Jumping Jacks

 Shared from online-basketball-drills.com

Drill Type:  Conditioning Drill

Purpose: This two-step conditioning drill, while simple, is a great way to toughen your kids up a little bit, and will also show you who your best rebounders are.

Set Up: Have your players form two lines facing the baseline, each a couple of feet away from the basket.

Rebounding Drill
Execution:
1. Lines will go two at a time
2. Players will throw the ball up high off the backboard, take a step and gather themselves, and jump 
    as high as they can to secure the ball safely with two hands.
3. They should then pass the ball to the next player and go to the back of the line.
4. If you’ve got an older group, this is a good time for them to work on tip ins and put back layups as
     well.
5. Once your players are comfortable with the drill, back the line up a little bit.
6. The player at the front of the line will do the same thing, throw it off the backboard and go get it,
    but now, the 2nd player in the line is going to go over his back and attempt to steal the rebound
    from him.

Basketball Drills for Beginners

Article from www.online-basketball-drills.com

If you’re working with younger players, it’s important to focus on basic fundamentals in the majority of your practice time.

This post will cover 12 of our favorite basketball drills for beginners, specifically designed for kids under 10 years old.

Beginner Footwork Drills

Basketball is essentially, a game of footwork. Footwork is what allows ballhandlers to slash to the bucket and finish shots around rim. Footwork is what helps defensive players stay in front of their man, deny the ball, or get into position to help their teammates. Footwork is how rebounders get into position, box out and retrieve loose balls.

In fact, if you look at some of the greatest NBA players of all time, like Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant, every one of them used nimble, precise footwork to gain an advantage on offense and defense. A lot of kids under 10 don’t naturally have the coordination or balance to do things like pivot, slide, or drop step, so don’t take it for granted. Spend at least 15-20 minutes on footwork drills every practice, especially early in the season.
   1. Triple Threat Position & Defensive Stance
   2. Quick Stop Drill
   3. Stance & Start Footwork Drill
   4. V Cut Drill

Beginner Ballhandling Drills

Ballhandling is a blanket term which includes dribbling, passing, and catching skills. All players, whether they’re guards, forwards or centers must be able to handle the ball well. This enables them to be successful in all phases of the game, whether they’re pushing the ball upcourt on a fast break, catching the ball in the post, or pulling down a rebound under the boards. Spend roughly 15 minutes on these ballhandling drills at each and every practice.

   1. Basic Principles of Ballhandling and Dribbling
   2. Passing and Catching Basics for Youth Basketball
   3. Dribble Drive Basics for Kids
   4. 4-Step Ball Handling Circuit

Beginner Shooting Drills

The third key fundamental is Shooting. The good news is – this is one skill that your players definitely will not object to practicing! However, it’s critical that you don’t spend your practice time mindlessly firing up Hail Mary shots at the basket. Instead, make sure you start by building correct form and fundamentals, then using game situation drills to help your kids get accustomed to knocking down shots with a defender in their face. Set aside 15-20 minutes of your practice plan to work on these shooting drills.

   1. Shooting Basics for Youth Basketball – B.E.E.F.
   2. Form Shooting Drill (video)
   3. Shooting Layups – The Basics
   4. Three Spot Shooting Drill

Uniqueness of Hook Shot

Hook Shot
The hook shot and its variations, are not that difficult to learn are a great addition to any players offensive arsenal around the basket. Because it is a shot used generally from inside 10’-12’ you can use your weak and strong hands for effective hook shooting.  Learning the hook shot with either hand doubles your options and puts the defense at a disadvantage in the red zone. Effective use of the hooks forces your opponent to respect the shot, and a fake hook can create an opening in the opposite direction for a power move, drive, or pass.

Sweeping Hook
The classic hook shot was shot used since the very early days of the game, but was really popularized by the great George Mikan of the old Minneapolis Lakers. Mikan was the first really dominant big man and forced the NBA to widen the “key” from 6’ to 12’ so that it no longer even looks like a key.
The fundamental footwork the Hook shot is somewhat similar to a layup. Takeoff for the hook is from the “non-shooting foot” (the foot opposite the shooting hand). With your back to the basket, step so that the non-shooting foot is perpendicular to the target point (the basket) and rotate your body ninety degrees so that the shoulder of the non-shooting arm is pointing directly at the basket. The shooting arm is extended away from the defense and completes a sweeping overhead arc toward the basket, in the same ninety degree plane as the body.

A hook shot, in basketball, is a play in which the offensive player, usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently throws the ball with a sweeping motion of his arm in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends over his head. Unlike the jump shot, it is shot with only one hand; the other arm is often used to create space between the shooter and the defensive player. The shot is quite difficult to block, but few players have mastered the shot more than a few feet from the basket.


