force, depending if you want to give a long bounce pass, if you are running, or if you are dribbling. My advice is that when dribbling, apply considerable force to the ball, and bounce it close to the floor, so that you can have better control. Use a straighter angle on bound passes if you want them to get further, and when running keep it at the height of your hips so you maintain your speed.
- Get an assistant to record percentages: You have to know how many rebounds, shoots, steals, and counter attacks you are making, so you can improve on the areas were you have low performance. Record the attempted and made shoots. The offensive and defensive rebounds. The total steals and counter attacks on the game. The second chance points you made and the team's shooting tendencies.
- Understand the parabola in shoots: The parabola is the downside curve that's made in every shoot. As you are shooting you may realize that as higher the parabola the cleaner or easier the ball gets inside the hoop, and as lower, the more chances there are the ball hits the rim. For the parabola effect to be completed you should apply the "follow through" with your wrist, that means you shall give the ball a back flip effect at the end of your shot using your hand.
- Apply geometry in rebounding: Whenever the ball is shot from one side, from a field shoot, it will end on the other side, the most of the times; when shot from the free throw zone it will mostly rebound on the same side. When more force is applied the rebound will get further, when little force implied, the ball will fall in the same place it hit. So familiarize yourself with rebounding implications so you can guess every time where the ball's going.
- Understand defensive implications: Every defense has got to know how geometry is applied, so they can know how they can steal more balls, avoid being tricked and stop their man from scoring. The first implication are the defensive angles at which you stand your man, when you are half-sided, you have an advantage, as he cannot get past you as easy as if you faced him directly with no body angle. The same is applied to the angle of your legs on defensive position, the more folded your legs the faster you are. Finally realize that when you displace with the higher front part of your feet (tips), you also are faster, as there is faster contact with the floor.
Tips
- Remember that the angles depend to the force and the length you need.
- Try to remember the most possible geometric facts, as you will improve on all your skills.
- High school's point line is not {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, it's 19' 9" and gets longer in college and pro levels.
Warnings
- Try to be natural on your playing style.
