how many hours a day should i pratice and what drills should i do.
I’m not sure of your current level, so I’ll assume you may be an absolute bigginer, sorry I don’t mean to offend!
Hours: As others have said, it’s not the quantity of training it’s the quality. The old phrase ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ is flawed, it’s really ‘Perfect Practice Makes Perfect’. So an hour of good practice is better than 10 hours of bad practice!
Dribbling: Dribble the ball while you walk wherever you go! If you’re walking to school, dribble, if you’re walking to a game, dribble. This forces you to not look at the ball while you dribble and the footpath is often uneven so it means the ball will deviate giving you practice at recovering your dribble when other players swipe at it and knock it away. Also pratice different dribbles like the cross over as mentioned and the freeze dribble where you slow down then accelerate again, good for slowing up faster defenders by getting them off balance, also the on-side move which is a fake cross over. Don’t worry too much about through the legs dribbles etc until you’re comfortable with the basics, fundamentals win games not flashy moves!
Shooting: Get your self a technique guide, this will probably have dribbling in it too! Try as hard as you can to use correct form, but also remember that you need to be comfortable when you shoot so if you need to deviate a little from ‘Perfect Tachnique’ it’s okay, just stay as close to it as comfortable! Wayne McDaniels who played in the NBL in the 80′s and 90′s had the ugliest shot ever, but it was affective because he was comfortable with it! He used to coach me in Tassie and he would not miss a shot against bad defense! Start with a few rouds of ‘Round the World’ shooting from the different spots around the key where people stand for free throws, then the elbow of the key at the free throw line, then free throw line, three pointer from the top of the key then back down the other side of the key. After that pick a few spots to do some catch and shoot practice from, carry the ball why you make a V-lead (used to shake off defenders to get open) then throw the ball ahead of you with some back spin so you catch it where a good pass woudl hit your hands then turn to the basket in triple threat and practice different moves, so first few times it’s a shot straightaway, then a head fake and shot then a head fake and one dribble left then right, or vice versa, then a head fake and take it to the hole for a lay up or if you’re tall/springy enough a dunk. The MOST important thing is to make the V-Lead first as this helps you to learn to set your feet as you catch the ball and practicing the different options means you’re prepared for what the defence might do!
Other Bits: If you have some friends who like to play practice your passing, no one likes a ball hog (I know I was one until I got a good coach when I was 15!!!), a good passed makes his whole team better! Also work on your agility and jump as these will make it easier for you to get open and/or create your own shot when the defence is stopping you from passing! Always remember too that a team is only as strong as it’s weakest link, so try to get practice on all aspects of the game so that you dont’ become the weakest link in any one part of the game, and learn to encourage your team mates in a positive way as a TEAM of good players with good team work will ALWAYS beat a group of individual stars (see USA Basketball Team 2000 to 2006!)
Coaching Guides: Most coaching DVD’s will give you the basics to get your form right. Practice from a lot of different places on the court too, there’s nothing worse than a one dimensional shooter ’cause you need to be flexible against different defences! I used to be a coach and I played for the Tasmanian State team in under 18′s in the late 90′s, I still have a lot of info stored in the old noggin, though I am a lot more athletically challenged (read fat!) these days, but feel free to emial me at jeffrerr@yahoo.com.au if you want more tips! The thing is in Basketball is you can still be a good player whether you are naturally talented or not, it’s a game of skills that can be learned, so practice hard but practive smart and you can get to any level you want!
Leave A Reply (4 comments So Far)
Yup
1371 days ago
Firstly i wouldnt really think of how many hours u should practice, because if u dont do things rite u could practice for 5 hours that could end up pointless. But still id say u should AT LEAST practice 2 hrs, doin shooting drills, doing a lot from the elbows. If u have a friend then let him pass to u and have him run up to u and try to block ur shot. If u have a friend always practice lot longer than when u practice alone cuz u want to make the best out of the opportunity.
As for dribbling, id say the basic, using chairs as obstacles and quickly crossing over. but if u practice outside u should mostly practice stationary dribbling, because u can hurt ur self since it could be a lil sandy out and u could slip.
I pracitce A LOT and i hope u can trust me. I make great improvement each year. When i was in elementary i was a benchwarmer, thats how sad it was. Now, not only am i the best player in my high school i get respected with the schools around me and i have become one of the best guards in this region. So keep it up bro.