The hook shot was reportedly performed for the first time in official games in Eurobasket 1937 by Pranas Talzūnas, a member of the eventual champions, the Lithuania basketball team. Former Harlem Globetrotter Goose Tatum is often credited with inventing the hook shot; he would even shoot them without looking at the basket.[1] The hook shot later became a staple of many players in the NBA, including notable stars such as George Mikan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Yao Ming.

Sky Hook
The evolution of the hook shot continued with Lew Alcindor from UCLA (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) Alcindor would actually elevate  from the floor and upon full extension of his seven foot frame and long arm, would shoot a nearly unblockable shot that led to him becoming the all time leading scorer in NBA history. Many times he would set up the shot with a ball or head fake away from the direction he would turn to get the defender a little off balance. The footwork for the Sky Hook is, basically, the same as in the original hook.  Alcindor (Jabbar) would sometimes step first with his shooting foot and then plant his non-shooting foot covering plenty of ground, similar to the footwork when shooting a layup. At that point he would rise into the SkyHook and, more often than not, put another two points on the board.

Jump Hook
While not the originator of the Jump Hook former Houston Rocket Hakeem Olajauwon certainly made effective use of it. Olajauwon may have had the best footwork of any post player in the history of the game. He had a variety of shots and would, quite often, fake one way before stepping back thru and going a different way.  Again with your back to the basket step, or pivot, so that the non-shooting foot is perpendicular to the target point (the basket) and rotate your body ninety degrees so that the shoulder of the non-shooting arm is pointing directly at the basket. Rather than shooting off of one foot, the Jump Hook is executed with a jump off of both feet. While rotating the body, slide the non-shooting hand along the surface of the ball so that it ends up directly between the basket and the ball. The shooting hand continues to face the basket. If you are shooting with your right hand, your forearm should be vertical and the ball should be directly over your right shoulder. This protects the ball a little better than the jump hook, as the ball remains closer to the body. To make yourself as tall as possible, your shooting arm should be fully extended, with only a slight bend at the elbow. The release for the jump hook is a follow thru with the wrist very similar to the jump shot, almost “throwing the ball” very softly at the basket.

The hook shot series, when used with both hands, will make players most effective around the basket and enable them to score against much taller defenders.

Techniques Used by Basketball Players to Strengthen Wrists

Total body strength training is important if you want to become a successful basketball player, but you might be surprised to learn how important wrist, hand and fingertip strength are for executing the fundamentals. From palming a basketball to proper jump shot release, ball control and accuracy stem from the amount of strength you have in these body parts. Thus, strengthening your wrists will make you a more effective offensive player and greatly improve your defensive skills.

Fingertip Pushups
Fingertip pushups are one of the most effective wrist strengthening exercises you can do as a basketball player. They are executed like traditional palm pushups, except your fingertips and not your hands are supporting your body weight. This exercise will quickly build dexterity in your wrists and fingers. Not only does this exercise add wrist strength, these pushups also help develop fast twitch fibers in your shoulders, chest and arms to tone muscles and greatly increase your upper body strength.

Heavy Workout Basketballs
Since a workout basketball weighs twice as much as a regular basketball, using one for standard passing, shooting and rebounding drills will greatly improve your wrist strength. Shooting a weighted basketball with the same form as you would a regular basketball can increase your shooting range and your ability to release the ball properly. If you can snap or "flick" your wrist on your jump shot with a weighted ball, it will seem much easier to do the same with a regulation-sized ball during a game.

The Waving Goodbye Drill
A simple, yet effective exercise, the waving goodbye drill will increase wrist strength, flexibility and dexterity while molding muscle memory. Do this exercise by placing your arms in front of you, forming the letter "L" with each arm, and locking your elbows in place just as you would if you were shooting a basketball. With your elbows locked firmly in place, snap your wrists back and forth as quickly as possible for one minute so that it looks like you are very aggressively waving goodbye.

Ball Handling Dexterity Drills
Ball handling drills with a regulation basketball can work wonders. Developing a routine that includes the Figure-8 dribble, spider dribble, weak-hand dribble and the continuous crossover dribble will strengthen your wrists while improving your dribbling ability. Add more challenging drills like holding your arms straight out in front of you, passing the ball back and forth between the hands while using only your fingertips and without bending your arms.

Shared from livestrong.com

Introduction to Basketball Layup

A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in basketball. When doing a layup, the player lifts the outside foot, or the foot away from the basket. It is a foul if, during your layup, you hold the other person's hand or push it away to avoid him or her from defending. On the other hand, it is considered a foul if the defender jumps in front of you in the middle of nowhere and you both crash, in this case the defender causes a foul. A layup is very handy and to defend it, you just basically need to stand in front of the opponent with your arms stretched out.

