[wdpowera] Basketball has a subtlety

October 20, 2019

Many sports have a structure of getting the ball into the opponent's goal area while the opponent defends it.  (Perhaps even tennis.)  (Definitely quidditch.)  Basketball is one of those sports, but it has a subtlety that the others don't have.

For the other sports, more power is generally more better in the action (throw, run, kick, etc. ) that moves the ball into the goal: brute force the ball into the goal.  But basketball, because the rim is oriented horizontally, always requires some precision, a deft touch, to arc the ball through the hoop.  (Compare basketball with team handball.)  Avoiding brute force was reportedly one of James Naismith's original design considerations.

Of course, basketball also has its drive then layup or dunk which feels similar to the brute force seen in other sports.  And the interplay between the inside and outside shots is a beautiful part of the game.

That said, consider modifying basketball to further accentuate this aspect that makes it different from the other sports.  Make the rim higher to eliminate the dunk.  Remove the backboard to eliminate the layup.

Counterpoint: the stronger you are, the more muscle control you have "left over" that can be allocated to precision, so brute force does matter in an indirect way even for outside shots.

Golf and billiards also have some requirement of precision.  Mini-golf even removes the brute force of driving.

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