14 Sep A Revisit Back To The Guide Hand
Guide Hand Nuance:
It is critical to understand how important the guide hand is to the shot.
Most players and less experienced coaches would assume that the shooting hand is key to the shot because its the hand that is actually shooting the ball. But upon closer inspection without the guide hand making contact with the ball, the shot become less effective.
That does not imply you cannot shoot the ball without the use of the guide hand, you can. Technically you only shoot with one hand.
Here is the nuance though. Without that guide hand on the ball the shot feels less controlled.
The litmus test. I have players try both approaches as a coach for a great teaching point. They learn two immediate lessons:
1) One hand Shots- you technically shoot with one hand
2) Both hands – the guide hand feel on the ball becomes crystal clear how it gives more control to the shooting hand
With all the players I have trained over the years in working on their shots, ironically it is usually a guide hand fix that develops or improves the shot.
It is hard for most youth players to fully process what the guide hand does for shooting Most youth players either try to shoot with the guide hand or they do not understand how the guide hand coordinates with the shooting hand without interference.
The nuance of that guide hand:
1) You cannot grip the ball with it but you have to apply just the right amount of pressure for stability
2) Fingers have to be properly spaced for the right feel for control
3) The guide hand thumb has to be positioned correctly for proper coordination
4) The guide hand itself has to be positioned on the ball to make the shot feel natural . This will vary from player to player based on body mechanics
5) The guide hand fingers are relaxed on the ball for added natural feel
The goal and challenge is to get all these individual components to calibrate perfectly to create a controlled consistent release. This is why the guide hand is actually the control hand.
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