An undefended layup is usually a high percentage shot. The main obstacle is getting near the rim and avoiding blocks by taller defenders who usually stand near the basket. Common layup strategies are to create spaces, release the ball from a different spot, or use alternate hands. A player able to reach over the rim might choose to perform a more spectacular and higher percentage slam dunk (dropping or throwing the ball from above the rim) instead.

Preparation for the Layup
In PREPARATION for a right handed layup get a good angle to the backboard. You can do this by making sure that you pass between the "block" and the first free throw lane hash mark. I call this the "driveway". Your steps should be: right foot - left foot & up. For a left handed layup your steps are: left foot right foot & up. You can practice these while simply walking without a ball. Then try with a ball and no dribble. Work up to shooting them off of one dribble then finally, a full dribble from 1/2 court.

Shooting a Layup
During the ACTION phase for a right handed layup you want your right knee up, and for a left handed layup you want your left knee up. You should explode upward trying to put your knee through the bottom of the basket. It is important to protect the ball with 2 hands on the same side as your shooting hand. Your elbow should be under the ball with wrist cocked and your eyes focused on a spot in the square on the backboard.

Layup follow thru
When first learning to shoot, the FOLLOW THRU should be the same as a regular shot. Your palm is facing the basket, with the ball coming off of the 1st two fingers. Flop over the wrist to get backspin on the ball for a nice soft shot. Later, when a player can jump higher, the palm can face skyward and lay the ball up softly off of the backboard with very little spin. Try not to spin the ball and be too "fancy". This should be a sure TWO POINTS-make sure that you make it.

Shared from basketball4all.net

How to Build Finger Strength for Basketball

Strong fingers and hands are crucial to a basketball player's performance. The majority of the movements (dribbling, passing, intercepting, blocking, shooting) is performed with your fingers and hands. Weak fingers will negatively impact your ball handling and shooting. To strengthen your fingers and improve grip strength, you can perform a variety of exercises, ranging from lifting weights to dribbling drills. In addition, conditioning your digits can help to prevent common injuries (jammed or sprained fingers) which can land you on the bench.

Raise a Weight Plate
Step 1 : Perform a finger raise with a weight plate, which strengthens your fingers as well as the muscles in your forearms powering your grip. Begin by picking up a 10-lb. Olympic weight plate in each hand.

Step 2 : Hold the plates by your sides with palms facing your body and your thumbs pressing against the plate's flat side. Extend your fingers to lower the plates.

Step 3 : Lift the plate by curling and closing your fingers. Perform 10 to 15 reps. Increase the load to 25 lbs. and then 45 lbs. as grip grows stronger.

Dribble with One Finger
Step 1 : Execute a dribbling exercise with two balls in which you strengthen each finger. Begin by crouching low to the ground and dribbling a ball 10 times with each hand.

Step 2 : Dribble the balls 10 times with only your thumbs. Try dribbling as hard as you can with one finger on one ball. Dribble next with only your forefingers 10 times. Continue this pattern for your middle fingers, ring fingers and pinkies.

Step 3 : Repeat the exercise but speed up the dribbling. Stay low to the ground, keeping your dribble at ankle height.

Squeeze for Strength
Step 1 : Perform squeezing exercises with your fingers to improve grip strength. Begin by holding a basketball above your shoulder with your right hand.

Step 2 : Draw your fingers together slowly, squeezing the ball until it pops out of your hand. Perform 15 reps and then repeat the exercise with your left hand.

Step 3 : Squeeze an old tennis ball with your right hand, pressing your fingers into the ball with as much force as possible. Perform 15 reps for each hand.

Volley for the Fingertips
Step 1 : Volley the basketball between your fingertips to develop strength and control of the ball at the ends of your fingers. Begin by positioning your hands in front of you at chest height and holding them 3 to 4 inches apart.

Step 2 : Pass the ball back and forth between your hands for five to 10 minutes, using the tips of your fingers but not your thumbs. Raise the volley to face height and continue for another three minutes.

Step 3 : Place your hands behind your head and volley the ball for three minutes. Finish the exercise by bending your knees and volleying the ball as low to the ground as possible for three minutes.

Stretch with a Band
Step 1 : Stretch the antagonist muscles of your fingers, wrists and forearms after doing grip-strengthening exercises to maintain muscular balance. Begin by forming your hand into a crescent or C shape.

Step 2 : Loop a rubber band around your fingertips and thumbs of your right hand. Wrap the band around your fingers twice to remove any slack if necessary. Spread your fingers and thumb slowly as if they're flower petals blooming.

Step 3 : Reverse the motion to return to starting position. Perform 10 reps. Repeat the stretch for your left hand.

Shared from livehealthy.chron.com

Basketball Know-How: Basketball Passing Drills

Your team’s ability to pass the ball accurately, using the correct technique will have a major impact on the flow and effectiveness of your offense.

Spend time at every practice working on basketball passing drills. Teach your players each of the key passing techniques, and help them understand when and where to use each one.

