# The shooter’s hop: How J.J. Redick gets the jump on opposing defenses



## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

> When watching a high-level shooter in action, it’s natural to be drawn to the release point. That’s where the action is — where pure mechanics meet defensive pressure, and between them battle for a potential score. It’s from a player’s shooting motion that we can pick out obvious tics and technical flaws, all in the hope of making a bit more sense of an art that’s often oversimplified as a matter of makes and misses. While simple and direct in its execution, every jump shot is a composite of its circumstances. Every attempt is specific to its context.
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> And it all begins far earlier than the release, as many shooters work tirelessly to create space before ever touching the ball. It’s one thing to approach shooting as a stationary art, but another entirely to make a catch on the move, square up, and fire up a jumper before the defense has a chance to close the gap. Ray Allen, one of the greatest (and most meticulous) shooters to ever play the game, reflected on those specifics to NBA TV in 2011:
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> The vast majority of the league’s top shooters (Ray Allen, Klay Thompson, etc.) simply opt to step into their three-pointers rather than hop as Redick does. That makes sense, given how tricky it can be for even pro-level athletes to make a full, balanced jump out of a preliminary jump stop. This approach is certainly unusual, in fact, that it deviates even from the more conventional approach that Redick relied on during his decorated collegiate career.
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> On that stage, Redick was able to complete his cuts with a simple step-through, which provided him room to turn and fire without issue. He set the all-time NCAA record for career three-pointers made, while in the process converting 40.6 percent of his attempts. Yet in adapting to the NBA, Redick — then with the Magic — seems to have acknowledged the need for modification, and made his shooting process more efficient by consolidating its steps. The hop might not seem like a dramatic change, but it saves a half-beat on every catch and affords Redick an extra moment to gather and release before a defender can fully recover. That makes for a world of difference in a league where opponents can close out in an instant, and has done wonders for Redick’s long-term development as a quick-fire shooter.


http://nba.si.com/2013/11/20/jj-redick-los-angeles-clippers-shooters-hop/


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

That articles reference's Ray Allen's "perfect textbook release", but that's not true. Allen actually has an abbreviated follow through that works for him because of his incredibly strong wrist. Reddick is a little more "textbook".


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## John (Jun 9, 2002)

Sure sure but does anyone notice he is not a starter material defensively?


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