Are You A Catapult Shooter?

If you shoot like Ray Allen, you are a Catapult Shooter!

For those that don’t know, Ray played 18 yrs. in the NBA for Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, and Miami leaving his mark as one of the greatest shooters of all-time before retiring in 2014.

“No way Ray is a Catapult Shooter” … admit it, that thought entered your mind.

 

Seeing Is Believing

Time lapse photography allows us to see exactly what happens during high-speed action.

Ray Allen

• Frames 1, 2, and 3 show Ray in the process of taking the ball above his head where it momentarily stops before changing direction towards the basket
• Frames 4, 5, and 6 show Ray’s upper arm REMAINING STILL as his forearm moves toward the basket resulting in full extension at the wrist snap … A True Catapult Action!

 

Comparing Techniques

This picture contrasts Steph Curry’s jump shot progression to Ray Allen’s above.

Steph Curry

• Frames 1 and 2 show Steph taking the ball up to his forehead area where it then starts on a path toward the basket without pausing or stopping
• Frames 3, 4, 5, and 6 show Steph’s upper arm RISING as his forearm moves toward basket resulting in full extension at the wrist snap … A Pushing Action!

 

Both Work

Ray Allen and Steph Curry are fantastic shooters!  They get results using different methods:

• Ray Allen stops the ball above his head resulting in a Catapult Action.  His forearm acts like a LEVER propelling the ball towards the basket while his upper arm REMAINS STILL.
• Steph Curry takes the ball to his forehead resulting in a Pushing Action.  His upper arm and forearm WORK AS A UNIT propelling the ball UP and AT the basket.

 

Labels

Now that you know how to identify a Catapult Shooter, the question becomes … ARE YOU ONE?

If your upper arm action is like that of Ray Allen, then you fit into the Catapult category!  Perhaps you’re more like Steph Curry or maybe a hybrid of both?

Some don’t care for labels when it comes to identifying shooting styles, e.g., one-piece shot (Push Action) or two-piece shot (Catapult Action).  Instead, they focus more on general shooting principles as their guide.

No matter which way you lean, it’s important to understand how different techniques work.  With knowledge, you can better decide what fits your shooting philosophy.  That could involve taking principles from several techniques or it could mean shooting exactly like someone else.

 

With God and a powerful dream, anything is possible!

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