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Nothing But Net: The Science of Shooting Hoops

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Abstract

Swish! What a great sound when you hit the perfect shot and get nothing but net. Here's a project to get you thinking about how you can make that perfect shot more often.

Summary

Areas of Science
Difficulty
 
Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
No issues
Credits

Andrew Olson, Ph.D., Science Buddies

This project is based on a DragonflyTV episode.

Objective

The goal of this project is to determine if the ball's starting position for shooting a basketball affects a player's shooting percentage. In this project, you'll measure shooting percentage when players shoot baskets from chest height, chin height, and over the head.

Introduction

If you're an avid basketball player, then few things are more satisfying than sinking a perfect jump shot, hitting nothing but net. What goes into making that perfect shot? What can you do to make your shots more accurate?

Have you ever noticed that some kids liked to shoot from chest height, others from chin height, and others from over their heads? What effect do you think these different starting positions could have on shooting success? To find out, you will need to do an experiment where you keep all other variables constant (for example, the distance from the net) and have people shoot from the different starting positions. Move on to the Procedure section for more detailed instructions.

Terms and Concepts

More advanced students should also study:

Questions

Bibliography

Materials and Equipment

To do this experiment you will need the following materials and equipment: The following items are optional, but can give you a better understanding of what is going on with the different hand positions.

Experimental Procedure

  1. Pick a single location on the court for all players to shoot from, and mark it with masking tape. Choose the location so that your volunteers can make a good percentage of their shots. A straight-on shot would be a good choice, e.g., from the middle of the free-throw line. If your volunteers are younger players, you may want to move the shooting location in closer.
  2. If you have a camera or phone, set it up on a tripod to record the shots. Make sure that the camera can capture the ball all the way from the player's hands to the basket. The camera should be perpendicular to the path of the ball. The camera should remain in the same position for the entire experiment.
  3. Have each player shoot the same number of baskets from each hand position (chest height, chin height, and over the head). Things to think about:
    1. How many shots? You want to collect a large enough sample so that your results are reliable. Ten shots per hand position per player is a bare minimum.
    2. You might want to let each player take a few "warm-up" shots that don't count, so that they can home in on the right distance.
    3. Along that same line, since the players are getting practice as they go along, it would be a good idea to change the order of the hand positions from player to player. Have the first player shoot chest high, then chin high, then over the head. Have the second player shoot chin high, then over the head, then chest high. Have the third player shoot over the head, then chest high, then chin high. Keep rotating through the hand positions like this, so that each hand position is first, second, or third equally often.
    4. To help keep everyone's mind on doing their best, you might want to make a contest out of it. For example, you could offer prizes for the top three shooters, or for all the players who make a certain percentage of their shots.
  4. Keep track of how many shots each player made from each hand position. Keep track of the order you assigned them for making the shots.

Analyze Your Data

  1. Calculate the shooting percentage for each individual for each hand position. Make a bar graph of the results. Is any position clearly better for all players? Is any position clearly better for individual players?
  2. Did the players' shooting percentage improve or worsen during the experiment? Make symbol-and-line graph of shooting percentage vs. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hand position to find out.
  3. If you were able to record video of the experiments, you can analyze the trajectory of the ball.
    1. Transfer the video files to a device where you can watch them on a larger screen (like a computer or TV).
    2. For each shot you analyze, tape a transparency sheet over the screen.
    3. Label the transparency with the player, shot number, hand position, and whether the shot was made (1) or not (0).
    4. Play the video back frame-by-frame to "freeze" the ball on the screen so that you can mark the position of the ball on the transparency. Trace the ball's position with a marker.
    5. You can use a protractor to measure the launch angle. Fit a line through the first few points, and measure the angle between the floor and the line.
    6. Calculate the average launch angle for each hand position for each player and graph the results. Is there a clear relationship between between launch angle and hand position?
icon scientific method

Ask an Expert

Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Variations

  • There are other aspects of hand position that are important for good shooting technique. A basketball coach will have you work on shooting with one hand (the other hand supports the ball, but the shooting hand launches the ball). Design an experiment to compare shooting percentage for one-handed vs. two-handed shooting. Which works better and why?
  • You could focus your study on the trajectory of the ball. Design an experiment to see whether a high, medium, or low arc results in a better shooting percentage.
  • What are the effects of backspin on shooting percentage? Have players shoot from the same position both with and without backspin. Calculate shooting percentage for each method and compare. Does video analysis show any difference in average trajectory for the two cases? Does the ball bounce differently for the two cases? Does this have any effect on shooting success?
  • What's the scientific difference between a "soft" shot, and a "brick?" Is it the speed of the ball, the spin, or the arc? Design an investigation to figure out the difference!
  • More advanced students can do a quantitative analysis of the video data. Make sure that you have an accurate distance reference in the frame to use for calibration (built-in if you're shooting from a free-throw line—just measure the distance to the basket). Using the equations for projectile motion, you should be able to reproduce the trajectory of the ball. This will give you the launch angle and initial velocity of the ball. What range of launch angles yields the best shooting percentage?

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General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Nothing But Net: The Science of Shooting Hoops." Science Buddies, 6 Sep. 2023, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Sports_p010/sports-science/shooting-hoops?fave=no&isb=cmlkOjUyMjMzNjMsc2lkOjAscDoyLGlhOlNwb3J0cw&from=TSW. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2023, September 6). Nothing But Net: The Science of Shooting Hoops. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Sports_p010/sports-science/shooting-hoops?fave=no&isb=cmlkOjUyMjMzNjMsc2lkOjAscDoyLGlhOlNwb3J0cw&from=TSW


Last edit date: 2023-09-06
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