Two Hand Chest Pass

The most common pass in your half court offense will be the two hand chest pass -typically 70% to 80% of your passes will be thrown this way. It’s the surest pass, and it directs the ball well, off screens, or with ball reversal. The important thing to remember when throwing two handed chest passes is step to the pass and meet the pass.

The advantage to putting both hands on the ball instead of just pushing it with one is that it allows more effective fakes. The passer can begin a pass, and if there’s overplay, and bring the ball back without releasing it. Since we’ve got full control with both hands this makes it much easier to fake the chest pass and hit a player on a backdoor cut right after.

Over the Head Pass

Another useful passing technique is the over the head pass, or lob pass, which is also useful as a post entry.

If the post defender is playing on the high side, and the passer has the ball on the wing, we can lead and direct our post player to the basket. We’ll try to throw to the inside of the backboard on set plays, which allows the big man to catch the ball high, keep it up over his head, and finish strong without getting stripped.

Bounce Pass

The bounce pass will be your most common technique for post entry, especially if the post player has his defender sealed behind him. It allows your player to hold off his defender while receiving the pass low, with much less risk of the ball being tipped or intercepted.

On the perimeter, the bounce pass can also be used if your wing player is outside being over played on the wing. He can come out to the ball, and if denied, make a quick backdoor cut, receive the bounce pass in stride and score the layup.

Skip Pass

The skip pass -while prone to interception -is a great way to reverse the ball from one side of the court to the other.

If the ball is on one side of the court, and the weak side defender is way over in the key in help defense, you can direct a quick skip pass over his head. It will work almost like a screen, forcing the defender to come on a hard close out, giving you the opportunity for the shot or to take it to the hoop.

We can also throw the skip pass with a screen (called a fade screen). Instead of curling hard to the hoop, the offensive player will step off, fading away along the three point line – this is a perfect opportunity to use the skip pass.

Shared from online-basketball-drills.com

Basketball Know-How: How to Overcome Shooting Slumps

No matter how much you practice or how good of a shooter you usually are, there will be times when you find that you are having trouble making your shots. Left untreated or reacted to wrongly, these slumps can turn into major confidence busters and can distract you so much that you are not effective in other aspects of the game either. What can you do about slumps during games?

During games, you need to depend on your coach to guide you through a tough shooting night. If the coach directs you to keep taking the open shot, then that's what you should do. Realize that you can contribute to your team's success in more ways than making baskets, and keep trying your best. That attitude is all that your coach and team can expect from you.

There are many stories about players who have had terrible results for a whole half, only to make almost every shot during the second half, ending up at 50% or higher for the night! Other players can go into the tank after only two or three misses, passing up open shots or tensing up so much that their shot gets uglier and uglier along with their attitude. If you can learn to depend on your coach, you stand a much better chance of ending up in the first group.

How do you work your way out of slumps?

99% of the time, shooting slumps are completely MENTAL.

On rare occasions, the slump can be caused by a mechanical flaw in your shooting motion. If that's the case, then having someone videotape you will help you to pinpoint your issue. In conjunction with working with a knowledgeable coach, this should put you back on the right track pretty quickly.

Here are 4 ways to break you out of MENTAL shooting slumps:

1. DON'T HESITATE! 

When you catch the ball, immediately go into your shot motion without hesitating. Sometimes a fast-break jump-shot or a quick shot are the ones that you make. If you get in your shot motion quick enough, you won't have time to think. Don't rush; just catch and shoot immediately.

2. PRACTICE

The best place to deal with a slump is in a practice setting. Without the pressure of a competition, you can focus your energy and attention on getting out of your slump. The best way to deal with a slump during a practice session is to groove your shot with form shooting close to the basket. This will rebuild your confidence and establish a positive momentum in your attitude and confidence. Move back a little at a time as you meet with consistent success at each increasing distance. Of course, you can also use form shooting during half-time of a game to try to get yourself out of a slump. Your time, however, is pretty limited.

3. TRY THIS UNIQUE TRICK THAT CLEARS YOUR MIND

If you have a really bad slump that you just can't bust out of, try this technique. This unique process erases the "negative shooting memories" in your mind and replaces them with good ones. This can break you out of even the WORST shooting slumps!

Step 1 - Shoot 5 shots about 8 feet from the basket. 

Step 2 - Now shoot with your left hand (or weak hand), 5 shots. 

Step 3 - Go to the free throw line. Again, shoot with your left hand (or weak hand), 5 shots. 

Step 4 - Step back behind the 3-point line. Shoot 5 shots with your weak hand. 

Step 5 - Go to half-court. Shoot 5 shots with your strong hand. 

Step 6 - Stand on one leg. Shoot 5 shots with your strong hand. Concentrate! Try to make the shots. 

