Can Kobe Shoot Without Using his Index Finger?

The 2010 NBA playoffs are about to begin and the defending champion Lakers look to be a couple of players short of a repeat. The main problem for the Lakers is Kobe Bryant and his dip in shooting form. His shooting has always been his most dangerous weapon and it is not firing now.

Over the last 5 games Kobe has attempted 109 field goals and made only 43 of them averaging just over 39% when his season average is around 45.6%. Kobe suffered, along with other injuries, an avulsion fracture to his right index finger earlier this season. In most games he has managed to continue to shoot reasonably well with this broken finger as can be seen by his season average field goal percentage, but something has changed recently.

Can we blame his finger for his loss in shooting form? Unfortunately we were unable to obtain any video of Kobe that focused on the hand and how he may have changed his grip or the mechanics of his shooting to account for the pain or the cast/bandage on his finger.

But lets take a look at this slow motion video of a basketball free throw and particularly of the hand and fingers at the point of release.



Here is a close up of the hand at point of release. Notice that this recreational player shoots the ball off the fingers of his shooting hand as he should. Our player does not follow through with his wrist correctly, but our focus is on his fingers. We can see that the ball comes off his fingers and that the index finger imparts the last bit of spin and push to the ball. This is expected as the index finger can execute tasks with more control than any of your other fingers, just think which finger you use on your iPhone or iPad to navigate around.

Back to Kobe. It is pretty obvious from the video that the index finger plays an important role in shooting the basketball. But Kobe has had this injury for a while and although it dented his shooting average for a few games in January, it seems to have only recently started affecting him again.

In order to continue to shoot well after the injury in December 2009, Kobe most likely studied his shot on video and made adjustments to the way he executed the final phase of the shot (the ball release). With a cast on the index finger he made and adjustment to keep this finger off the ball and out of the way when shooting and used his middle and ring finger to create the backspin and final push for the shot. He definitely seemed to work it out but he never looked exceptionally fluid with his shooting technique, even when he made the shots.

In the last 5 games something has changed. It is possible that Kobe's finger has healed sufficiently and he is no longer using a splint. The basic wrapping may allow him to use the index finger during shooting once again. The problem may be that the finger is not entirely healed, otherwise it would probably be out of the wrapping altogether. Kobe may be trying to go back to his normal shooting mechanics or simply trying to once again tweak his mechanics to accommodate the new condition of playing with his index finger taped. Either way he will need to find some mechanics that will make him an effective  shooter through the play offs as the Lakers will most likely need him to succeed again.

The use of video analysis can assist any athlete in making the necessary adjustments to improve or change mechanics when needed. Of course we do not suggest that you continue to play and change your mechanics if you are injured. Unless you are payed to play, it is better to analyze video and practice to perform correct mechanics that will improve your game and also prevent injury.

Football Quarterback Throws - The Long and Short Pass

The NFL is becoming a very offensive game, with quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers airing out long passes regularly and using short quick passes to their running backs more often than the hand off.

The reasons for the increased amount of passing in the NFL are still up for debate. The simple fact is that the teams whose quarterbacks are throwing more are winning more. If throwing is the winning formula then all teams are going to try it.

All this throwing makes for exciting football. Hail Mary passes for touch downs, miraculous interceptions and numerous spectacular catches have all been part of the 2009 season. The wide receivers have to be on their game and the quarterbacks have to throw accurate passes with the right amount of force , often under pressure.

The quarterback has two basic options when throwing a pass. He can either step into it and air it out for distance, or he can throw a short accurate pass.
In both cases it is important to use proper mechanics to achieve the results and also to prevent any injury to the shoulder or elbow.
In general the best mechanics for all throws can be described as:

1. Aim your non throwing shoulder at your target.
2. Step forward with the opposite foot to your throwing arm to counterbalance the throwing action.
3. Rotate your hips toward your target followed by your shoulders and finally your throwing arm.
4. Follow through with your throwing arm, so that you put speed on the ball and prevent injury.

Lets take a look at two different types of passes, by our two quarterbacks. These quarterbacks (myself and Dennis) are weekend flag football quarterbacks and do not have the best mechanics. Although we will comment on their mechanics (good and bad) we are focused on the differences between the two throws.

The first throw shows QB1 stepping into a throw and attempting to follow the mechanics described above. He is attempting a long throw to his wide receiver way down the field.

• QB1 starts by taking a few steps back. Most quarterbacks do this to create some room to step into a throw. This is not always possible, but it is usually necessary if you are trying to throw to a wide receiver way down field.
• He then does a little skip hop to position his back foot at right angles to the direction he wants to throw. He does this so that his hips also remain closed to the target (at right angles).
• His lead shoulder (left) is also pointing toward the target. This also keeps his shoulders closed to the target.
• The red arrow shows how QB1's hips will rotate toward the target, while the blue arrow shows his shoulders. Rotating first his hips followed by his shoulders toward the target will create a kinematic sequence which will allow QB1 to put more speed into his throw and therefore get more distance. The kinematic sequence was first described in golf but it can and should be used to create power in any throwing or hitting sport. The idea is that by first accelerating your hips, then shoulders then arm toward the target in the throw you will create the most energy for the throw with the most efficiency and least effort.
• Our QB1 does not make best use of the kinematic sequence as his hips and shoulders rotate toward the target almost simultaneously, but he is still using his rotational energy to create throwing speed.
• Finally he follows through with his arm across his body to obtain maximum speed until ball release and allowing his arm to decelerate after the throw.

