Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Powerful Basketball Jump


Is basketball jump training an important element in the overall development of a basketball player? The answer is a definite Yes. If you are a basketball player or coach, then you understand how important the vertical jump is in the game of basketball.

Having an explosive vertical jump is a critical part of a players' ability to rebound, block shots and shoot a jump shot. Basketball players that have an explosive vertical jump are able to perform these skills more effectively and efficiently.

There are three basketball jump training exercises that athletes can perform to help increase their vertical jump - the squat, lunge and step up. These vertical jump exercises are all compound exercises working both the knee and hip joints. These exercises are simple and effective, yet produce incredible results for the basketball player.

Follow this Basketball Jump Training Exercises:

1. Squat
The squat is the most effective exercise to increase vertical jump, if performed correctly. Key points to remember:

* Start in an athletic stance.

* The bar should be placed across the upper back not the neck.

* The chest should be out, the back should be tight with a slight forward lean.

* The knees should remain directly above the feet.

* Squat to a parallel position, keeping your weight on the heels.

* Concentrate on technique to insure your safety.

2. Lunges
Lunges are done in one of two ways...Holding dumbbells or with a bar across the upper back. Key points to remember:

* Start and remain in an upright position.

* Step forward as far as possible without leaning forward with your upper body.

* Step until your front knee is at a 90 degree angle.

* Step back to starting position in one step.

* Do 10 lunges with one leg, and then repeat with the other.

3. Step Ups
To perform step ups you need dumbbells and a bench or step-up box. The bench or box should be 16-18 inches high. Key points to remember:

* Start in an upright position with a dumbbell in each hand.

* Step up on the box or bench with one foot so that your knee is in a 90 degree angle.

* Step up with the other foot so that both feet are on the box or bench.

* Step back down one foot at a time.

* Do 10 step ups with one leg, and then repeat with the other.

Performing these basketball jump training exercises on a consistent basis will help players dramatically improve their vertical jump. Hopefully helpfull


Read More...

Perfect Basketball Dribble

Dribble is a very important fundamental of both offensive and defensive basketball. Offensively it is used to advance the ball in the back court, to make a drive-in to the basket, and to free oneself from close or congested defensive areas. Defensively, the dribble has become very effective in stalling tactics, especially when a press is being used.

Dribbling mistake occurs when the dribbler watches the ball. He cannot see what is going on around him. This not only slows down the offense, but prevents the dribbler from knowing when an opponent is approaching or seeing one of his teammates cutting in for a pass close to the basket. The temptation to dribble is strong.

A player must learn when to dribble and when not to. Dribbling in closely guarded areas often results in the loss of the ball, or the dribbler being penalized for "charging." Low dribble is used for control and to keep possession of the ball when closely guarded. High dribble is used for speed. It is used whenever there is a clear path to the basket. Moving the ball down court with passes is faster and more effective than the dribble.

Dribbling is done mostly with the fingers, which are spread, keeping the palm of the hand off the ball. You will notice that the palms of your hand are not used in shooting, passing or dribbling. This enables a player to get that fingertip control which is so important in basketball. The weight of the body is forward and on the balls of the feet. The head is kept up so that the player can see his teammates and opponents. A good dribbler learns to keep his body between the ball and his opponent, this will help protect the ball.

Learn to dribble with both your right and left hand. This will enable you to go in either direction. Being able to move freely in either direction makes it tougher on the defensive man guarding you. A smart defensive man can stop a player who goes only in one direction. This is also true in shooting and passing. If you are right-handed, use your left hand during your practice sessions. If you are left-handed, use your right hand. In a short time you will be amazed at the skill which results.

There are various types of dribbles that you can use for different purposes:

* Speed: In dribbling for speed, use the high dribble. Bounce the ball a little above the waist. It is also used to bring the ball up court after the opposition has dropped back to defend its basket. Be sure that there are no opponents near you as this dribble can be stolen easily.

* Control: The low dribble is used for control and to keep possession of the ball when the dribbler is closely guarded. It is more difficult for the defense to steal a low dribble than a high dribble. Many players are adept in "double-timing" the ball. This is done by speeding up the dribble, while the dribbler stays pretty much in the same place. It helps to protect the ball and also aids in faking the opposition. This dribble is very effective for small players.

