The width of a player’s feet plays an important role in stopping Negative Energy and maintaining balance. When a player is moving on the floor to get open, they almost always create Negative Energy by moving in a direction away from the target. While this movement is necessary to get open, the shooter must stop that energy before shooting, or it will be transferred to the ball, causing the shot to miss off line.

For example, if a player is moving to their right and does not stop the energy, the ball will also travel right unless the player compensates with another Negative Energy move, making the shot more complicated. A wider stance provides extra stability, helping the player stop this Negative Energy. However, a wide stance is not very powerful when jumping or pushing off the floor. On the other hand, a narrow stance allows for more power but less stability.

To balance these two needs, I recommend players adopt a hip-width stance, where the hips can fit between the insides of the feet. This provides a balance between power and stability, helping stop Negative Energy while also allowing for energy generation during the shot.

It’s important to recognize that the ideal foot width is a sliding scale. When a player is stationary, they don’t need wide feet to stop energy, as the energy is already stopped. However, when a player is moving quickly or being bumped by defenders, balance becomes more critical, and the width of the feet plays a larger role in managing the energy.