Mental toughness in shooting

PBA legend Allan Caidic is optimistic that sooner than later, the Philippines will roll out a new generation of pure shooters to shake up the basketball firmament here and abroad. And he’s ready to do his share in making it happen. A curriculum that he’s preparing to produce the next triggermen will launch his personal mission to line up a fresh batch of riflemen.

“Honestly, my form is not textbook-perfect but it worked for me,” said Caidic. “Consistency is important. It’s not just the form but also the confidence in making the shot. You develop confidence with practice, a lot of repetition to build muscle memory. It’s about mental toughness. When you take a shot, what’s on your mind? When you miss, how do you react mentally? I think shooters must be versatile. They can’t only be waiting for the pass to shoot on drive-and-kicks. If they’re covered, they must know how to relocate to get themselves open.”

Caidic said he hopes to focus on first to third year high school prospects in the Batang Gilas program but he’ll also be available to work with collegiate, PBA and senior Gilas players. The national team is where he’d like to put an emphasis. “It should start with the Batang Gilas program where the kids are shifting to a more mature shooting form,” he said. “This is critical because it’s where good and bad habits are developed. We’ll never have a problem with point guards because all the training available for kids is about dribbling and passing so I could focus on off-guards and small forwards. There should be a separate program to improve the three-point shooting of our Gilas team. I think Gilas players should spend two to three hours with a shooting coach three or four times a week. Personally, I could implement physical and psychological training for the shooting guards and small forwards and will definitely increase their percentage and most importantly, boost their confidence in making crucial shots to decide the outcome of a game. I could also be involved in creating plays for the shooters.”

Caidic said in the international game, three-point and free throw shooting must be on point for Gilas to succeed. That’s where he comes in. “During our time in the ‘80s and ‘90s, we stayed for an additional one or two hours after practice to work on shooting or arrive early before practice,” he said. “In today’s game, we have heavy scoring point guards who dictate the flow of the game unlike before where point guards were obliged to set up plays for shooters and scorers. I played with Ricardo Brown who shot a lot but we were able to co-exist and I even won Rookie of the Year in the PBA. It was similar to how Gilas is now with Jayson Castro who’s a heavy scoring point guard. Matthew Wright and Marcio Lassiter are two of our best shooters and they could be set up like Ricardo used to do with me so their consistency and confidence improve.”

Caidic said while talent is a key factor in discovering the next triggermen, working hard is as essential. “There are players who have the tendency to just focus on the coach’s system and neglect giving time to improve their shooting skills,” he said. “A stable shooting form where the hands and the ball are one is critical. An example is Bogs Adornado who until today, still shoots so well because he’s not dependent on just the strength of his arms and legs. Steph Curry has a very quick release but also moves very fast so form depends on the type of player you are. I could shoot even when the defender was in front of me and I had a lot of four-point plays because I was usually fouled but could still shoot the ball properly. I could hit the set shot or the jumpshot, depending on the situation.”