How To Improve Your Basketball Game and Be Your Best - Work at Your Game

Over the years I have met many players who had dreams of going on to be successful in basketball. What success means is a major question in itself. Let's just say, in a basketball sense, it means being the best player you can be. That could mean playing on the junior high school team, playing on the high school team, going beyond that level, or just being a good player in the summer league. It's all relative. How can you improve your game so you can be the best player possible?

First, you have to have a passion for the game. Maybe that is an overused word, but it is true. Why? Because basketball is a highly skilled game and takes a lot of work. Most people have to do more than just "shoot around." You have to love the game to put in the necessary work. Basketball for many people is a year round sport.

What is required to be a good player? First, play as much as you can, wherever you can (within reason). It's a great game. Have fun. Learn from the players around you. Watch what they do well. What can you do to practice and become as good as your opponents? Do other players have moves that would be effective for you? Learn from others.

Also, be aware of what you do well. Practice those things more. Take a strength that you have and make it stronger. If you are a fair shooter, shoot more and become a good shooter. If you are a good shooter, shoot even more and become a great shooter. Play as much as you can and improve the things you do best.
I am telling you to practice alot, but do so in moderation. Balance in life is important so don't misunderstand.
My point is to love the game, play and practice alot, and try to improve.

In addition, learn what you need to improve in. Practice to become competent in skills that you have been weaker in. Work on developing a good, all-around game. I know these things seem obvious, but how many people do them?

There are camps, leagues, clinics, intramural sports, and other places you can play. These are all opportunities. Join these types of programs and have fun, but always try to learn. Listen to people who are successful and find out what made them successful. Try to model those behaviors.

Now, comes the hardest part-"practice, practice, practice." The more you practice, the better you'll play. When you practice, practice with a purpose. Break the game down into skills you need to improve on and the skills you are good at. As I said, work on improving your weaknesses and work at really making those skills you are good at greater.

Make a practice schedule and follow it. Time each drill and stay on schedule. Have goals for each practice session and work toward achieving those goals. Work out with a friend so you can help each other and reinforce each other. Learn from each other.

This sounds a bit like school or work! They are very similar. That's why it's important. The work habits you develop as a player will also help you to become a better student, better worker, good team mate, and a great person. If you work hard at basketball, you should improve and have fun, and you'll learn to be an even better person.

What does it take to become a better player?
• Set Goals
• Work on your strengths
• Improve your weaknesses
• Play as much as you can
• Make use of clinics, leagues, camps, and programs
• Learn from others
• And most importantly, love the game! You can't turn this on at a moments notice, but passion is what makes greatness.

Here are some skills oyu can work on:

• Work on dribbling with your head up using both hands
• Shoot as much as you can from inside the key and the periemeter
• Work on offensive moves off the dribble and before dribbling
• Work on passing skills-practice with a friend
• Work on defensive techniques, stance, sliding, and footwork
• Practice ball fakes, jam steps, and up and under moves
• Always display a great attitude-listen, learn, and be the best team mate you can

Again, I want to make the point that life is about balance. You have to balance your skills in basketball to become a well-rounded player. I am telling you to play a lot, practice hard, and let your love of basketball grow. But you must be a balanced person and have other interests. Be a good student and study hard. Work hard. Develop other interests. But let basketball teach you how to be the best you can be in everything and Be Great!

Read More

21 Easy Ways to Improve Your Basketball Shooting Percentage

Tip #1 – Locate Your Target (the Rim) Earlier
Getting in the habit of locating your target (the rim) earlier will improve your shooting percentage.  Why?
Locating the rim just a split second earlier gives your brain more time to subconsciously calculate distance and focus on your objective. Your eyes should be on the rim as early as possible. To make this little trick work, you need to develop this habit in practice, which carries over into games.

Tip #2 – Always Hold Your Follow Through
You’ve probably heard this a hundred times but there’s good reason for it.  Holding your follow through solves a multitude of shooting problems.  This simple movement helps you maintain good basketball shooting technique without even thinking about it.

Tip #3 – Finish with a Floppy Wrist
A common mistake is for players to follow-through with a tense wrist.  Your wrist should be as relaxed as possible.  Your hand should finish on line and often bouncing during follow-through.

Tip #4 – Use a Colored Ball to Improve Rotation
To improve the straightness of your shot, try a colored basketball during practice.   This makes it easy to see the rotation and direction of the ball.  The immediate feedback makes it quick and easy for you to adjust and improve your shot.

Tip #5 – Don’t Shoot like Kobe
TOO many kids try to copy Kobe and end up with bad shots for the REST OF THEIR LIVES!
Youngsters have no business trying to hang like Kobe and shoot.  Kobe is a freak of nature!  You should shoot as you’re going up (at least 1 inch before you reach the top of your jump).  Trying to mimic Kobe’s shot will just earn you a place on the bench and lots of frustration.

Tip #6 – Stop Thinking about Your Shot During Games
One of the worst things you can do is think about your shooting mechanics during a game.
Thinking about your shot is for practice, NOT for games!  In fact, you should only think during certain parts of your practice.  It’s ok to think during a form shooting session or when learning a new skill, but once you start developing rhythm and get further into practice, don’t think!
During games, train yourself to think about other things or nothing at all.
You’re going to miss a few.  So what!  Don’t think, just shoot the damn ball!!!
If you adopt this mentality, your shooting percentage will go UP.