* Change of pace: The change-of-pace dribble is a change of speed. The dribble is begun slowly to try to get the guard off stride. When you think you have him in a position to drive by him, increase your speed and drive to the basket. The change-of-pace dribble can also be used by dribbling down the court at top speed, then slowing down to get your man off guard. When you think you have your man off balance, pick up speed and drive around him.

* Change of direction: The cross-over is a change of direction dribble which requires good footwork and ball handling. You drive hard to the right, trying to get your man to lean in that direction. As your right foot hits the floor, quickly shift.

* Change of direction dribble: This maneuver requires good footwork and ball handling. Shifting weight to left foot and bouncing ball across the body your weight to the left and shove off on your right foot. At this moment bounce the ball across your body, being careful that your guard does not steal the ball. picking up the dribble with your left hand, keeping your body between the ball and your man. If you have succeeded in gaining a half-step on your man, drive in for the basket! The dribble must be kept low until you have eluded your guard.

Dribbling do well, because dribbling is the main key in basketball. Hopefully helpfull.

Read More...

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Tips For Coaching Basketball

When coaching shooters, you want to help the shooter develop confidence, rhythm, and correct mechanics. Be positive and keep it simple, Your goal is help the player learn to coach himself. Keep in mind the following tips:

1. Familiar yourself with the player you are coaching. Learn to listen more than you talk. A player wants to feel comfortable with you and have confidence in you before they work with you. At times you will coach a player that will feel that you think he cannot shoot. Always start with what the player is doing well.

2. Coach each player individually. You do not want a player to learn everything that you know about shooting. You want each player to learn what he wants to know in terms of improving his shot. However, you must be able to answer every question the player will ask.

3. Encourage the player to talk to you and say what he likes and does not like. Tell the player, I want to get you to shoot with confidence and rhythm. I want to work on that mechanic that helps your shot the most. . The point is, it is your shot and you adjust what you want to adjust. I am here to coach you and help you, but you are going to learn to coach yourself.

4. Find out what a player is looking for by asking questions. You can learn a lot about a player from his answers. When you really listen to the answers, you can gear your coaching to suit his particular needs. Ask the player, when you are shooting well, what are you doing? There is no wrong answer to this question. It simply gives an indication of his confidence level and what he knows about his own shot.

5. Keep it simple. Keep your instruction brief, simple, yet inspiring. Players lose interest if your coaching is long, too detailed, or boring. For the most part, a player is not progressing while you are talking. Get the player shooting.

6. Strive to keep the confidence level high. Be positive and keep encouraging the player to know that he can and will achieve his goals. Motivate the player to consistently do what it takes to reach his goals and never let him think for one moment that he will have anything less than success.

That's some very useful tips for your practice as a coach. Hopefully helpful



Read More...

Better Basketball Dribble

One of the most important skills in basketball is dribbling. Here you will get to help improve dribbling skills. When your dribbling near an opponent, the dribbler should dribble with the hand farthest from the opponent, making it as difficult as possible for the defensive player to get to the ball.

Most good dribblers (ball handlers) know that they must bounce the ball low to the ground, reducing the balls travel from their hand to the floor, this makes it way more difficult for the defender to steal the ball. Keeping the ball low is vital, this is why most point guards are shorter.

As your dribbling skills increase you will be able to dribble behind your back, between your legs and be able to change hands and directions of the dribble frequently.

Once you become a good dribbler you should never have to be looking at the ball while you're dribbling. You will be able to control the ball all by touch and feel and will become more focused on other things that are going on in the game. Dribbling will become second nature to you and the basketball will be like a yo-yo to you. By not having to focus on the ball, a player can look for teammates or scoring opportunities, as well as avoid the danger of someone stealing the ball from them.

If you dribble well, you have control out on the basketball court. You don't have to worry about dribbling the basketball because you have confidence. Just believing in yourself and your abilities makes you an offensive threat.

Here are a few tips that will help you become that better dribbler:

1. Always Keep Your Head Up. If you're looking at the ball, you can't see what's going on with other thing in the game. You'll miss opportunities to pass the ball to an open teammate that could have lead to a basket.

