One of my favorite catch phrases to use when explaining something simple in basketball is: It’s basketball, not rocket science. Well, a rocket scientist, physicist, and an expert in something called “machine vision” have created a “shot analyzer” that breaks down optimal shot arc.
From Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post:
First developed in 1993, it is now used by NBA teams such as the Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks, by dozens of college programs and by hundreds of high school coaches across the country, including Pomona High School’s Brian Zehnder.
“The biggest thing is that it makes players aware of the arc they are shooting with, and shows them if their shot is consistent,” said John Welch, an assistant coach for the Nuggets who introduced Noah to the team about 18 months ago. “We are constantly telling players to ‘Shoot it up, get more arc,’ but they don’t always hear that. But with this, they get immediate feedback. They can see it. They can work for consistency.”
Noah’s genesis came 15 years ago when a trio of friends in Silicon Valley combined a love of basketball with an expertise in science. One man, Alan Marty, was a physicist. A second man, Ridge McGhee, was an expert in the complex computer field called machine vision. A third man, Tom Edwards, was a division chief at NASA with degrees in aeronautics and astronautics. In other words, he was a rocket scientist.
Together, they built Noah, in part because they wanted to find a way for their daughters to become better shooters. What they came up with was a system that teaches basketball players to shoot better and instill muscle memory. A camera captures every shot, and the computer analyzes the arc of the ball as it travels from the player’s hand to the hoop. It also shows where the ball lands on the rim.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
This is cool, I like the idea of being able to accurately depict a shot arc…but I doubt this will be at my local Y.