Step 7 - Close one eye, while standing on one leg. Shoot 5 shots with your strong hand. You probably won't touch the rim, but that's ok, keep trying to make it. 

Step 8 - Now switch to your weak hand. Close one eye, while standing on one leg. Shoot 5 shots. Seriously try to make it. Do your absolute BEST to make the shot. Concentrate! 

Step 9 - Now, go into your shooting range and shoot some mid-range jump shots with your right hand. Don't worry if you make any shots. That's not important. Just shoot, don't think. The shot should feel really easy for you now.

Stroke some nice easy shots for a while. If you have more range, step back a little bit and stroke a few more shots. Every time you shoot, say under your breath, "Nice shot. I can do better." Don't worry about making the shot. Tell yourself that it doesn't matter. You have probably already snapped yourself out of your slump. Those "negative memories" have now faded. Have fun with your shot and just shoot, don't think.

If you start slipping back into your slump, try this routine again. Usually, one routine will fix the problem. If not, two or three times will most certainly do the trick. People watching might think you're crazy, but this silly mental compression trick can break you out of even the worst shooting slump.

4. ATTITUDE

Keep a watch on your attitude as you work your way through slumps. If you find yourself muttering negative comments after misses, counter that with some positive phrases and make it a point to say them after every shot, make or miss. Remember that you will be a more accurate shooter if you are relaxed. If you are down on yourself, you are certainly not relaxed and not even heading in that direction.

Watch your attitude toward teammates, too. If you encourage your teammates through their shooting struggles, you will be building a team camaraderie that will help you if you run into a rough night.

Shared from breakthroughbasketball.com

Basketball Tips: 6 Tips to Improve Passing and Reduce Turnovers in Games

Basketball is a team game. By definition, that means all players are involved with the process of playing the game and should function as one. One of the primary skills created to accomplish this is passing. Yet, passing remains one of the most under-taught, under-emphasized, and under drilled skill in the game. So how to improve your passing skill?

1. Drills to build speed and strength. Using 2-ball passing drills such as Machine Gun Passing, Middle Man Passing, Pass & Switch, and Partner Passing with 2 balls where each partner passes simultaneously will build speed and accuracy. Using drills that force players to use one hand to pass, (such as Pound Passing) especially with their weak hand, will build strength and confidence.
2. Spacing. This is the most overlooked and possibly the most important aspect of offensive play. Player must know their optimum distance they can effectively pass.
3. Shorten the pass. As an aspect of spacing, taking a dribble toward a receiver will, in certain instances, improve spacing.
4. Make the easy pass. There is no need for great passes when ordinary passes will do. Pass to an open teammate, in an area he can catch it, away from the defense. If you cannot do that, don't throw the pass.
5. Emphasize the catch. While we would all like every pass to be perfect, we all know that will not be the case. The receiver must go where he needs to go to catch the ball. By emphasizing the catch, passers will become more confident and receivers more aggressive.
6. Scrimmage without dribbles. Nothing will teach players more about spacing, passing angles, getting open, and making effective passes than not allowing them to dribble. Be prepared for some initial frustration.

Shared from breakthroughbasketball.com

Basketball Tips: The Must-Have Requirements of Every Point Guard

The point guard position is the most important position on a basketball court. They are required to do many things in the game of basketball that are very different to the other four positions on the court. While the other 4 positions are mainly focused on putting the ball in the hoop, the point guard must have a different, more team focused mentality.

They must lead the team

The point guard is the extension of the coach on the court. They’re the ones that direct the team and decide which plays the team is going to run. The point guard position is the equivalent of the quarterback in football. This includes providing encouragement to team-mates and pumping them up before the game. There’s nothing better than team-mates slapping high-fives and shouting words of encouragement at each other. The point guard must be the one that initiates this.

They must have a team-first attitude

As soon as your point guard cares more about his own stats than the teams win/loss record, you’re in trouble. It would be easy for a point guard to dribble down the floor and call the play that will create a scoring opportunity for themselves, but a point guard shouldn’t care about who scores. The point guards only goal on each possession should be to provide the team with the best opportunity to score. Irrelevant of who is the one shooting the basketball or getting credited with the assist on the play.

They must be able to control the ball

The point guard has a lot of things on his mind during the first 8 seconds of an offensive possession. He needs to get the ball down the court with his head up, read the defense, decide on the best play to run depending on the opposing defense, and get his team-mates in the correct positions. This leaves little time to worry about if you’re going to lose the ball or how you’re going to get by your defender. Which is why dribbling and ball-control skills are extremely important to have if you’re a point guard.

They must have a high basketball IQ

The point guard dictates everything that happens on the offensive end of the floor. This requires the point guard to have a high basketball IQ in order to control the tempo and also to read the opposing defense and know which play will give you the best opportunity to score.

