Quote:
Originally posted by refnrev
Juulie,
Did it affect their speed? I've known of one player who did this -- watched him in JUCO when we were in school togther 100 years ago. He went on the play D-1 ball but he wasn't very fast.
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They were very fast. Everyone sprints on their toes. We also all use toes only when we accelerate. So in that sense, they had only acceleration! If one of them caught the ball near the defender's basket and was heading back the other way, he would be on toes clear until mid court (94 ft floor). About the division line, they'd use a regular heel-toe step for a few steps, and then toes-only to slow down and maneuver. The maneuvering steps were small and very rapid. They had great weaving in-and-out, but didn't drive often, since they both had good jump-shot. I suspect they are too short to get away with a lay-up much.
I began to watch other players' feet, and saw a clear difference between these two, and others' gaits, if that's the right word. They did walk normally when they were going to get a drink, for instance, and they also jogged normally, with heel-toe-heel-toe steps, so I dont think they're totally abnormal. Just an interesting thing to notice and wonder about.