Over the last 40 years, the game of basketball has progressed yet shooting percentages seem to stay the same. In fact, the National Basketball Association’s shooting percentage has stayed level around 74% since 1958.
St. Vincent’s Sports Performance is hoping to change that.
Based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, St. Vincent’s Sports Performance provides performance training, psychology, medicine, and nutrition to athletes ranging from Middle Schoolers to Professional Athletes.
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St. Vincent’s is aiming to improve athletic performance by implementing some of the newest basketball technology into their training regimen called Noah’s Arc. Noah’s Arc is a device that gives players immediate feedback regarding the player’s shooting angle and distance that the ball enters the hoop. Noah’s Arc allows the players to then correct their shot and build muscle memory, improving the make percentage.
The way it works is quite simple. Noah’s Arc calculated that the optimal point for each shot to enter the hoop is at a 45 degree angle, at 11 inches deep into the hoop. The device uses vision technology to track the shot the player takes and the device will announce the entry angle or shot depth. The machine can be mounted securely to the wall of a gym or training facility. It connects with the My Noah App for additional training features that includes average angle and depth, consistency of a player’s shots, ranking the skill level of a player, among many other useful features.
The My Noah App can be used to instantly stream the players’ shooting data to any Apple or Android device. Along with tracking real-time data from each shooting session, the App will show the player improvements that they have made from saved data. Sharing data is allowed through the app as well on Facebook, Twitter, Email, and Text Messages.
In conjunction with the My Noah App, the My Noah Community allows full basketball teams track data together, and connects users from all around the world. As a team, the data from each player’s shooting session can be compiled together and used to help create competition among players to foster team growth and comradery. Players can use their data to face off with any player in the Noah community and connect with each player as well to offer advice and helpful shooting drills and techniques.
Rob Blackwell, the Director for Basketball Skills Development for St. Vincent’s Sports Performance, has adopted Noah’s Arc into the training of their players since this past summer. Blackwell is using Noah’s Arc to improve the shooting of his NBA and college players during his off-season workouts such as Gordon Hayward, and Josh McRoberts. “The technology is great because it allows players to self-diagnose the training during practices and that translates to the game,” said Blackwell.
Professional Players are starting to recognize the importance of finding the correct shooting arc to help improve their own game. The device is being adopted by some of the best basketball players in the game, most notably Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
The players that use the system are able to use the Noah’s Arc for any shooting drill that they would like, including free throws. “Noah’s Arc can be easily used with the normal course of training and routine. Whatever the training may be the machine gives them the best opportunity to improve their game,” says Blackwell. The players can use the information to rapidly correct their shooting arc to create the greatest opportunity to make shots.