I was playing basketball today and my goal is to become pretty proficient at shooting in the 10-15 feet from the hoop range. Normally I practice by shooting in the 5-10 foot range but today figured I’d be better off shooting from the three point line, which is 22 feet from the rim. I figured doing something harder than my goal and becoming proficient at it would make me even more proficient at my goal of shooting from the 10-15 foot area.
Another example is running. For marathon training (since a marathon is 27 miles) many people train by running 6-8 miles a day most days of the week. However some people train by moving to high altitude areas and running 40 miles at once. One form of training involves training at a level lower than the level at which you are going to compete (ie, running 6-8 miles at a time to train for a run that is 27 miles at a time) and the other involves training at an activity level higher than the one you are going to be tested at (running 40 miles at a time in a low oxygen atmosphere to prepare for running 27 miles at a time in a high oxygen atmosphere).
Which training method is superior, or has nobody run tests to see which results in better long term ability? Would this kind of training method (practicing by doing something easier vs harder than your goal) apply to fields other than athletics like training for an academic test? Most academic test training (studying) seems to be of the ‘easier’ variety where you practice using easier methods and questions than the ones you will be tested on.
I’m not certain that shooting from 22ft = better shooting from 10ft. It’s two different things, and while I don’t know a lot about basketball, I’d guess that there are minor but important differences in technique, etc, between the distances. I know from my martial arts training that you can’t, say, focus solely on high kicks (shoulder-head range), have good form there, and expect it to carry through to low- and mid-range kicks.
As for intensity, though, I think you definitely should train as hard as you can (well, or want). Again, a martial arts example: most competitive TKD matches are three rounds of two minutes each, with a minute-long break in between each round. You could train to be able to go all-out for two minutes, rest for 60 seconds, and then bounce back. Or, you could train to be able to go all-out for six continuous minutes. Then when you get into the ring, you don’t need that rest. Similarly, if you’re training for a marathon, you could train to run 26 miles and then stop. Or, you could train to be able to run 30 miles, so that by that 26th mile, your body isn’t about to stop.
Yeah. I have heard of people training in high altitudes or training with weights on their ankles and wrists so that when they run without them they are running at an easier pace than normal training.
My view on making baskets from 22 feet is that if I can master the physics of shooting from 22 feet then the physics from shooting at 10-15 feet will be easier. In my experience the further you are from the rim the harder it is to make a basket since the rim and ball remain constant but the distance increases. So its like a runner training at high altitudes with weights on his wrists and ankles, then him running at low altitudes without the weights.