Now lets look at QB2 , who is also stepping into a throw, but he is keeping his hips and shoulders open to the target and using mostly his arm to make the pass. With this technique it is very difficult to throw a long pass and is usually used in rushed situations and for short passes.

• QB2 also takes a few steps back to create space. This is not necessary to throw a pass like this but it may give the quarterback some time to make a decision.
• He also takes a skip hop but lands with his back foot facing toward the target. This keeps his hips open to the target.
• His lead shoulder turns a little toward the target, but he cannot turn as much because he has kept his hips facing the target. Turning his front shoulder toward the target a little, allows QB2 to get a bit of rotation of the shoulders into his throw.
• The red arrow describes the direction of QB2's hips moving forward and the blue arrow the direction of his shoulders. He is not using the kinematic sequence to create arm speed in this case. Although by turning his front shoulder a little toward the target, he is getting some of the energy of rotation that the kinematic sequence gives a thrower.
• Unlike QB1, QB2 needs to use much more strength in his throwing shoulder and arm to throw his pass. For this reason it is very difficult to throw a long pass using this technique. If QB2 attempts to throw as hard as he can with this technique he could cause shoulder or elbow injuries, because of the extra stresses and forces on his muscles.
• QB2 is meant to be throwing a short accurate pass, but he does release the ball a little early, so we will assume he was just trying to lob it over the defenders head.
• Finally QB2 follows through across his body, allowing his arm to decelerate without injury.

Watch the quarterbacks in the NFL and notice when they throw with an open hip and shoulder technique and when they rotate toward the target. In most instances you will see that they use the kinematic sequence and rotate their hips and shoulders into the throw to create good accurate passes, even for short passes.

Once in a while however, usually when they are under pressure, you will see them launch a pass with hips and shoulder facing their receiver and using mostly their arm power and little rotation.

Enjoy the rest of the NFL season. We hope to see many more games with more than 300 yards passing. Get out your video camera and film your throwing mechanics to compare to the pros.

Improving your Basketball Free Throw with Video

The NBA playoffs are now in full swing. King Lebron James is showing us all why he deserves the MVP and why the Cleveland Cavaliers must be considered the favorites for the title. Free throw shooting in the playoffs is even more critical than during the regular season and therefore we bring you a second installment of our video analysis of the basketball free throw.

In March we introduced the Video Analysis of the Basketball Freethrow and compared two different subjects and their respective shooting techniques. We focused on the angle of release in particular. This week, we captured video of our Subject 1 from March, to see if he was able to use the video analysis to make improvements. Once again we will use video analysis software to determine and quantify whether any significant improvements have been made with his technique.

As you may recall from our first analysis, it was noted that this subject could improve his chances of making a successful free throw by increasing the angle of release of the ball, so it falls on more of a downward arc as it gets closer to the hoop. Let's take a look at some stillshots that were created with some analysis software.





This week we filmed our video at a different court and set up our camera on the right side of the subject so we could see his right arm more clearly. Unfortunately in the earlier video (top photo), we needed to set up on the left side of the subject for lighting reasons. In order to compare the subjects free throw technique, we used our analysis software to create a mirror image of the subject from the March video (top photo). This allows us to watch the video and study the still shots with more clarity. When we mirror the image, it looks as if the subject in the mirror image is left handed, but of course this is not the case. The mirror image function of video analysis software is very useful for comparing left and right handed players or comparing video of movement in different directions, as we do here.

Ok, let's get onto the analysis. For the "before" shot (subject with blue shirt, top photo), we see the angle of release is 48 degrees from horizontal. For the "after" shot (subject with red shirt, bottom photo), the angle of release is 61 degrees from horizontal. This is approximately a 27% increase in the angle of release from the first to second shot. As we mentioned in the March post the higher the angle the higher the arc of the free throw. Therefore, we can safely say the ball will be coming down in more of a downward arc as it approaches the rim. If the subject continues to shoot with the technique seen in the more recent shot; this will likely result in more free throws made.

The video below shows a side by side view of the subject's free throw attempts in full motion.




Besides the improvement in release angle we can also note how the subject follows through on each shot. Although it would be easier to see from a behind or front-on view, we can still see that the "before" subject follows through across his body, whereas the "after" subject follows through more towards the hoop. Following through towards the hoop is going to help the subject's chances of shooting the ball towards the middle of the hoop, rather than to one side or another. For obvious reasons a ball moving straight toward the hoop is more likely to go in to the basket.