References :
Baller
1371 days ago
Don’t mistake activity for achievement.
You could be outside doing crap for 8 hours. And some guy who really paid attention to detail and did everything correct, got better than you.
It’s not how long you practice, it’s how well practice.
References :
Starting PG on varsity. 1200 shots a day. I try and do perfect form everytime and if I don’t think I did something right I make myself do it over. I also write all my shots down in bunches of 10.
Bob T
1371 days ago
Brief shooting tips for you. 1. Shoot one handed. Make sure your off hand gets off the ball just before release. 2. Lift your follow through high and freeze it in place until the ball hits the basket.
What the others have said about practicing with good form is so important.
References :
national director for Shot Doctor Basketball Camps, Inc.
jeffrerr
1370 days ago
I’m not sure of your current level, so I’ll assume you may be an absolute bigginer, sorry I don’t mean to offend!
Hours: As others have said, it’s not the quantity of training it’s the quality. The old phrase ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ is flawed, it’s really ‘Perfect Practice Makes Perfect’. So an hour of good practice is better than 10 hours of bad practice!
Dribbling: Dribble the ball while you walk wherever you go! If you’re walking to school, dribble, if you’re walking to a game, dribble. This forces you to not look at the ball while you dribble and the footpath is often uneven so it means the ball will deviate giving you practice at recovering your dribble when other players swipe at it and knock it away. Also pratice different dribbles like the cross over as mentioned and the freeze dribble where you slow down then accelerate again, good for slowing up faster defenders by getting them off balance, also the on-side move which is a fake cross over. Don’t worry too much about through the legs dribbles etc until you’re comfortable with the basics, fundamentals win games not flashy moves!
Shooting: Get your self a technique guide, this will probably have dribbling in it too! Try as hard as you can to use correct form, but also remember that you need to be comfortable when you shoot so if you need to deviate a little from ‘Perfect Tachnique’ it’s okay, just stay as close to it as comfortable! Wayne McDaniels who played in the NBL in the 80′s and 90′s had the ugliest shot ever, but it was affective because he was comfortable with it! He used to coach me in Tassie and he would not miss a shot against bad defense! Start with a few rouds of ‘Round the World’ shooting from the different spots around the key where people stand for free throws, then the elbow of the key at the free throw line, then free throw line, three pointer from the top of the key then back down the other side of the key. After that pick a few spots to do some catch and shoot practice from, carry the ball why you make a V-lead (used to shake off defenders to get open) then throw the ball ahead of you with some back spin so you catch it where a good pass woudl hit your hands then turn to the basket in triple threat and practice different moves, so first few times it’s a shot straightaway, then a head fake and shot then a head fake and one dribble left then right, or vice versa, then a head fake and take it to the hole for a lay up or if you’re tall/springy enough a dunk. The MOST important thing is to make the V-Lead first as this helps you to learn to set your feet as you catch the ball and practicing the different options means you’re prepared for what the defence might do!
Other Bits: If you have some friends who like to play practice your passing, no one likes a ball hog (I know I was one until I got a good coach when I was 15!!!), a good passed makes his whole team better! Also work on your agility and jump as these will make it easier for you to get open and/or create your own shot when the defence is stopping you from passing! Always remember too that a team is only as strong as it’s weakest link, so try to get practice on all aspects of the game so that you dont’ become the weakest link in any one part of the game, and learn to encourage your team mates in a positive way as a TEAM of good players with good team work will ALWAYS beat a group of individual stars (see USA Basketball Team 2000 to 2006!)
Coaching Guides: Most coaching DVD’s will give you the basics to get your form right. Practice from a lot of different places on the court too, there’s nothing worse than a one dimensional shooter ’cause you need to be flexible against different defences! I used to be a coach and I played for the Tasmanian State team in under 18′s in the late 90′s, I still have a lot of info stored in the old noggin, though I am a lot more athletically challenged (read fat!) these days, but feel free to emial me at jeffrerr@yahoo.com.au if you want more tips! The thing is in Basketball is you can still be a good player whether you are naturally talented or not, it’s a game of skills that can be learned, so practice hard but practive smart and you can get to any level you want!
References :