It was a special exchange of information and experiences: neuro athletics guru Lars Lienhard visited Stefan Weissenboeck at the Bamberg Baskets training facility in Strullendorf. Both discussed various ways of how neuro athletics can impact basketball and player development.
It didn’t take long to see that Stefan and Lars were on the same page. “For me, talking and working with someone like Stefan is ideal. He is an expert in the field of shooting and player development and is eager to learn. He immediately understood what I was trying to say,” explained Lars Lienhard. Stefan confirmed: “It was very interesting to hear and see which factors can impact a shot.”
HOW NEURO ATHLETICS AND SKILLS COACHING CAN WORK TOGETHER
But what are these ideas and techniques that Lars told Stefan about? And what is it that he does, using the benefits of neuro athletics? “There are different parts to basketball and especially to shooting,” said Lars. “There are specific skills that you must learn. And then there are tactical rules that you have to follow. But there are also biomechanics that play a huge role in a player’s game.” Lars Lienhard can’t make someone shoot suddenly, but he can create a base for players to improve their skills. “The neuro setting that I want the player to build is trying to make the brain feel more secure in the movements that the player is doing. So, it makes a lot of sense to combine neuro athletics with the kind of work that Stefan offers.”
Sometimes a player does everything right. (...) Still, he misses. But that’s human and a part of the game. - Stefan Weissenboeck
Both experts agreed that there are “good misses” that a player can have. “Sometimes a player does everything right. He sets his feet correctly, he moves the ball up perfectly, and he hits the release point at the right time. Still, he misses. But that’s human and a part of the game. That’s what I call a good miss, and that’s also what we could see today with Abi.” Abdulah Kameric was the player who got to work with Stefan and Lars for about an hour. And he improved after Lars analyzed his shooting form. “Still, he had a phase of three or four shots that he missed. But again, those were good misses because we saw that he did everything right. He just didn’t hit the shot,” agreed Lars.
The brain must understand what the correct movement feels like. – Lars Lienhard
Lars Lienhard is the leading expert in the field of neuro athletics and has worked with basketball players all over Europe. Also, he was a part of the German soccer team that won the World Cup in 2014. And accompanied German track and field athletes at the 2016 Olympics. “It doesn’t really matter which sport it is. In the end, it’s all about movement, and I think that’s what I know a lot about,” he explains with a smile.
THE FEELING MUST BE RIGHT
What Lars Lienhard teaches every day is simple: “The brain must understand what the correct movement feels like. Of course, a basketball player needs shooting repetitions. But if he doesn’t know how the correct shot feels, he will just find solutions for one specific situation. And he will not be able to transfer this shot to various scenarios during a game.”
For Stefan, spending 1.5 hours with Lars showed how important neuro athletics can be for a basketball team. Therefore, he was happy to have some information he can work with right away. “I already got some exercises on my phone, and I am sure they will help us.” Beyond those exercises, Stefan and Lars will stay in touch and continue to learn from each other to see how neuro athletics can impact basketball.
After the holidays and the New Year the next event to take place at Pro Skills Campus is Pro Skills Academy on January 6 and 7. Stay tuned to see what Stefan and his team will teach upcoming basketball talents. If you want to know what happens at Pro Skills Academy check out Stefan’s reports from 2022 and 2023.