Fisher Shatters 4 of 6 Records
March 8, 2012, Marysville Advocate by Julie Perry
Four of six Guinness Book of World Records were rewritten, another was reclaimed and another was broken Monday night by Bob Fisher, Centralia, in front of about 65 people in Centralia. The audience included New York Times sports feature writer John Branch and Kansas City photojournalist Steve Hebert.
Unofficially Fisher owns 14 records — timed accomplishments he started setting in January 2010. His wife Connie will submit Monday’s six achievements completed in Centralia High School’s gym and they will wait for verification, which could take up between six and eight weeks.
“He’s done so much more research (on the mechanics of free-throw shooting) since he was a Valley Heights girls’ basketball assistant,” said former Heights coach Ryan Noel. “He’s changed in a way that he’s ever more knowledgeable now than he was then. The records haven’t changed his personality or demeanor. He’s still Bob, still a thinker, and he continues to embrace ongoing learning.”
Fisher explained to the audience the five techniques he uses when competing for a record. Those techniques vary between finger-tip releases to various wrist and arm movements. He used all of them Monday.
“The records are just proof that he knows what he’s talking about,” Noel said. “It still surprises me that more people aren’t beating his door down to get access to what he knows.”
Fisher bettered four records he already owned. Thirty-five was the record for most shots made in one minute using alternating hands. Fisher canned 44. Most free throws made in 2 minutes was 88 and the Fishers will submit 92 to Guinness.
Most free throws made in two minutes using alternating hands was 62, which was shattered at 88.
Fisher paired with Garrett Steinlage, a 19-year-old from Seneca, to best the record they held once shooting as a pair with two balls only. The two made 24 to reclaim a record that Brian Kathmann and Greg Spreen, both of Ohio, broke in April 2011 by making 22.
Fisher shattered his 10-minute record, which was 366, by netting 448.
Blindfolded, he went after Mike Campbell’s two-minute record of 25 made. Fisher beat the New Jersey man’s mark with 37 made.
“He’s amazing,” said Brenda Bergman, a Centralia teacher who helped by running clock Monday. “He shows what hard work and dedication can accomplish.”
“This was really cool,” Branch said. “I was amazed. It is different to watch this in person than on video. He blew away his records. I was expecting him to make a few and miss a few.”
Of the records Fisher went after Monday, achieving the two-minute blindfolded mark meant just a little more.
“It is difficult to do that for that long of a period at a time,” Fisher said. “You tend to lose track of time and space.”
Fisher is looking to improve on his marks.
“I’m still improving,” he said.