They must know where everyone should be during set plays

If your point guard knows where everyone should be on every play it will give them the ability to decide and run the best plays that will exploit the mismatches, or give the person with the hot hand a scoring opportunity.

They must have great passing skills

This one’s obvious. The main requirement of the point guard is to distribute the ball to his team-mates in positions that give them the opportunity to score. This often means tough passes off of a pick-and-roll or being able to get the ball to the post-players on the block. Great passing skills are essential for all point guards.

They must know their team-mates strengths and weaknesses

Again, this comes back to being able to exploit the defense depending on mismatches. The point guard must be able to utilize the strengths and weaknesses of his or her team-mates. They need to be able to notice if a certain player has an advantage in the post or off the dribble to call the right play accordingly.

Shared from basketballforcoaches.com

Basketball Tips: Keep Energize and Strong Throughout the Game, Suggested Meal for Game-Day

Game day: Where all hard work and pain from training desperately need to show results. The main item that will influence the outcome of your training, is your preparation of battery (meal) on the game day. So what to eat?

The pre-competition meal or food that is eaten on the day of the competition, is very important. This is the food that the athlete will use to provide fuel to the body during the game. Because it is a well proven fact that food eaten just before a game will not help perform any better, it is necessary for the athlete to eat meals at the right time. Here is what we want to accomplish with the pre-competition meal:

• Allow for the stomach to be relatively empty at the start of competition.
•  Help avoid being hungry during the competition.
• Keep plenty of energy available for competition.
• Avoid stomach upset.
• Provide plenty of fluids for the body.

I have always believed in a diet high in carbohydrates (avoid fats, grease) about 1-2 hours before game-time or practice (you need time to digest it). Players should eat enough to feel their hunger is satisfied, but not overeat or stuff themselves. If it is a larger meal (lunch or dinner), eat at least 2 to 3 hours before the game; if it is a snack (you already had lunch or dinner earlier), eat the snack 1 hour before the game.

Suggested foods:

Some kind of pasta is a good lunch or dinner choice.

Others:

Cereals and grains
Vegetables
Crackers
Peanut butter crackers
Peanut butter sandwich
Pancakes
French toast
Bagels
Orange juice
Apples
Bananas
Grapes
Lean Meats

Avoid dairy products high in fat. Low fat yogurt would be fine. Adequate fluid intake is important before and during the game to avoid dehydration but again, too much is not good medicine. In addition to water, sport drinks or fruit juices are good choices.

If your practices or games are late in the afternoon, make sure you eat breakfast and lunch that day. Some fruit like bananas or oranges one hour before the practice or game would be a good booster.

Shared from coachesclipboard.net

Health: Maintaining Good Health Diet, Nutrition Tips for Athletes

As important as your training to improve your game, maintaining your health with a good diet also crucial. When you exercise hard for 90 minutes or more, especially if you're doing something at high intensity that takes a lot of endurance, you need a diet that can help you perform at your peak and recover quickly afterward.

Load Up on Carbohydrates
Carbs are an athlete's main fuel. Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar, and stores it in your muscles as glycogen. When you exercise, your body changes glycogen into energy. If you exercise for under 90 minutes, you have enough glycogen in your muscles, even for high-intensity activities. But if your workout is longer than that, eat a diet that gets about 70% of its calories from carbohydrates, including breads, cereals, pasta, fruit, and vegetables, to achieve maximum carbohydrate storage. On the day of a big event, eat your last meal 3 to 4 hours before exercising, to give your stomach time to empty. Avoid eating sugary or starchy foods within 30 minutes of starting an activity; they can speed up dehydration.

Get Enough Protein, But Not Too Much
Protein doesn’t provide a lot of fuel for energy. But you need it to maintain your muscles. The average person needs 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. That's about 88 grams of protein for a 150-pound person. A strength athlete may need up to 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight. That's about 150 grams of protein for a 200-pound athlete. Getting too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys. Instead of protein supplements, eat high-quality protein, such as lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, eggs, or milk.

Go Easy on Fat
For long events, your body turns to fat for energy when carbohydrate sources run low. Most athletes get all the fat they need by following the basic dietary guideline to eat mostly unsaturated fat from foods such as nuts, avocados, olives, vegetable oils, and fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Avoid fatty foods on the day of an event, since they can upset your stomach.

Drink Fluids Early and Often
Intense exercise, especially in hot weather, can quickly leave you dehydrated. Dehydration, in turn, can hurt your performance and, in extreme cases, threaten your life. Because intense exercise makes you lose fluid quickly, it's a good idea to drink fluids before as well as during an event. Athletes should drink 8 to 12 ounces of fluid every 10 or 15 minutes during an event. When possible, drink chilled fluids, which are more easily absorbed than room-temperature water. Chilled fluids also help cool your body down. 

