Common Movement Patterns of the Jump Shot while Increasing the Distance from the Basket in Elite Basketball Players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine chosen kinematic variables (duration of the shot, position of the centre of mass, position of the shooting hand, rotation of the shoulder axis) of successful shots and to describe differences in movement patterns in elite basketball players while increasing the distance from the basket during a jump shot. Our participants were three elite shooting guards who were all Slovenian national team and Euroleague players. They were shooting from three different distances (3.75 m, 5.25 m, and 6.75 m); analysis included 90 successful shots. The kinematics of the entire body was analysed using the inertial motion capture suit. The main interest was on the transverse plane (direction Y), focusing on rotational movements and movements to the left and right. The results showed that the rotation of the shoulder axis in the transverse plane, with all three participants, was greatest (p