Ok, here is my mini guide to the CFA Basketball Throw
1. Most of the information in the initial post is really good, start there.
2.Accept this CFA event for what it is- the most random, pointless test of athletic ability they could come up with. Now relax. Nobody is expecting you to throw that ball into space. The first time I tried it, I spent about half my focus on things like “This is so stupid, what’s the point of this, why the hell am I doing this, why can’t I throw standing up, etc.” instead of “How can I throw this ball farther than the last time I threw this ball.”
3.STRETCH. You should stretch every day just to improve overall flexibility, which has been proven to increase speed, acceleration, etc. with pretty much no negative side effects. Now for this particular event, you want to focus on opening up your hips and stretching your core. This is where your power comes from!
a.Target Areas: Hip Flexors, Adductors, Core, Shoulders
i.Start with this stretch-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3VfkqIvgV0&feature=player_embedded
1.The goal is just to get your hips moving, get a good stretch (8-10 reps per side), but don’t try to do too much.
ii.Then this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL64ceQfi_4&feature=player_embedded
1.This is an adductor stretch. Go as deep as you can without hurting yourself. Again 8-10 reps per side, increase depth and time once you feel comfortable
iii.Or this (very similar)-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaxG6hOj2pk&feature=player_embedded
1.Same as above
iv.Now for the Hip Flexors-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JEuTGCwyOk&feature=player_embedded
1.Get a good stretch, try to keep your back straight and engage your core. Feel that increase in mobility after a few days- that’s what you need
v.Shoulder/Trunk time-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hpYDC2takI&feature=player_embedded
1.See how this is almost the exact motion you make when throwing the ball? Starting to make sense now
vi.These can be done every day! Wake up thirty minutes earlier (good practice for next year
), get a good stretch in (add hamstring, quad, calf, biceps, etc.) before school, then another before you go to sleep.
vii.If you want more, make a visit to your school’s trainer or track coach. They will be able to help you and save you the money from going to a personal trainer. And if you really want to go the extra mile, try a yoga class. I am a big football player, and I felt so out of place, but it was definitely the best stretch of my life.
4.Practice- Practice makes perfect, right? No, perfect practice makes perfect. Start NOW if you are reading this and thinking about applying next year. 6 months of practice, finish your CFA in August, get that LOA! Find a partner (parent, sibling, a fellow service academy applicant, etc.) and get to work. First, I like to start with about 10 warm up “twists” just to get the blood flowing and my body ready. Then I do 10 warm up throws. Twist with good form, throw the ball 10 feet. Nice and easy, do twice. Repeat at 20 feet, then thirty feet, then 40 feet, then 50 feet. Scale up or down depending on your max, but don’t use more than about 75% effort by the last range (so, 15% x2, 30% x2, 45% x2, 60% x2, 75%x2). Now you are going for range. Take a short break, shake out your arms and knees, and get some water. Twist and fire, 90% effort, 100% technique. The distance is not important- there are no score sheets on the practice field. Listen to your partner’s critique of your form. Repeat, 95% effort. Repeat, 100% effort. If at any point your form begins to suffer, trust your partner to tell you and RESTART the warm up throws, then do one last power throw and go stretch.
5.Miscellaneous Pointers
a.Know your grader. You should meet with the person who is going to grade your CFA long before test day. Go over the rules thoroughly so that you both know exactly what is expected. Run through 2 or 3 practice tests, and pay attention to their critique of every event (did you go low enough on pushups, did you fall forward when throwing, etc.).
b.Be comfortable. In the game of golf, technique is supposedly everything. Yet there are pro golfers who have what is considered “bad” or at least “odd” technique. The guide here is a great place to start, but if you get ten extra feet by doing something different (after a few weeks of good practice), by all means go for it.
c.Relax, breathe, calm down. You have 6 months to prepare for a test that is less than a point of your whole candidate score.
d.
And finally, if you really want to know the secret, here it is. Yell “Beat Navy” as you explode out. Guaranteed to get you at least an extra foot =]