Posts Tagged ‘Practice’
There are as many basketball drills out there as there are basketball coaches, and everyone has their favorite drills. But there are some drills – top basketball drills – that add so much to practice that every coach should have them in their repertoire of basketball knowledge.
Most drills focus on a specific aspect of the game – we have shooting drills, dribbling drills, passing drills, rebounding drills, defense drills. Drills to develop the jump shot, drills to improve the chest pass, drills to teach man to man defense. But top basketball drills go beyond this; they require the use of most, maybe all these skills, and they require much more.
Here’s three reasons why top basketball drills are so important:
1. They simulate game-like situations
Not only are many skills required in order to run the drill properly, these skills need to mesh together – maybe players need to pass, run, receive a pass, pass again immediately, run, receive the pass again and then take the ball in to the hoop, all without traveling (the zipper drill); or fast break down the court to play hard three on two basketball, and then fast break in the opposite direction to play hard two on one basketball (the 3-on-2 to 2-on-2 drill)
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2. They will be controlled and offer excellent teaching opportunities
It’s not a free-for-all, not a pick-up game. The coach is able to stop play to make changes, adjust what is happening, explain why certain movements are being performed and why others won’t work, so players become better players. Not better technicians but better players. Because this is a game simulation, and we don’t deal with how to perfect skills, but how to use them in a game.
3. They are excellent conditioning drills
Most top drills are fast break drills, or have an aspect of fast break to them, and require players to sprint as in game situations and execute various skills as in game situations. Again, remember the focus of these drills – unlike skills drills, these top basketball drills are designed to simulate game play and provide practice in integrating all the skills players have learned into the game. Maybe players will be sprinting to catch up on defense against a fast break, playing hustle defense, rebounding and then fast breaking themselves down the other end of the court (the 2 on 1 fill in); or fighting for a rebound, outletting the ball and filling the far lane on a fast break, so they can shoot and rebound again at the other end of the court (the 11 man drill – my favorite).
Learning skills in stand-alone teaching sessions, or in skill-specific drills, is a necessity. Players can’t learn a basic skill or perfect their techniques in a game – they need the focus and individual attention that comes from skills drills to do this.
But once they have gained some measure of adequacy with the skill, it becomes time to try it out in the game – that is our end goal, after all – and the best step towards that is to use these top basketball drills to prepare your team for game time.
Top basketball drills are great drills for pulling together everything players have learned. They aren’t drills you will use much at the beginning of the pre-season, when you are teaching and reinforcing basic skills. But you will need them later on, as the season grows nearer and as your players’ skills have improved to the point where it is time to teach them how to use those skills in game situations.
To read more about these great drills, visit Top Basketball Drills on the Better Basketball Coaching website.
Practice will make you a better basketball player. You will hear that over and over because it is true. However, you may not know what to practice if you are part of an organized team. You may wonder what you should be practicing to make your game better.
Here are five essential basketball moves that you need to practice and master in order to be the best player you can be. Some of the moves you can practice alone, but others will require a partner. If you can find someone to practice with every time you practice that would help you out. Plus it helps to keep you focused and motivated.
Move #1: Dribbling
Dribbling should be practiced often. Predictable players are targets, and your ability to manage and maneuver are directly related to you dribbling skills.
You should practice dribbling in a straight line as well as agility drills where you dribble in a wavy line or in other patterns other then a straight line down the court.
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It is nice to start and end practice with some dribbling drills.
Move #2: Passing
You will need a partner for practicing passing. You should practice the different types of passes. You can start with one type, like the chest pass and then move into another type of pass like the bounce pass. Then you can alternate between a few different passes.
One great way to practice is to start by standing still and warming up. Then you should move down the court as you are passing. It is important to incorporate moving passes since the majority of passes on the court will be while you are moving.
Move #3: Shooting
Shooting is almost a given in practice. Most people only practice shooting. While shooting is important it is not the only part of the game. However, you always should practice your shots.
Make sure to practice shots from all around the court. You should practice a variety of shots like slam dunks jump shots and lay ups in addition to set shots.
Move #4: Guarding
Guarding is an essential part of basketball. You should practice guarding both offensively and defensively. You have to be able to stop the ball and stop other players.
Drills should be created that help you to learn how to anticipate moves and how to move efficiently.
Move #5: Rebounding
Rebounding is all about control. You have to be able to get the ball after a basket or the other team may just get it and your chance to score is lost.
Rebounding is something you can practice over an over by yourself, but it is best done with a partner. You want to make the basket and try to rebound. You want to have them make the basket and you grab the rebound.
Mix it up and work until you master all these skills. You want o be able to do them all efficiently and with good technique. This will allow you to be the best player you can be.
Amateur players usually have their practice at least a couple of weeks before their basketball schedule. However, if you would have a basketball practice for just a short time, all you can do is to prepare your body for the upcoming event just like doing some stretching before working out. You would not be able to train properly to do the right moves and shots that would help your team win the game.
You must think first about the time when you would have your practice. During the basketball season, it can be difficult for you and your team to practice for a long time. You should not spend a lot of your energy practicing or you may feel exhausted easily during the real game.
Therefore, if you really want to get the best results before your basketball schedule, your practice and training should be done during the off season. You can have more time doing intense basketball workouts so you will be more prepared to compete. Your muscles will be trained to release the ball properly to ensure a two or three point shot during the game. This can never be achieved immediately if you would only have a basketball practice that would last for a couple of weeks.
