In 2005, I coined the concept of Positive and Negative Energy to describe our ultimate goal in the way we move our bodies when shooting a basketball. These terms help explain how the body’s movements can either aid or hinder the success of a shot, particularly in terms of alignment and direction.

Positive Energy

Positive Energy refers to the energy generated by any part of the body that, when transferred to the ball, causes the ball to move either "at the target" or "straight up in the air." If every part of a player’s body only created Positive Energy, the ball would never miss off line. Every movement would contribute to the ball traveling in the correct direction, ensuring more accurate shots.

Negative Energy

Negative Energy is the opposite—it refers to any energy that flows in a direction away from the target or in any direction except for straight up in the air. This type of energy pushes the ball away from the target, leading to off-line shots.

The Goal

The primary goal for shooters is to create as much Positive Energy as possible, while minimizing Negative Energy.Since our bodies are not naturally designed to shoot a basketball, achieving perfect Positive Energy is impossible. However, the goal is to move as close to perfection as possible.

Compensation with Negative Energy

It’s important to recognize that Negative Energy movements do not always cause a missed shot. In fact, many players are able to make shots even when certain parts of their body generate Negative Energy. This happens when one part of the body creates Negative Energy in one direction, and another body part compensates by creating an opposing Negative Energy force to cancel it out.

While this compensation can lead to made shots, it complicates the shot’s synchronization. The more a player has to rely on compensating one negative movement with another, the harder it becomes to consistently and quickly align these movements in a game setting.

Building Positive Energy Habits

Instead of relying on Negative Energy compensations, the focus should be on building as many Positive Energy habits as possible. The fewer compensations a player has to make, the more repeatable and reliable their shooting form becomes. This leads to higher consistency, better accuracy, and the ability to perform under game pressure.