HunterST
Hall of Fame
There have been studies showing that grunting allows players to hit harder without more effort. I have never really tried this because it's annoying for the opponent and a little obnoxious. Plus, I never really thought it would help much. Today, I gave it a show on some groundstrokes and serves. Surprisingly, I saw pretty marked improvement on the shots. Especially on serve, I think it allows you to be relaxed at impact. The bad part is, I only really felt the improvement when I really almost yelled. A little grunt didn't cut it.
This reminds me of a Malcolm Gladwell piece. He had research that showed underhand free throws, almost like granny shots, are actually superior to normal shooting. In fact, Wilt Chamberlain, who struggled with free throws, switched to underhand for a time and saw huge improvement. However, he was ultimately too embarrassed to continue with that technique and settled for sub-par free throw shooting. The same is true for other players who struggle with free throws. Even though they would benefit from the technique, they can't get passed the stigma.
What's your take on grunting while playing? Can it be beneficial? If so, should we be mavericks and ignore the stigma?
This reminds me of a Malcolm Gladwell piece. He had research that showed underhand free throws, almost like granny shots, are actually superior to normal shooting. In fact, Wilt Chamberlain, who struggled with free throws, switched to underhand for a time and saw huge improvement. However, he was ultimately too embarrassed to continue with that technique and settled for sub-par free throw shooting. The same is true for other players who struggle with free throws. Even though they would benefit from the technique, they can't get passed the stigma.
What's your take on grunting while playing? Can it be beneficial? If so, should we be mavericks and ignore the stigma?