It is the rare basketball player who can do it all at the highest level. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James had the ability to handle the ball, pass it, shoot it, rebound and play defense with the best of the best. If you excel at one or two of the five top basketball skills, there will be a place for you on most basketball courts. And if you excel at all five, the sky is the limit.
Top point guards dribble and control the ball as if it were on a string. Good technique is critical for a ball handler. You should dribble with your fingertips rather than your palm. Dribble with your head up so you can see the opposition and your teammates. Keep your body low and use your off-ball hand to help keep your defender at bay. Work on dribbling with both hands, so you’ll be as comfortable going to your left or your right.
Passing
Great passers can see the whole court and anticipate where a teammate will go and what a defender will do. Mastering the basics is the place to start. Develop a two-hand chest pass, bounce pass and overhead pass so you can deliver the ball to your teammates in the best position for them to shoot or beat their defender. Steve Nash or Derrick Rose can dazzle you with a behind-the-back or a no-look pass. But those moves are not just for show; they provide a teammate the best chance to score.
Shooting
It’s difficult to score if you can’t shoot the ball effectively. As Better Basketball Coaching explains, shooting is something of an art form, and some players, such as Kevin Durant and Ray Allen, have a knack for it. But everyone can improve their shooting through proper technique and lots of practice. Proper technique includes squaring your body up to the target, shooting the ball with your fingertips, keeping your elbows from flying, putting backspin and arc on the shot and following through completely after letting the ball fly.
Rebounding
Boxing Out
Boxing on a rebound is very important. However, it is not as important as getting the ball. Boxing is a momentary action intended to impede the path of an opponent and delay his ability to go after the ball. I have seen many games lost due to a great box out but nobody went after the ball.
In addition, boxing out is a confusing term. Previously we discussed rebounding position (around the NBA block/charge line). What would you do if your opponent is inside of you in that rebounding position? You can’t box him out because he is inside of you. I would box him in, turn and push him toward the basket. What if you are under the basket with your defender on your back? Would you box him out into good rebounding position? I would turn and box him in, under the basket.
When boxing out, find your man as soon as a shot goes up. Pivot in the most comfortable and efficient way you can, into an athletic position that looks like you are sitting on a chair. Immediately your arms go up, your elbows go out and your hands get ready to grab the ball. We discussed above the reasons for getting your arms up and hands ready (see skills). The purpose for getting your elbows out is NOT to hit anyone, but it does make you wider and more difficult to go around. In this position, bump your man with your butt and then go after the ball.
Boxing out (or in) is not only a defensive maneuver but can be an offensive maneuver as well. Use it any time you are in position to do so. Be aggressive and take control of the situation. Don’t wait for your man to make a move, go and get him before he has a chance to move.
Remember, to be a good rebounder or a good rebounding team doesn’t necessarily mean you get every rebound, just be sure your opponent doesn’t get it.
Defense
Even the best scorers go into shooting slumps. But you can always play good defense if you hustle and understand both individual and team defense. When you are defending a player, keep you head lower than his. Stay close enough to the offensive player to bother him — but not so close he can blow by you with one step. Know your opponent’s tendencies so you can dictate the direction you want him to move. Be aware of the other players on the court, so you can play help defense when a teammate loses his man.
Basketball Training Tips, Strategies, and Secrets
Shooting is the most important skill in basketball
Players must understand this.
When you’re in the gym, a lot of your workout time must be spent developing your ability to shoot the basketball.
Every other skill is secondary to shooting.
Every other skill is secondary to shooting.
In the type of basketball that is being played today, it’s very hard to receive significant minutes on the court at higher levels if you can’t knock down an open shot consistently from the perimeter.
Perfect your shooting technique
As shooting is the most important skill in basketball, it’s important for all players to develop a fundamentally sound, consistent, and repeatable shot.
And the sooner a player can develop this, the better.
It’s much faster and easier for players to improve when they’re using correct shooting technique.
Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses
One of the best things a player can do is sit down with a pen and paper and evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses.
As long as the player is honest with themselves, this exercise will show them a few different things:
a. What areas of their game they need to work on (weaknesses).
b. What to focus on executing during games (strengths).
Understanding this is especially important when players are putting together basketball training workouts to improve their game.
You must be able to look at your game from an outsider’s perspective and be objectively critical with yourself.
Always train at game speed
ne of the biggest mistakes a player can make during workouts is only putting in 50% effort when practicing.
Instead of sprinting around the court, they jog.
Instead of raising up on each shot, they barely leave the ground.
Being able to shoot casually and being able to shoot after running off a screen and then jumping up high into the air to avoid the defender blocking your shot are completely different skills.
If you want to improve your in-game shooting, you need to be practicing game shots at game speed.
Develop a consistent free-throw routine
If you don’t already have one, developing a consistent free-throw routine that you’ll use every time you step to the line is very important.
A consistent routine gives you confidence and a process to focus your attention on when shooting free-throws.
Develop a variety of finishes at the rim
Once you become a lethal outside shooter, opposition players are going to be forced to defend you closer to prevent the outside shot.
It will also be far more likely that they’ll jump on your shot fakes.
This is when you need to attack the rim.
Being able to explode past your opponent and then finish at the rim with a variety of moves is crucial to be a complete scorer.
Here are 7 finishing moves all players should be working on:
- Regular layups (overhand)
- Finger Roll (underhand)
- Floaters
- Off-foot layups (example: right foot jump, right foot shot)
- Euro step
- Reverse layups
- Jump stop layups
Don’t forget about defense
“There’s a disposition great defenders have – a genuine pride that scores are a problem, people that score on me is a problem”
Brett Brown
Becoming one of the best defenders on your team is a smart way for any player to stand out and increase their court time.
How many players really want to improve defensively?
Not many.
The best way to improve your one-on-one defense is to compete against a live opponent. Preferably someone better than you.
Here’s what to focus on:
- Staying down in defensive stance.
- One arm’s length away from your opponent.
- Contain them. Don’t allow them to get past.
- Force them into a difficult shot.
Improve Your Vertical Jump
Another fantastic way to make the most of the off-season is to improve your vertical jump.
An extra inch or two on your vertical jump can make a big difference during games….
It can be the difference between rising up and blocking an opponent’s shot or slapping them on the wrist.
Performing a vertical jump workout program will also improve your speed, agility, and reaction times too.
Limit numbers of dribbles
Don’t dribble the basketball at the top of the key 20 times before looking to attack the defense and score.
One of the most effective 1-on-1 rules is to limit the number of dribbles that a player is allowed to use on each possession.
This forces players to learn how to effectively create a good shot in limited time and limited space.
Conclusion:
For players committed to improving, the basketball training tips presented in this blog post will help you become a much better basketball player.
But there’s a catch…
Simply reading this blog post won’t make you a better player.
You have to take action.
Start scheduling your workouts, keep a training log, sit down and work out your strengths and weaknesses, be more careful with the food you put into your body, develop your shooting technique, commit to training at 100%…
I guaranteed you’ll quickly see results on the court.
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