--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The three-ball is an easy shot if you're…" description: "\"The three-ball is an easy shot if you're uncontested, but when they know you can shoot, it's a lot harder to get off.\" — Chris Copeland" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg" --- # The three-ball is an easy shot if you're uncontested, but… ![“The three-ball is an easy shot if you're uncontested, but when they know you can shoot, it's a lot harder to get off.” quote by Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg) > “The three-ball is an easy shot if you're uncontested, but when they know you can shoot, it's a lot harder to get off.” [Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The difficulty of a skill increases when opponents anticipate it, turning a simple action into a contested challenge. **In simple terms:** Skill becomes harder under pressure. Key Takeaway Anticipation raises difficulty. Themes competition anticipation skill execution pressure strategy Mood determined focused Type sports motivational When to use this quote - uncontested practice - game situations - high-stakes moments - defensive pressure Key Concepts defense offense confidence Practical Applications - training under pressure - strategic game planning Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of opponent expectations affect performance? - What strategies can mitigate increased difficulty? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ## Related quotes > [You've got to respect me because you know I can shoot the three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-miller/you-ve-got-to-respect-me-because-you-know-i-can-shoot-the-three/) [Reggie Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-miller/) > [There are no black people in Iraq, so how will they know who to shoot at?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/there-are-no-black-people-in-iraq-so-how-will-they-know-who-to-shoot/) [Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/) > [If you see the NBA now, a lot of it is in transition. Most people now try to get an easy shot off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/if-you-see-the-nba-now-a-lot-of-it-is-in-transition-most-people-now/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [If it's not an easy shot, I'm going to take a little bit longer because that's my job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryson-dechambeau/if-it-s-not-an-easy-shot-i-m-going-to-take-a-little-bit-longer/) [Bryson DeChambeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryson-dechambeau/) > [Hitting the ball was easy. Running around the bases was the tough part.I always loved the game, but when my legs weren't hurting it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/hitting-the-ball-was-easy-running-around-the-bases-was-the-tough-part-2/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Hitting the ball was easy. Running around the bases was the tough part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-mantle/hitting-the-ball-was-easy-running-around-the-bases-was-the-tough-part/) [Mickey Mantle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-mantle/) > [A lot of people say that you go to the outfield and just run and go get a ball, but it's still not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyler-murray/a-lot-of-people-say-that-you-go-to-the-outfield-and-just-run-and-go/) [Kyler Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyler-murray/) > [I don't know if people know how hard it is to get a hit or how hard it is to field a ground ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-ensberg/i-don-t-know-if-people-know-how-hard-it-is-to-get-a-hit-or-how-hard/) [Morgan Ensberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-ensberg/) > [Just trying to get better and pick my spots, know when to pass, know when to shoot and I think I've gotten a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-gilgeous-alexander/just-trying-to-get-better-and-pick-my-spots-know-when-to-pass-know/) [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-gilgeous-alexander/) > [I'm prepared. I have a gun and I know how to shoot, and whoever comes calling without an invitation will get it in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-grant/i-m-prepared-i-have-a-gun-and-i-know-how-to-shoot-and-whoever-comes/) [Cary Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-grant/) > [These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-blanco/these-troops-know-how-to-shoot-and-kill-and-i-expect-they-will/) [Kathleen Blanco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-blanco/) > [If you know how to shoot, and are quite ready to shoot, the chances are that you won't have to shoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-pershing/if-you-know-how-to-shoot-and-are-quite-ready-to-shoot-the-chances-are/) [John J. Pershing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-pershing/) > [I know I can shoot when I want. I know I'm going to have the ball. It's about seeing what the team needs at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-lowry/i-know-i-can-shoot-when-i-want-i-know-i-m-going-to-have-the-ball-it-s/) [Kyle Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-lowry/) > [I know pretty well in the broad sense what I'm going to do, because I have to know that when we shoot the live-action,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-harryhausen/i-know-pretty-well-in-the-broad-sense-what-i-m-going-to-do-because-i/) [Ray Harryhausen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-harryhausen/) > [If you know how to shoot a scene, then you know how to shoot an action scene. If you've seen an action movie, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/if-you-know-how-to-shoot-a-scene-then-you-know-how-to-shoot-an-action/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) ## More by Chris Copeland > [When I see things, I speak my mind. But I'm a quiet leader, if anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/when-i-see-things-i-speak-my-mind-but-i-m-a-quiet-leader-if-anything/) [Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) > [Keep being aggressive, that's what my teammates and my coaches ask me to do. If I see things are going well, I know there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/keep-being-aggressive-that-s-what-my-teammates-and-my-coaches-ask-me/) [Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) > [You definitely have to do other things when you know your shot isn't falling. You can't just depend on knocking down the three-ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/you-definitely-have-to-do-other-things-when-you-know-your-shot-isn-t/) [Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) > [It felt smooth coming off my hands. I felt the laces around the ball. It was just all good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/it-felt-smooth-coming-off-my-hands-i-felt-the-laces-around-the-ball/) [Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) > [To the folks that continue to support through ups and downs... good and bad... I can't thank you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/to-the-folks-that-continue-to-support-through-ups-and-downs-good-and/) [Chris Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) [Explore all 6 Chris Copeland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/) ## More Balls quotes > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Maybe bring in sponge balls to learn the technique and gain that experience of actually challenging for a header.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mason/maybe-bring-in-sponge-balls-to-learn-the-technique-and-gain-that/) [Ryan Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mason/) > [I like René Descartes' theory about a ball of wax. You can change its form from solid to liquid, but it's still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-like-ren-descartes-theory-about-a-ball-of-wax-you-can-change-its/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Throwing a ball is not natural, whether it's overhand or underhand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/throwing-a-ball-is-not-natural-whether-it-s-overhand-or-underhand/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [I don't feel like I have to live up to anything because I've proven that I can play. 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But you throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-glanville/you-run-the-football-for-toughness-you-run-the-ball-to-tell-your/) Jerry Glanville Browse all 3,005 Balls quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The three-ball is an easy shot if you're uncontested, but when they know you can shoot, it's a lot harder to get off.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Copeland" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re-uncontested-but-when-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balls" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re-uncontested-but-when-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/chris-copeland-56467_balls_the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re_73829.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The three-ball is an easy shot if you're uncontested, but when they know you can shoot, it's a lot harder to…” — Chris Copeland", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chris Copeland", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-copeland/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The three-ball is an easy shot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re-uncontested-but-when-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-copeland/the-three-ball-is-an-easy-shot-if-you-re-uncontested-but-when-they/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```