What are some biomechanics of the shot and how do they affect it?

There are many biomechanical aspects to think about when performing a free throw. Each biomechanical aspect will affect the flight of the ball and therefor the accuracy of the shot. Levers- human bones and associated joints of the body that act as a simple machine so that force applied to one end of the bone tends to rotate the bone in the direction opposite from that of the applied force. The muscles of the body produce the forces that move the bones (levers). The basic components of a lever are the fulcrum, the force arm, and the weight arm. A third-class lever, such as the forearm and elbow used in the shooting action, has the force between the fulcrum and the weight. The body mainly uses its third-class levers for speed. A person with longer arms and therefore longer levers has a larger range of motion and more speed in their shots than a smaller person. Having longer levers in your arm also requires more force than smaller ones. This can affect the shot as more effort is needed to move longer levers.

Biomechanics of the Jump Shot

Jump shot definition: a shot at the basket made by a player releasing the ball at the highest point of a leap (Collins English Dictionary, 2003). The Answer Force There are many different biomechanical principals that contribute to the effectiveness of a jump shot in terms of its accuracy and power. One of these is force. Force can be looked at in a number of different ways when relating to a jump shot. For example, there is the production of force that the shooter uses to release the ball, and then there is also the application of force to the ground in order for the shooter to start the jumping motion. According to Wuest and Butcher (2009) Body force is produced by the actions of muscles. The stronger the muscles, the more force the body is capable of producing. However, the force of the muscle group or groups must be applied in the same direction and in proper sequence to realise the greatest force. (p. 237)

This leads to an important biomechanical principal, which is the summation of forces. In order to impart the most power on the basketball the shooter must use a summation of forces starting from their legs and concluding right at their fingertips as they release the ball. As a result of an increase in power being added to each muscle group from the one before it the wrist and fingers will be able to push the ball a lot further than they would have been able to if they were the only muscle groups involved.

Image 1, Source: Unknown Author i Image 1 shows the summation of force, which begins in the calves and moves through the quads, trunk, shoulder, bicep, tricep, and wrist before being applied to the ball by the fingers. The jump shot is defined as a shot where the ball is released at the highest point of the jump. In order for a player to leave the ground and take their shot they must apply sufficient force to the ground to create upward reaction force. Newtons third law states that For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (Blazevich, 2012, p. 45). Force is measured in newtons and can be calculated by the formula F (force)=m (mass) a (acceleration). Acceleration on earth is 9.81 metres per second (or approximately 10) due to the effect of gravity. So for someone with a mass of 80kg the equation to calculate their weight (mass is the amount of matter in an object, weight is the effect of gravity on matter, it is measured in newtons) looks like this. F = 80 x 10m.s F = 800 N So in order to get off the ground an 80kg person must direct more than 800 N (typically it will require a lot more to do a significant enough jump to perform a jump shot) of force into the ground in order to create a reaction force that will send them into the air. (Blazevich, 2012, p. 45) Wuest and Butcher (2009) state that Force from the legs must be applied to the ground such that the upward reaction force from the ground is directed through the centre of mass of the body (p. 2 38). It is important for the shooter to have their feet shoulder width apart as they start to jump so that their centre of mass stays along the midline of their body. If they are leaning to either side, or to the front or back, then their body will travel in that direction as they leave the ground and they will not jump as high. Jumping straight up vertically also helps with the accuracy of the shot as the body stays more balanced in the air and the shooter will be able to keep their eyes fixed on the ring. Image 2 illustrates the principals of force being created from the legs and also upward reaction force. It also shows the importance of keeping the centre of mass along the midline of the body. The red arrows show the direction that force is applied to the ground from the legs and the green arrows show the direction of the upward reaction force that is created by the initial downward force. A force plate attached to a wall can measure the leg press force output.

Image 2, Source: Unknown Author II Levers Levers enable one to gain a mechanical advantage by producing either strength or range of motion and speed (Wuest & Butcher, 2009, p. 236). When shooting a basketball using the correct technique the arm with which the ball is shot will act as a lever and help increase power in the shot. All levers consist of three things: A fulcrum or axis around which the lever rotates A force arm, which is measured by the distance between the fulcrum and the place where the force is applied A resistance arm, which is measured by the distance between the fulcrum and the place where resistance is applied (Wuest & Butcher, 2009)

There are three different types of levers in the body, first class levers, second class levers and third class levers. The jump shot uses two third class levers. The third class lever shown in Image 3 is used to gain power in the jump shot and has its fulcrum in the elbow joint, the effort where the tricep muscle connects to the forearm and the load where the ball is held in the hand.

Image 3, Source; Unknown Author II This lever works as the tricep muscle moves from being in an eccentric contraction as shown in image 3 to a concentric contraction once the arm has straightened out as the ball is released. The tricep actually connects to the forearm via a tendon just above the elbow joint, which is what makes this a third class lever and not a first class lever. The second type of lever used in this technique has more to do with the accuracy of the shot. It is another third class lever that is similar to the first one but has its fulcrum in the wrist, its effort where the tendon from the forearm connects to the hand and its load where the ball is held in the hand.

Image 4, Source: Unknown Author II

This lever is what helps to guide the ball off the middle and index fingers as the shot is completed. As the wrist muscles and tendons go from eccentric contraction to concentric contraction they pull the wrist upwards and make it follow through linear to where the forearm is facing. Haefner (2008) discusses the importance of effectively using this lever in jump shooting technique. Your elbow and wrist should extend in a straight line to the basket. Your shooting hand should extend in a straight line to the rim.

Hand position on delivery is very important. The ball should come off the hand with perfect symmetrical backspin.

Image 5, Source: Breakthrough Basketball Image 5 illustrates the importance of the third class lever in the wrist, which enables the shooter to release the ball and have it travel linear to where the forearm and wrist were facing.

LEVERS IN SPORT Sherriff page 71 In sport, levers are used by sports people to GENERATE MORE FORCE OR SPEED FOR EFFORT. Levers have 3 clear parts. The Fulcrum; the point about which the movement happens. The Load; the weight that needs to be moved. The Force; the energy produced to overcome the load, in the body, this is produced by the muscles.

In many sports, optimum technique maximizes the levers in our bodies, to generate great force or speed. Discuss Rugby pass.

In other sports, the equipment used acts as an extension of the levers in our bodies to generate even greater force or speed. Discuss Tennis serve.

In still other sports, the equipment used acts as an extra lever to generate even greater force. Discuss Rowing.

A basic principle for levers in sport is; the longer the lever, the more force or speed it can generate.

Question: How would you coach a player who wanted to

maximize the force or speed they could generate, when executing the following sports skills, knowing what you know, about levers in sport? Explain in detail why you are getting them to do what ever it is you are asking them to do. Volleyball serve, golf swing, hockey stroke, running