Arm Joint Coordination of Collegiate Basketball Athletes and Recreational Players when Shooting behind the 3-Point Line

The primary purpose of this study was to identify exemplary basketball shooting mechanics to devise an effective and efficient training method for successful basketball shooting. Motion data of basketball shots by 10 recreational players and 10 college athletes at three different distances (3.2 m, 5 m, 6.8 m) were collected using 13 cameras (240 Hz). The present study quantified the upper extremity joint coordination using the vector-coded Coupled Angular Variability (CAV). Recreational players exhibited higher CAV at 6.8 m (Median P50 = 16.947), whereas college athletes exhibited higher CAV at 5 m (Median P50 = 18.487). The primary focus of arm coordination patterns was on shoulder joint coordination during the preparation phase, with higher coordination variability associated with greater shot accuracy. Recreational athletes straightened their shoulder and elbow joints simultaneously when performing a basketball shot. In contrast, collegiate athletes showed variations primarily resulting from proximal coordination patterns, leading to a larger range of motion (ROM) for elbow joint flexion and extension. This finding could fundamentally alter how shooting is practiced.