Page 14 of Bad Habit
I showed her how it was done, then rebounded my ball and returned it to her. “Your turn.”
She took the ball, raised it above her head, and tossed it toward the net—in the vague direction of the net. It missed by about ten feet in every dimension.
She frowned. “That didn’t go well.”
“It was your first time. And my first time teaching.”
“I’ve seen you helping the kids.” She frowned. “What did I do wrong?”
“Where do I start?”
Her chin lifted slightly. “How about the beginning?”
I tried to remember how I’d first learned to shoot, but I was pretty sure I’d just watched Keagan play with his friends and picked it up on my own.
I stepped closer to the net, and she followed. “Okay. First, stand with your feet about hip width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other.”
She shifted her feet to a near lunge.
“Not so far apart. More like this.” I showed her my stance.
“Is this better?”
“Relax your knees and ankles.”
She bent them, freezing in that position.
“Bounce a little. Loosen up.” I showed her what I meant and she imitated my movements, looking more athletic than she deserved to in that buttoned-up shirt, baggy pants, and what we boys used to call nun shoes. Guess that fit.
“Bend your right arm, rest the ball in your hand, and use the left to support it.” I moved behind her to adjust the position of the ball.
Her body stiffened when I touched the back of her hand.
“Sorry.” I backed off.
“No, it’s okay.” She bounced her knees again. “Teach me.”
“Okay.” Her hair smelled like lemons, and I resisted an urge to dip my nose lower to sample the scent of her neck. I adjusted the angle of her shooting arm, then dropped my hands down, catching myself before they landed on her hips.
Pulling my hands back, I coughed. “You should make sure your feet and body are pointing toward the target.”
“I thought it was called a hoop.”
“Actually, it’s called a basket. But ‘hoop’ works. Or ‘net.’” I backed away a few feet. “Okay. I think I’ve got three more tips. At least for a start.”
She nodded. “Three tips. Yes?”
“Use your legs. As you shoot, you want to straighten your knees and push off your feet, jumping just a little bit off the ground.”
“Tip two?”
“Look at the basket. Don’t stop looking at the basket.”
“And three? This ball is getting heavy.”
“Follow through with your arm.”
“Follow through?”
