Review of the Star Shooter Deluxe Shooting Program by Jay Wolf
By Dr. James Gels, From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook"Helping coaches coach better..."
I must admit that I tend to be a skeptical person, and so I was skeptical about Star Shooter's "shooting strap" and the Deluxe Shooting program, thinking that it is probably just another shooting gimmick. But I was wrong. Shooting coach Jay Wolf has put together this program that includes two excellent shooting DVDs, the shooting strap, and a practice manual that includes work-out drills for improving your shooting.
Jay Wolf
First, let's mention the shooting strap. This is a shooting aid that actually works. It is applied to the off-hand and helps the shooter develop a consistent one-handed release, keeping the off-hand and thumb off the ball when it is released. That's all it does, and all it claims to do. But the off-hand affecting the shot is one of the most common causes of poor shooting, especially misses to the left or right. The shooting strap, along with the many drills that Jay provides, will help solve that problem.
The first DVD, "Foundation Training Video: Shooting With A Passion For Excellence", is an excellent teaching of the important fundamentals of the shot, including how to hold the ball, alignment, balance, release, etc. Coach Wolf breaks it down into "Ready", "Aim", "Fire" and "Freeze" aspects and provides drills for each step. Included are shooting free-throws and how to become your own "shot doctor", by learning how to correct your own errors.
The second DVD, "Practice Training Video: Secrets Of Effective Practice", take things much further. Players and coaches are taught how to take home video of the shooter, from various angles, and how to use video analysis in correcting errors. There are more drills for developing a perfect release, and six separate work-outs for free-throws, shooting off the dribble, off the pass, spot-shooting, etc. A big part of this DVD is learning how to recognize and correct your own shooting errors, breaking errors down into two categories (left-right misses and long-short misses), and describing seven common errors.
Coach Wolf's program has the endorsement of a number of top-level basketball coaches, including Flip Saunders, Morgan Wootten, Lute Olson, Dick Bennett, Kevin McHale, Bruce Pearl, and Al McGuire. This list is impressive in itself. This program is recommended to any player who wants to become a great shooter, and to coaches who are helping teach and correct shooters.
- Coach Gels