Replace Lost Electrolytes
Sweating removes both fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes help transmit nerve signals in your body. To replenish them, reach for sports drinks. If you’re also losing a lot of fluid as you sweat, dilute sports drinks with equal amounts of water to get the best balance of fluid and electrolytes.

 Shared from webmd.com

Basketball Tips: Most Common Biggest Basketball Shooting Mistakes, and How to Improve Them

As I think wanna shooting was everything in basketball game, how you take the shot is very crucial. So how to get more consistency in your shooting form? Share with you this article of basketball tricks, perhaps can help you improve yours!

For most of these fixes, you are going to need to start away from the hoop and take hundreds and thousands of shots. You can find a wall and do this by yourself or find a line and shoot it back and forth to a partner. Once you begin to feel comfortable with your adjustment, take hundreds of shots really close to the basket and gradually move out.

Thumb on Shooting Hand

Players often have the ball sit on the tip of their thumb on their shooting hand. This position is awkward and forces the body to strain to hold the proper shooting form. In order to be a good shooter, you have to be comfortable. It you don't strain, your elbow sticks too far out.

How to improve it?

You need to have the ball rest on the side of the thumb rather than on the tip of the thumb on every shot. It may feel awkward at first, but it will help tremendously and more of your shots will travel to the dead-center of the rim. If you can not determine when you are doing this, you may need to have someone critique your shot or video tape it.



Thumb on Guide Hand

Some players flick the ball with their thumb on the guide hand when shooting the basketball. This will cause serious problems for the shooter and the ball will often spray left and right. It's tough enough to judge the distance, yet add another factor of left and right into the equation. Most players develop this problem when they are too weak to get the ball to the rim, and the habit carries through their teenage and adult years.

How to improve it? 

You can squeeze your thumb against the index finger on your guide hand. This will not let you shoot the ball with the thumb. If the problem still continues, take your guide hand off of the ball by about a half-inch and shoot with one hand. Make sure your guide hand stays still. You can also use a shooting strap to keep your guide hand and thumb still. This is a very effective way to break this habit and keep your guide hand from moving.


Unnecessary Jerky Movements 

These jerky movements can cause you to become an inconsistent shooter:
Twisting the body, and Fading backwards, and to the left or right.

How to improve it?

You need to evaluate when this jerky movement is happening and what type of jerky movement is occurring. This may mean you need to video tape your shot if you have nobody to help.

Two major reasons players twist their body when they shoot is:
Their feet are not aligned correctly, and They bring their guide hand down too early. 

Make sure your feet line up correctly before every shot. This means you may need to pivot more as you receive the pass or as you step into your shot off the dribble. If you use a hop, make sure that you are turning enough while in the air to align your feet properly as you land. If your feet are not set correctly, this will force your body to twist while shooting to try to compensate for it.

If you bring your guide hand down too early, it brings extra movement into your shot that causes you to twist your body. If you don't believe me, sit in your chair and shoot with one hand and bring your guide hand down to your waist at the same time. What naturally happens? Your torso will twist. That's why it is important to keep your guide hand extended in the correct position.

Pro players use this method to stop their upper-body from twisting when they take shots when they are off-balance or their feet are not aligned appropriately. It helps keep their upper body from twisting during the shot. I do NOT advise for players under the age of 18 to practice this shot, because it can mess up your mechanics. A good way to stop leaning is to step towards the basket on the catch. This brings your momentum towards the basket rather than fading or leaning.

You may also have analyzed when the player starts to jerk their body or lean in a certain direction. The player may only do a jerky movement when dribbling to the left and pulling up for a jumper. If this happens, they need to take hundreds and thousands of repetitions doing that same type of shot with great shooting form.


No Arc - Flat Shot - Flinging the wrist.

If you are missing a lot of shots because you have a flat shot or you don't seem to get many shooter's bounces, it could be because you are flinging your wrist or have a flat shot.

You can check to see if you have this problem by bringing the ball to your set point and then bringing it straight down. If your shooting-hand lands on top of your head (or the back of your head) instead of grazing your forehead, then you've got a bad set point.

How to improve it?

Move the ball forward so that when you bring it straight down, the back of your shooting hand grazes your forehead. Practice shooting to yourself from this position until it becomes your new set point.

You should reinforce your new set point by daily form shooting close to the basket. In fact, you should rebuild your shot slowly by stepping back one step at a time as you establish consistency from a given range, using the new set point.



Shooting after the Top of your Jump.

Players who shoot past the top of their jump will often develop a hitch and jerky shot. The same with players who try to jump as high as they can on every shot. A player should focus on shooting before the top of their jump for a few different reasons; 

Quicker release: If you shoot before the top of your release, it gives the defender less time to recover to defend the shot.

Make more shots: The shot is fluid which results in a smoother and softer shot because you don't stop the shot motion at any point in your shot.

