ConductVision Sports

Measure the mechanics of every shot

ConductVision measures release height and speed, trunk lean, and knee and hip bend on every shot during an academy pilot, and reports how consistent each shooter is.

Plan a pilotSee the study
Better and weaker three-point shooters, from the bottom of the load to releaseAverage positions measured in 11 better and 13 weaker three-point shooters. At the bottom of the load the better shooters bend more at the knee, hip and ankle. Both groups release the ball at the same height.Better shooters, 11 playersWeaker shooters, 13 playersBottom of the loadRelease height, both groups

Better three-point shooters sink lower, then release at the same height. Averages measured in 24 players. See the study

What the pilot measures

Measures for every shot

  • Release height, from the floor to the ball at release
  • The dip, how low the ball drops before the shot goes up
  • Hip, knee and ankle bend while loading the shot
  • Trunk lean at release
  • Release timing within the jump
  • Ball release speed and launch angle, from the ball's flight after release
  • Shot-to-shot variation in each measure
  • Change in each measure from early to late in a session

The research

What separates better three-point shooters

For three-pointers, a study of 24 players found that those who made at least 5 of 10 test shots bent more at the hip, knee and ankle while loading the shot than weaker shooters.1 At the bottom of the load, the knee bent 19 degrees more, the hip 13 degrees more and the ankle 12 degrees more.1 Release height and jump height differed by no more than chance would explain.1 Like the free-throw study below, it tracked the players' joints from video recorded at 120 frames per second, without body markers.1,2

Among 12 players, three-point accuracy rose steadily as the ball's speed at release became more consistent from shot to shot.3 Variation in launch angle was unrelated to accuracy.3

In about 1,500 NBA three-pointers filmed on broadcast video, made and missed shots differed in body position and movement, whether open or contested.4

Average positions of better and weaker three-point shootersLeft, the bottom of the load: better shooters bend the knee 18.9 degrees, the hip 12.8 degrees and the ankle 12.2 degrees more. Right, release: both groups release the ball at about 1.20 times their height.Better shooters, 11 playersWeaker shooters, 13 playersBottom of the loadReleaseRelease height, both groups
The measured averages

Joint angles are measured inside the joint, so a smaller angle means more bend. Better shooters made at least 5 of 10 test three-pointers.

MeasureBetter (11)Weaker (13)Real difference?
Knee angle, bottom of the load94.3°113.2°Yes
Hip angle, bottom of the load143.1°155.9°Yes
Ankle angle, bottom of the load50.1°62.3°Yes
Center of mass height, bottom of the load, times body height0.490.56Yes
Release height, times body height1.201.19Within chance
Jump height at release25.8 cm23.7 cmWithin chance

Free throws

What separates better free-throw shooters

A study of 34 recreational players found that those who made at least 7 of 10 test free throws released the ball higher and leaned the trunk forward less than weaker shooters.2 Their knees and center of mass also moved more slowly through the shot.2

On average, college players' missed free throws left the hand 0.12 m/s slower than the ideal speed for the shot.5 Their swishes were only 0.02 m/s slower.5 Simulations of the free throw favored a 52-degree launch angle and a release as high as the shooter can reach without losing consistency.6

Free-throw release of better and weaker shootersBetter shooters release the ball at 1.17 times their height and weaker shooters at 1.12. Better shooters lean the trunk slightly back; weaker shooters lean slightly forward.Better, 19 playersWeaker, 15 playersBetter, 1.17 times body heightWeaker, 1.12 times body height
The measured averages

Better shooters made at least 7 of 10 test free throws. The study reported no jump height for free throws, so the drawing keeps the toes on the floor.

MeasureBetter (19)Weaker (15)Real difference?
Release height, times body height1.171.12Yes
Trunk lean at release (negative means leaning back)-1.11°1.87°Yes
Knee angle at release165.8°164.5°Within chance
Hip angle at release173.6°173.3°Within chance
Ankle angle at release107.1°100.4°Within chance

Fatigue

Whether a shooter holds form when tired

In a case study of one NBA player, the player's shoulders and shooting wrist dropped lower as fatigue grew.7 In 38 high-level players, a circuit workout that simulated basketball play slowed their release and reduced the number of made three-pointers.8 Repeated sprints did not change elite under-18 players' three-point shooting motion.9

A pilot compares each player's mechanics early and late in a session, so staff can see who holds form.

What you get

Reports and data from the pilot

  • The measures above for each player, in their profile
  • Session-by-session trends for each measure
  • A side-view overlay of each player's average shot, drawn to scale
  • Every measure as a data file, for academies with an analyst

References

  1. Cabarkapa D, Cabarkapa DV, Fry AC (2026). Biomechanical determinants of proficient 3-point shooters: markerless motion capture analysis. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.
  2. Cabarkapa D, Cabarkapa DV, Miller JD, et al. (2023). Biomechanical characteristics of proficient free-throw shooters—markerless motion capture analysis. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.
  3. Slegers N, Lee D, Wong G (2021). The Relationship of Intra-Individual Release Variability with Distance and Shooting Performance in Basketball. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine.
  4. Panna F, Lucey P (2017). “Body Shots”: Analyzing Shooting Styles in the NBA using Body-Pose Attributes. MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
  5. Mullineaux DR, Uhl TL (2010). Coordination-variability and kinematics of misses versus swishes of basketball free throws. Journal of Sports Sciences.
  6. Tran CM, Silverberg LM (2008). Optimal release conditions for the free throw in men's basketball. Journal of Sports Sciences.
  7. Erčulj F, Supej M (2009). Impact of Fatigue on the Position of the Release Arm and Shoulder Girdle over a Longer Shooting Distance for an Elite Basketball Player. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
  8. Bourdas DI, Travlos AK, Souglis A, et al. (2024). Basketball Fatigue Impact on Kinematic Parameters and 3-Point Shooting Accuracy: Insights across Players’ Positions and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Associations of High-Level Players. Sports.
  9. Slawinski J, Louis J, Poli J, et al. (2018). The Effects of Repeated Sprints on the Kinematics of 3-Point Shooting in Basketball. Journal of Human Kinetics.

Plan a shooting mechanics pilot

Tell us how your players practice shooting and what video you record. A ConductVision engineer replies with a proposal.

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