In The Zone
As a basketball player, there is no better individual feeling than being in “the zone”. Shooting the ball into the hoop is no longer a challenge while in the zone. Getting open is easy, the defense seems to moves slower than normal, and most importantly, there is an extremely high level of focus and confidence that is a part of being in the zone.
Although it may not happen often, basketball players don’t enter the zone by accident. It is a result of years and years of skill development, based on correct shooting fundamentals. The zone is the realization of maximum physical performance combined with the highest level of concentration and determination. It happens for athletes in other sports as well, and it happens for the same reasons in other sports as it does in basketball.
Michael Jordan is known to have said that throughout his playing career, on games when he was in the zone, he often woke up the morning of the game knowing he was going to have an exceptional performance. In Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals, Boston Celtics’ shooting guard Ray Allen made the first 7 three-point shots that he attempted, on the biggest stage in basketball while undoubtedly drawing extra attention from the defense after the first few makes. Allen is among the best at his craft, and part of his game-day routine is to go through a shooting workout three hours before every game.
As a result of their work ethic and passion for the game, Allen and Jordan have both been rewarded by entering the zone often throughout their careers, putting on shooting displays that dazzle the audience and frustrate the opponents. The truth is, any aspiring basketball player has the chance to enter “the zone”. It is all about learning the right way to shoot the ball, and doing it a whole lot. This is a primary focus of our training video “Pure Shooting”. No matter your age, athletic ability, gender, or experience, learn and apply our 6 Principles to Pure Shooting, and you give yourself a chance to be a great shooter, hopefully putting on a few shooting shows along the way!
Billy Lewis & Jonathan Schneiderman
Aim High Hoops, Inc.