In my 40 years of photography, most of it being a sports photographer, this is some of the most ridiculous advice I've ever seen posted on DPS. I must admit while there has been some doozies, this one takes the cake.
So, since you started sports photography only a few months with no prior experience, but reading, how do you expect a photographer, beginner, novice, amateur or pro, even start to take what you have posted seriously.
True, you make a few fine points, but most is filled with bad information that one, if one is remotely interested in shooting sports should dismiss this immediately. Here's why. Beginners, unless they are doctors, lawyers or folks with more money than common sense, cannot afford the range of lenses and pro bodies. One has to start learning the basis of sports photography even if they only have an EOS Rebel and kit lenses. Thoroughly learning your equipment, what it can and can't do for you. Secondly, shooting sports is standing along the sidelines of sporting events, not sitting on your butt, reading books in a chair. The sidelines, that's where the real learning process and experience comes from.
Sports photography is all about capturing the peak action or telling reaction, is what the sports photographer strives for. The picture you want is simple. There is peak action, then there is the story of the game, but the picture that works best is the one that incorporates both.
The keys to sports photography is paying attention, knowing the game and having the right photographic equipment and knowing how to use it.
As for equipment, I have to credit much of my excess at sports photography to using the extremely long telephoto lenses (300-600mm) to isolate my subjects. Always use your longest lens possible. You’ll get good expressions and throw the background out of focus, so that the subject really jumps out at you and the viewer.
As for the RAW vs. JPG debate………I only shoot RAW, it gives you a digital negative that will save your butt in horrible lighting conditions.
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