He Ximeng's first practice focused on three-point shots after dribbling advances at 60-degree angles to his left and right. As a point guard, he would handle the ball more often, making his self-created shot more crucial than catch-and-shoot plays.
Cui Pangzi's role was to retrieve the balls under the basket and pass them to He Ximeng near the half-court line. He Ximeng would then dribble and advance the ball, taking a shot to his left and then to his right.
"If only video recorders were common back then," He Ximeng mused, "I could have recorded my shooting form, reviewed it, and corrected it for faster progress."
As He Ximeng was lost in thought, Zhang Zhenpeng's voice echoed from behind him.
"I know I shouldn't interrupt your training, but I have to remind you that your three-point shooting form is very non-standard. If you develop muscle memory with this form now, it will be very difficult to correct it later."
He Ximeng didn't stop his shooting motion. During the brief pause between shooting and dribbling, he replied to Zhang Zhenpeng, "Thanks! But I'm deliberately using this form."
Saying this, He Ximeng extended his shooting range to one step beyond the three-point line, equivalent to the NBA three-point line distance, and then shot.
Zhang Zhenpeng was surprised to see that He Ximeng's shooting distance had increased, yet his shooting form had hardly changed. This meant that with this specific shooting motion, He Ximeng could steadily extend his offensive range by at least one step.
Don't underestimate the distance of this step. In a crucial moment, this extra step could become a trump card.
"Impressive! So this driving shot has this hidden bonus effect!" Zhang Zhenpeng sincerely complimented He Ximeng.
Despite his praise, Zhang Zhenpeng wasn't keen on He Ximeng's unorthodox form and had no intention of imitating it. While the move was practical, He Ximeng's execution wasn't smooth enough, making it look less aesthetically pleasing, or perhaps, less stylish!
Zhang Zhenpeng continued to stick to his standard three-point shooting form, and He Ximeng had no objections. Everyone has their own aspirations, and not everyone can accept movements that are too far ahead of their time.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian'ai had become a loyal fan of He Ximeng. While helping Zhang Zhenpeng pick up balls, she kept an eye on He Ximeng's shooting accuracy.
In the first 50 shots He Ximeng practiced, his accuracy was low, hitting only 10, a 20% success rate.
However, from shot 50 to 100, as He Ximeng gradually adapted to his current strength, his accuracy improved to 30%, hitting 15 shots.
After the first 100 shots, He Ximeng had made a total of 25 shots, with an overall accuracy of 25%. Without any defensive pressure, this hit rate was severely below par.
Fortunately, He Ximeng had immense patience.
After a two-minute rest, during which he performed shoulder relaxation and stretching exercises, He Ximeng began his second set of 100 shots.
"You seem distracted... Why don't you go help over there?"
Seeing his sister's attention constantly focused on the other half of the court, Zhang Zhenpeng grew slightly annoyed.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Tian'ai seized the opportunity, showing no regard for Zhang Zhenpeng's feelings. "Really! Then I'll go over! Thanks, big brother."
With Zhang Tian'ai "defecting," Zhang Zhenpeng felt tears welling up.
He Ximeng had two people helping him collect balls on his side of the court, while Zhang Zhenpeng had none.
With Zhang Tian'ai's help, He Ximeng's ball retrieval became faster, and consequently, his shooting frequency increased.
He Ximeng gradually found his rhythm. When his touch was at its hottest, he made nine consecutive shots!
In this set of 100 shots, He Ximeng made 39, raising his accuracy from 25% to 39%. As a training hit rate, this was barely acceptable.
After two sets, He Ximeng's stamina was significantly depleted.
Shooting after a dribbling advance was different from catch-and-shoot. It required combining dribbling and adjustments before the shot. It was like combining dribbling training with shooting. Occasionally, He Ximeng would add a few crossover dribbles and changes of direction before shooting to increase the difficulty.
Thus, after completing 200 shots across two sets, despite only making 54 three-pointers, He Ximeng was drenched in sweat, his jersey and shorts completely soaked.
Even Cui Tianci, who was passing the ball, had a significant workout today. His face was flushed red, and his back was completely soaked with sweat. At this pace of extra training, Cui Tianci should soon shed the "Pangzi" (Fatty) nickname.
Zhang Zhenpeng had finished his extra training. He had initially intended to have a one-on-one match with He Ximeng to regain his honor.
However, He Ximeng insisted that he wouldn't accept Zhang Zhenpeng's challenge until his three-point practice was over, leaving Zhang Zhenpeng no choice.
Zhang Zhenpeng had already put in a considerable amount of training for the day and didn't want to waste any more time waiting for He Ximeng to finish his final set of 100 shots. Thus, he abandoned today's one-on-one plan and, dragging a reluctant Zhang Tian'ai, headed home.