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MAXIMIZING 3-POINT BASKETBALL SHOOTING ACCURACY: MARKERLESS MOTION CAPTURE ANALYSIS

Abstract

In the modern game of basketball, long-distance shooting efficiency is one of the key performance parameters that differentiate winning from losing game outcomes on both amateur and professional levels of competition. PURPOSE: By using innovative testing methodologies, the purpose of the present study was to examine differences in biomechanical characteristics between proficient and non-proficient 3-point shooters. METHODS: Twenty-six recreationally active males (age = 22.4±5.4 yrs; hgt = 185.8±5.2 cm; wgt = 83.3±9.5 kg) volunteered to participate in the present study. After completing a standardized warm-up procedure, each participant attempted 10 non-consecutive 3-point shots (6.75 m) with 10-15 s rest interval between each attempt. A 3D markerless motion capture system (SwRI Enable, San Antonio, TX, USA) composed of 9 high-definition cameras (Sony, RXO-II, Tokyo, Japan) sampling at 120 Hz was used to analyze the biomechanical parameters of interest during preparatory (i.e., initial concentric movement) and release phases (i.e., time point of the ball release) of the shooting motion. Independent t-tests were used to examine statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between proficient (n=11) and non-proficient shooters (n=15) and Hedge’s g to depict the effect size magnitudes. Participants who made >50% of their 3-point shooting attempts were classified as proficient. RESULTS: Significant between-group differences were found in the stance width during the preparatory phase and hip angle during the release phase of the shooting motion, with both values being greater within the proficient group of shooters (Table 1). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study indicate that proficient 3-point shooters tend to have a wider stance during the initial phase of the shooting motion (i.e., improved balance and greater stability) when compared to non-proficient shooters and keep the torso in near-vertical position at the time point of the ball release (i.e., no backward trunk lean). Thus, providing basketball players with cues that focus on addressing the aforementioned adjustments in shooting form may help optimize individual 3-point shooting accuracy as well as the overall team’s chances in securing the winning game outcome. Table 1. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviations), statistically significant differences, and effect sizes of the differences between proficient (n=11; >50%) and non-proficient (n=15; <50%) 3-point basketball shooters.

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