Professional basketball players like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant usually practice for at least 8 hours or more everyday at least a couple of months before the season starts. No wonder why they excel so much in this craft. When it comes to sports, there is no easy way to stand out than to give ample hours for training. The more hours you practice, the better you will be in the court. You should play hard but remember that you must train and practice harder before your scheduled basketball game.
As far as the time of practice is concerned, I feel the best time to practice is right after school. I begin our practice at 3:20 and continue until 5:15 or 5:30, depending on the work planned for the day. I feel it is desirable to have several practice sessions at night before we begin the regular season’s schedule so that we might accustom the players to game conditions. I conduct several game type scrimmages at night before the opening game.
It is my sincere belief that proper practice equipment is one of the most important elements in a successful basketball program. I have uniform practice equipment which is not expensive but very adequate. The squad is issued white practice pants and reversible T-Shirts, so they can merely turn their shirts inside out if they change teams during practice. Our school provides sweat socks, athletic supporter, and white shoes. I feel the boys are much better disciplined if they are all outfitted in the same practice equipment. From the standpoint of the player, this gives him a feeling that he is part of a team and not a member of a disorganized group.
I feel it is equally important for the coach to have some type of uniform that he wears to practice. It is my belief that the coach must set the example if he is to insist upon uniform practice equipment for the team.
If you are fortunate as we are, and have a trainer, take advantage of the situation and make the best use of him. It will give the boy more confidence to be told by the trainer that he is all right than to just have the coach do it. I let our trainer make the decisions on all of our minor injury problems. If he says the boy needs to be taped, that’s it. If he says the boy should miss practice for any reason, I respect his judgment. He also recommends boys to the doctor when he feels it is necessary. On the nights of a game, I make out the lineup, but the trainer advises me on the physical condition of each player. If he decides the boy is not fit, he doesn’t play.
If you do not have a trainer, it would be advisable for you to attend a clinic and work carefully with the trainer there. I am sure the help that you receive from the trainers will provide you with great assistance in getting your boys ready to play.
If you are ever in doubt about an injury suffered by a player, you should consult a doctor immediately. Never take a chance on jeopardizing the health of one of your players by minimizing what appears to be a slight injury. A doctor can erase all doubt about a boy’s physical condition very quickly with an examination.
It is imperative that the coach be in complete control of the team at all times. You should attempt to treat all of the players alike. Give no special favors to the “star,” but rather tell him, he is expected to conduct himself as a “star” off the court as well as on the court. He should set the perfect example for the younger boys. I have found it to be true more often than not, that such was the natural case. The “star” was the “star” both in the classroom, on the street, and on the basketball court.
I have definite training rules that I expect the boys to follow. There was once a time that I felt like many other coaches feel today; to set up training rules for the boys to follow was too dictatorial. I wanted to follow the modern theme of education and let the boys set up their own rules to follow. I found, after a time, that although this is commendable, many of the boys did not actually know what was best for them and thus used poor training techniques I set up a definite time for the boys to be in bed, and in a couple of weeks they felt stronger and could run with the best of them.
As far as the time of practice is concerned, I feel the best time to practice is right after school. I begin our practice at 3:20 and continue until 5:15 or 5:30, depending on the work planned for the day. I feel it is desirable to have several practice sessions at night before we begin the regular season’s schedule so that we might accustom the players to game conditions. I conduct several game type scrimmages at night before the opening game.
It is my sincere belief that proper practice equipment is one of the most important elements in a successful basketball program. I have uniform practice equipment which is not expensive but very adequate. The squad is issued white practice pants and reversible T-Shirts, so they can merely turn their shirts inside out if they change teams during practice. Our school provides sweat socks, athletic supporter, and white shoes. I feel the boys are much better disciplined if they are all outfitted in the same practice equipment. From the standpoint of the player, this gives him a feeling that he is part of a team and not a member of a disorganized group.
I feel it is equally important for the coach to have some type of uniform that he wears to practice. It is my belief that the coach must set the example if he is to insist upon uniform practice equipment for the team.
If you are fortunate as we are, and have a trainer, take advantage of the situation and make the best use of him. It will give the boy more confidence to be told by the trainer that he is all right than to just have the coach do it. I let our trainer make the decisions on all of our minor injury problems. If he says the boy needs to be taped, that’s it. If he says the boy should miss practice for any reason, I respect his judgment. He also recommends boys to the doctor when he feels it is necessary. On the nights of a game, I make out the lineup, but the trainer advises me on the physical condition of each player. If he decides the boy is not fit, he doesn’t play.
If you do not have a trainer, it would be advisable for you to attend a clinic and work carefully with the trainer there. I am sure the help that you receive from the trainers will provide you with great assistance in getting your boys ready to play.
If you are ever in doubt about an injury suffered by a player, you should consult a doctor immediately. Never take a chance on jeopardizing the health of one of your players by minimizing what appears to be a slight injury. A doctor can erase all doubt about a boy’s physical condition very quickly with an examination.
It is imperative that the coach be in complete control of the team at all times. You should attempt to treat all of the players alike. Give no special favors to the “star,” but rather tell him, he is expected to conduct himself as a “star” off the court as well as on the court. He should set the perfect example for the younger boys. I have found it to be true more often than not, that such was the natural case. The “star” was the “star” both in the classroom, on the street, and on the basketball court.
I have definite training rules that I expect the boys to follow. There was once a time that I felt like many other coaches feel today; to set up training rules for the boys to follow was too dictatorial. I wanted to follow the modern theme of education and let the boys set up their own rules to follow. I found, after a time, that although this is commendable, many of the boys did not actually know what was best for them and thus used poor training techniques I set up a definite time for the boys to be in bed, and in a couple of weeks they felt stronger and could run with the best of them.