That Basketball Life

Speed kills.  This statement is true in many ways.  It's true positive ways and negative ways.  It's true that going to fast on the expressway can get you killed.  It's also true that playing fast in sports can be of great benefit to you as a ball player.  I am definitely not writing this post encouraging people to speed when they drive but what I do want to do is take some time to explain how improving your quickness with and without the ball can help your basketball game immensely.   You might be asking is it possible to improve your quickness on the basketball floor?  The answer to that question is most definitely yes.  There are 5 ways which you can increase your quickness and help you become both tougher to guard on offense and tougher to beat on defense. Physical Coordination - Training your body to move quicker is where it all starts.  With this portion of quickness training it is very important that you push yourself beyond the c...

I have a player who has been with me for a very long time.  He has been with me since he was in kindergarten and I have seen this boy turn into a pretty good ball player throughout the years.  Each year he has added another piece to his game including this year when he added a left hand finish to his arsenal.  This boy wants to be a good player.  He works hard and never complains.  He's getting to the point where his skill level is really good.  I would say it is above average for a kid his age.  The issue is that he doesn't dominate games like he should and he is starting to realize it.  He recently came up to me and told me that he doesn't think he could compete with some of the better players he faces in our league.  This crushed me because I saw that he was broken and discouraged which could lead to a confidence breaking slide.  I quickly reminded him about all of the progress he has made and encouraged him to keep working.  The...

One of the common traits that all great basketball players have is balance.  If you watch videos of the great ones they always seem to be under control.  You'll hear people say how the great ones have elite body control.  This body control starts with footwork.  The great ones can do what they want on the basketball floor because their footwork always keeps them in balance.  Even with the acrobatic shots they make, if you pay close enough attention you will notice how the great ones always manage to stay balanced and square.  This is what separates the athletes from the great ball players.  It's true that many of the great basketball players are also some of the best athletes in the world but it's also true that not all great athletes are great basketball players.  There are a lot of factors that come into play when we are talking about what makes great basketball players and one of them is footwork. We will spend some time on this topic and try...

Another video on correcting shooting form. There are a few more good tips in this video.

Nice video on correcting your shot. Regarding the comment about the head I want to add that many kids jerk their heads back when they shoot in an effort to draw more power to their shot but in reality this has the opposite effect and drains power from the shot in addition to moving the sightlines at a crucial point in the shot.

Click on this link for another nice article on vertical jump training. I'm convinced that this workout not only helps your vertical jump but will help you improve your sprint speed as well.

If found this interesting blog post in www.hoopsbeast.com talking about how to increase your vertical jump.  Click here to read.