2. Always Protect the Ball. You must get in the habit of dribbling the basketball close to your body, with your opposite hand always up, protecting the ball. This will make it very hard for the defense to steal the ball from you

3. Bounce the Ball Hard Off The Floor. Doing so will give you the momentum to make your move to the basket (example, crossover, spin dribble). It will also help prevent the defense from stealing the ball because the ball is moving faster.

4. Take off When Making a Dribble Move - Your first step is so important and is usually the determining factor if you are or are not going to beat the person guarding you. When you make that decision to move, don't hesitate take off and explode to the hoop.

5. Practice Both Hands Equally. As mentioned earlier, this is one of the most important dribbling skills you will need. You can not have the defense knowing that you can only go one way. If you are right handed you must keep practicing to dribble with your left. May feel awkward but in time you will improve. Of course the same goes with lefties, practice with that right hand.

after you follow a few tips right over, I'm sure your dribbling skills will improve. Hopefully helpful

Read More...

How To Shoot Basketball

Basketball shooting is one of the main fundamentals of game and is primarily the way to score points. Along with dribbling, shooting is one of the first skills we often learn. But not a huge number of people learn it right from the start. Whether you're a good shooter or a terrible one here's the right way to learn it.

First off we need to talk about the most important aspects to have while shooting a jump shot or a free throw. Follow this is how all of these fit into play:

# Balance yourself by keeping your feet shoulder width apart and your knees bent with your body facing towards the net.

# Your elbow needs to be underneath the ball so that it creates a near or a full 90 degrees angle.

# Focus your eyes at the rim so that you have a target to shoot at. Measure mentally the distance you need to shoot in order to give yourself a sense of how much power to put into it.

Remember to incorporate those aspects in your basketball shooting. Now it's time to learn how to shoot a free throw or a jump shot.

How to Shoot:

1. Get into the triple threat position or knees bent, feet shoulder width apart and body facing towards the net.

2. In one motion bring your arm near your forehead so that your strong hand is underneath the ball (with your index finger aligned to the center) and your other hand on the side. By now your elbow should be about at a right angle.

3. You should start straightening out your knees so that you're body is rising. Once you get on your tippy toes push off floor and jump or so that you're in the air. Avoid jumping when shooting a free throw. Just follow the rest of the steps on your tippy toes.

4. Now you should allow your weak hand or the one on the side to leave the ball just before flicking your wrist. When you do flick your wrist, make sure you should have enough power and the ball has backspin on it. Remember to follow through.

5. During a game what most players do wrong is sit and watch their shot, instead of going to rebound it. So don't develop any bad habits and get your rebound even if it's going in.

Read More...

Shooting Drills

Probably the most obvious thing in basketball is that if a team can’t shoot then they can’t score, and if a team can’t score then the team won’t win. To become good shooters, players need to practice basketball shooting drills on a regular basis. Basketball shooting drills can be practiced by players on their own. In fact, these drills should be practiced, at least for a few minutes, a couple times a week.

Basketball shooting drills help a player to get the feel of how the ball should be shot properly so that more baskets will be made. The position of a player should determine the type of basketball shooting drills that are performed. For example, a center should practice shooting drills that are close to the basket and involve starting with his or her back to the basket. Meanwhile, a guard should practice more jump shots from the outside including shots that are taken right off of the dribble.

The basketball shooting drills should be catered toward each position. That’s why a center’s drill should include starting with his or her back to the basket, that’s how a center is often asked to play. That’s also why a guard should practice jump shots off the dribble, that’s how a guard usually takes a shot during a game.

Free throws are very important so all players should practice free throw shots everyday. The ability or the inability to make free throws wins and loses many basketball games. So, every player needs to be as good at shooting free throws as possible. In fact, it’s not a bad idea for a player, especially one who gets fouled a lot, to shoot one hundred free throws a day.

A basic basketball shooting drill that will help with every shot, including free throws, is to begin shooting a couple feet from the basket. Make five shot's and then back-up two steps. Then make five shots and move back another couple steps. Keep doing this until you reach the foul line. Then make five from the line and repeat in the process in reverse.

This shooting drill can also be done while shooting with just one hand. Most of the time the shots will be taken in the dominant hand but occasionally players want to work on shooting with their off hand, that is fine as well.

end do the shoot with regular exercise and focus your mind, hopefully helpful.




Read More...