Tip # 7 – Eliminate Negative Thoughts with this Simple Trick
Eliminating negative thoughts can dramatically improve your basketball shooting percentage.
To stop thinking and eliminate bad thoughts, you can try this little trick…
Before each game, practice, and shooting session, tell yourself that you don’t care if you make any baskets.   Say it out loud or in your head several times.
THEN, when you go to shoot (right as you’re catching the ball), say something to yourself like, “Nice shot. I can do better.”  In other words, try not to care if it goes in or not.
This simple little trick helps you to relax into the process and not think about the result. Using this technique will be enough to break you out of mini slumps and restore your confidence.

Tip #8 – Develop Optimal Arc
DID YOU KNOW that a shot with a flat 35 degree arc only has .6 inches of margin for the ball to clear without hitting the rim?  The shot has to be almost perfect to get a swish.
BUT a shot with a 45 degree medium height arc has a 3 inch margin of error!
That’s right.  Just by increasing the arc of your shot, your margin of error could increase as much as 500%!
How many shots bounce OUT of the basket because you missed by just a fraction?
As a general rule of thumb, finish your follow through with the rim clearly visible beneath the fingers of your shooting hand.  That way you will ensure that you have a decent arc on the shot.  Shots with proper arch have a much better chance of going in.
Just don’t go too high.  Because if your arc gets too high, you’ll loose your distance control.

Tip #9 – Watch DVDs
Simply by watching great shooters groove their shots over and over, you can improve your confidence and form.
The good habits and examples can be contagious.  As you watch, the good form becomes ingrained in your mind.
Not to mention, you should never stop learning.  There are lots of good shooting DVDs and books for you to learn from.

Tip #10 – Use a Partner to Tune your Shot Alignment
Spend a little time during each practice lined up along a court line about 20 feet from a partner, shooting back and forth and trying to have the ball bounce as close to the line as possible. This simple practice technique will help you to fine tune your control of the precision of your shot.

Tip #11 – Land in the Same Spot
Balance is a very important aspect of shooting.  You achieve balance primarily through a proper stance and footwork.  After your shot, you should land pretty much exactly where you started.  This means you have established good balance from your stance.

Tip #12 – Film Your Shot
You’d be amazed at how filming your shot in both games and practices can help you.
The most common response from players is… “That’s how I shoot!!??”
That’s right.  Most players haven’t seen their own shot before. Seeing your shot on film can help you to detect poor mechanics and motivate you to make commitments for improvement.  Bottom line– it’s a great way to refine your shot.

Tip #13 – Get a Partner
When possible, try to shoot with a partner.  Because when you’re alone, you end up chasing the rebound before following through properly.
This is important.  Think about how you practice…
You shoot and then you start following the shot immediately so you can get lots of reps.  Guess what?  This can mess up your follow-through.  You need to FINISH each shot and hold your follow-through.  That’s why we recommend getting a partner to rebound for you.  Now just because you can’t find a partner you can (and should) still practice by yourself.  Just be aware of holding your follow through.

Tip #14 – Fix Bad Habits by Immediately Correcting Your Shot
This is one of the easiest ways to break bad shooting habits.  For example, let’s say you forgot to hold your follow-through.  Well, immediately after you shoot, raise your hand back up and put your hand in the correct follow-through position.  This simple technique will help you quickly correct the bad habit

Tip #15 – Use a Return Device
Using basketball rebounding and return devices can literally double the number of shots you can take in practice.  Just think how much time you spend chasing the ball when you practice.  A return device solves that problem and lets you take more shots in less time.

Tip #16 – Keep the Ball Above Your Waist
When you catch the ball, always keep the ball above your waist and in the shot pocket.  There’s NO need to dip the ball.  This is wasted movement.

Tip #17 – Don’t Fall for Gimmicks
Too many players spend their hard earned money on shooting gloves and gimmicks, thinking this will make them great shooters.
You can’t use these devices during a game so it really doesn’t do you much good.  You need to learn how to shoot effectively without these devices.  There is NO magic pill.

Tip # 18 – Keep Your Shot Motion Balanced, Fluid, and Consistent
A fluid motion means that there are no jerky movements or stopping points, just one constant flow from start to finish.
Consistency can’t be stressed enough.  Your feet, arms, shot pocket, and jump height should use a consistent motion every time you shoot.  All the greatest shooters in the world have amazingly consistent movements.

Tip #19 – Groove 50 Shots Before Every Game
Before every practice and game, face the basket and shoot 50 EASY shots about four to ten feet from the basket.
Not only does this improve your shooting form, but it helps to develop phenomenal confidence.
You’ll quickly become very good at grooving these shots over and over.  You’ll see the ball going in the basket over and over.  You’ll swish the ball repeatedly and probably shoot 60%, 70%, 80%, or more, which is great for your psyche.
Why do you think that NBA players do this before games?  Why do you think that Tiger Woods starts all of his practice sessions by making 100 three-foot putts?
Because it works!  Don’t overlook this powerful strategy.

Tip #20 – Quickly Chart Your Shot to Determine Tendencies
Head to the gym and shoot a bare minimum of 50 shots.  Ask your partner to chart your shots.  The KEY is to chart the detailed results of each shot.  You will track how many shots fell short, too long, to the left, and to the right.  This information will help you to determine what you need to work on.
For example, if you consistently miss short (like many players do), you’ll need to work on your power and distance control.  If you consistently miss to the right and the left, you need to fix the mechanics of your foot and/or arm alignment.

Tip #21 – Work Game-Like Movement into Your Practice
To make game shots, you need to practice game shots.  You should use good shooting drills and practice movement off screens, cuts, chairs, and pivoting in both directions.

Get to the Gym and Apply What You’ve Learned
There ya go… 21 simple ways for you to improve your basketball shooting percentage.  Now get to the gym, apply what you’ve learned, and knock down more shots!!

Read More