ABSTRACT
In studies involving the performance of expert basketball players executing the set shot from different distances, Keetch, Schmidt, Lee, and Young (2005) found that success was negatively related to the distance of the shooter to the basket; as the distance from the basket increased, accuracy declined. This finding is not new, of course, as numerous principles of motor control predict this result (e.g., Schmidt, Zelaznik, Hawkins, Frank, & Quinn, 1979). However, a rather unexpected finding was that, when the shot was taken from one specific location 15 ft from the basket, performance was considerably more accurate than the accuracy predicted from surrounding locations (i.e., 9, 11, 13, 17, 19, and 21 ft).
