Changing shooting habits is not just a physical challenge. "Fighting your body," as Jefferson put it, provides a whole set of obstacles: getting your body to adjust to a new form, holding the ball a different way, changing the release point or understanding how to follow through all come with a mental aspect. [...]
In this process, a player will start by missing a ton of shots. Players have to battle the frustration that comes with seeing so many misses. It is human nature to feel as if no progress is being made. So much is asked of the player's body in adjusting to a new form that it will take time for it to feel right and become muscle memory.
"As much as it sucks and doesn't feel good, in the long run it is a good thing for us," Coach Love tells frustrated players. The road to becoming a good shooter is paved with these misses. Getting a player to understand that these types of days are still good is important to keep them engaged.
Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks looks at these tough shooting days as part of the psychological battle. "It's mental ... You know you got to stick with it because all of those shots, whether makes or misses, you know, I believe they just accumulate, and they'll make you become a better shooter regardless."