Shot Science Basketball

Tom Curtiss began coaching high school Varsity basketball in 1961, so I guess that I qualify as an “Old Timer.” I coached through the 60’s and 70’s, then left coaching for a number of years. When my youngest boys began to show an interest in basketball in the early 90’s, they piqued a renewed enthusiasm for me in teaching shooting skills and basketball. Since that time, basketball has become a true commitment for me. I have coached Youth Basketball, Jr. High Basketball, High School basketball and Club Basketball. In more recent years, I have been coaching with the West Valley Basketball Club out of Saratoga, California. WVBC is a nationally recognized, elite program offering both, young men’s and women’s teams, that compete on the national level. Through these different programs, I have been able to work with student-players of many ages and a vast spectrum of abilities. In 1968, I wrote an article about shooting that was published in The Athletic Journal. This was one of the premier coaching periodicals during this time. It was met with some very positive remarks by high school and college coaches from across the country. I had lost this article for many years and recently discovered, through the power of the internet, a link where I was able to get a copy after 40 years (see article here). Interestingly, most of my beliefs at the time of this publication carry on through to today and how I teach shooting. It is my desire to share with you, the many skills and training techniques that I have honed and developed in my 50+ years of studying and coaching basketball.