Following through towards the hoop on a free throw (or jump shot) helps ensure the player moves the ball towards the target throughout the shot, rather than having to rely on perfect timing to get the ball going towards the hoop. Minimizing this error of the shot going left or right makes it easier for the subject to now focus most of his attention on the angle of release relative to horizontal.

Remember to use your video camera, so that you can see and analyze your own free throws. Once you see your shot you will have a better understanding of how to improve it. We hope this posting helps you get the most out of your free throw practice sessions. Whether you need to make free throws to get into a pickup game at a park, or your team's relying on you to hit the game winning foul shot, the ability to make free throws consistently is an important skill for every basketball player to have.

Video Analysis of the Basketball Free Throw

We know why you visit our blog, to learn how to capture and analyze sports performance. Today we present our first videos and some biomechanical analysis done with free video analysis software.

Before we begin, we want to remind you that our intention is to show you the tools you can use for the video analysis of sports. We are biomedical engineers who have done research and work in sports performance analysis, but no one can be an expert on all sports. Therefore, although our biomechanical analysis is correct, our coaching tips (which we will minimize) should be evaluated with a professional coach in the appropriate sport, and must be evaluated on an athlete-by-athlete basis.

With the NCAA basketball tournaments about to begin and the regular season of the NBA about to end, we know many of you are spending a lot of time either watching or playing basketball. In honor of March Madness, our videos this week are of a basketball free throw. We have video of two subjects with very different techniques shooting a free throw. We have set up our camera on the side of the subject, as we wanted to evaluate the subjects ball release angle.
The two videos can be seen below. Notice that both the free throw shooters are right-handed therefore it would have been more appropriate for us to shoot the video from the other side of the court, so that we would have a clear view of the right arm. However, in this case, lighting conditions and other background interference meant that shooting from the left side of the athlete would result in a sharper image to analyse. We were, however, lucky that in both videos we can see enough of the shooting arm and ball to evaluate the release angle that we are interested in.





With these two independent videos there is already so much we can analyze. We can see that Subject 1 jumps quite high off the ground for his free throw and also falls forward, while Subject 2 goes up on his toes. As the camera was set up in almost the same position, we can immediately notice that Subject 2 is quite a bit taller than Subject 1 and we can take that into account in our assessment. Subject 1 is jumping in order to gain more height on his free throw. This is causing the ball to come out of his hand at a flatter angle.

A feature of many free video analysis software is that we can compare two subjects side by side. When comparing 2 subjects, it is important to also synchronize the video to a specific event. In our comparison video below, we have synchronized the two subjects' free throws at the point of ball release. We need to synchronize video for comparison because not all videos are the same length, as some subjects may take longer to shoot their free throw than others. If we tried to analyze two videos of free throws that were not synchronized, we would have a very difficult time ensuring that we could see both subjects releasing the ball at the same time. The free video analysis software we used allows us to synchronize side by side video, but not to save it out as an avi. We therefore used a well-known video analysis software to create the synchronized view you see below:



If you are a basketball coach, you can probably see a few things that can be improved for both

Subject 1 and Subject 2. Please send us your comments or coaching tips if you have suggestions.
We however are going to suggest some improvements for subject 1 based on a little bit more video analysis we did with a free video analysis software package.





Here are two freeze frame images of Subject 1 (top) and Subject 2. Using free video analysis software, we have calculated the angle of release for both subjects, and zoomed in on their arms and the ball at this release point. Subject 1 released the ball at 48 degrees to horizontal while Subject 2 released the ball at 79 degrees to the horizontal.

Now for some basic physics. The diameter of the basketball rim should be exactly twice the diameter of the basketball. In other words, two basketballs can fit through the hoop at the same time (if everything is perfect and there is no net). During a free throw or any basketball shot from the outer court, we are throwing the ball on an arc. The ball needs to move forward as well as up (for most of us) to get it into the net. The ball can either move on a flatter arc (Subject 1) or on a steeper arc (Subject 2). On a flatter arc the ball will not go as high but will move forward further and quicker; on a steeper arc, the ball will go higher and not as far. This means a free throw on a steeper arc will come down straighter and take advantage of the size of the basketball rim, while a flatter free throw will need to be far more accurate as a ball moving forward is more likely to hit the rim.

Subject 1 should try to put his free throw on a higher arc to take advantage of the physics described above. He can see immediately from this video analysis that his free throw is at a 30 degree flatter angle at release than Subject 2 and while practicing his free throws, should concentrate on releasing the ball on a higher angle. Once Subject 1 has some time to practice, we will get another video of him and see how he has improved.

Hope you enjoyed this first full Video Analysis. Remember that you too can do this type of in-depth analysis. All you need is a video camera and a little understanding. Follow us to get more tips, tricks, and understanding in using your video camera to analyze different sports.

We are happy to answer any questions or hear from you, please leave us a comment.