Longer range: If you shoot at or after the top of your shot, it takes a lot more upper body strength to get the ball to the rim. If you shoot as you are going up, the momentum from your legs help carry the ball a lot farther. Try shooting away from the hoop when doing this.

How to improve it?

This one is pretty simple. You need thousands of repetitions shooting the basketball before the top of your jump. In order to fix any of these problems, you are going to have be persistent and focused. "Sometimes, you have to take two steps backwards, to take three steps forwards." What that means is that your shot will most likely become worse before it gets better. Always keep the long-term in perspective. Who cares if you don't shoot the ball well during summer league, if you'll be able to shoot lights out once basketball season rolls around!

Shared from breakthroughbasketball.com

Basketball Tips: How to quickly reduce pain of finger jammed and get back into the game

It was very painful when you have jammed finger not only physically hurts but mentally also, especially during your game. You will start losing your shooting form, and your ball handling getting worst. I want to share you how to reduce the pain but this only applicable when you have minor injury. Please, please, please consult doctor for further treatment afterwards.

How its happen

Finger injuries occur in almost all sports and are particularly common in basketball players. Injuries to the fingers in basketball players range from minor injuries requiring little or no treatment to severe fractures and dislocations that can require surgery. Happens all the time, try to intercept a pass but mis-time your reach, and instead of catching the ball with the palm of your hand, it hits the tip of an outstretched finger, jamming the digit back in towards your hand. While you may not have a broken bone, a jamming a finger can cause tendon damage, and tendon damage is much easier to treat if it is treated quickly. The key to correctly assessing and treating these injuries is to determine the exact diagnosis and initiate treatment as quickly as possible.

Finger injuries can result in a variety of symptoms including pain, swelling, stiffness, deformity, and change in position. However, the severity of the symptoms does not always correlate with the severity of the injury. A minor injury requiring minimal treatment can produce significant pain and swelling, and in some instances, the symptoms of a major injury are minimal pain, swelling, and stiffness. Consequently, it is important that an orthopedist or hand specialist evaluate all finger injuries. Tendons are similar to rubber bands, tough fibers that connect your muscles to your skeleton. When damaged, they can lose elasticity, or even “curl up” like a rubber band snapped after stretching too far, and that can make treatment and recovery a much more difficult proposition. If you jam your finger and it swells, resist the urge to tape two fingers together and keep playing.

Slowly wrap tape around

How to tape finger
Taping your fingers in a proper manner will ensure that the tape does not slip off during practice due to sweat, provides you with the right amount of support, and allows for some flexibility to bend your fingers. Taping fingers can be good for athletes such as rock climbers, jiu jitsu, BJJ, wrestling, judo, basketball, or volleyball where sprained fingers are common and you need support with the flexibility to bend your fingers during practice to grip an arm, a ball, or a lapel. Sports tape can be used to support injured fingers but can also be used to prevent injuries as well.
The trick is to use a good quality athletic tape and use an “X” design. The X design is best because it will not fall off and does not hinder the athlete from bending their fingers.

No, Don't overdo it!

Caution

Do not take this method granted. Taping an injured finger is not always the answer and minor swelling and pain does not always mean a minor injury. For that reason, finger injuries should be evaluated by an orthopedist within the first 24 to 48 hours after injury.

Basketball Tips: The Art of the Fouls in Basketball Game

Even though basketball is not a game that requires a lot of body contact, but the contact is likely to occur during the game. From the body contact actually, lot of possibilities drills that you can create or also help for your teammates play, either in defense or offense position. But if you overdo it, might result you getting a foul. In the event of contact, the referee gave the foul to the player or team. Each fouls will be recorded by the registrar. There are two types of fouls or a mistake in the game of basketball, which are individual fouls and team fouls.

Individual fouls
If the player refuses, hold, illegal block or hit an opponent, which prevented him from continuing the game or create a shot, it is called as fouls or individual mistakes. In a game of basketball, a player can not commit the fouls for more than five times. Fifth time the same player commit a foul, he will be ejected and not allowed to continue the game.

Team fouls
When a team commits total of five fouls in a quarter of the basketball game, any subsequent offense on the opponent, the team will be blamed. Penalties for the offense is two free throws awarded to players who are been fouled.

It is the matter of how we make use of the fouls. It might be advantages in terms of reduce the time wasting of the opponent (especially when they lead), or even broke the morale of the opponents. Of course they will not go easy on us, so its the point of how use the aggressiveness of the opponent, take advantage of it and if possible, create a foul. More fouls to them, more advantages we are right?

Basketball Tips: Secrets of Dominating the Basketball Game As An Undersized Post Player

Post players come in all shapes and sizes, but mostly there are taller than 6 foot (obviously). Good news is, you don’t have to be taller than that to dominate opponents in the post. The main thing is undersized post players must take advantage of their strengths. Players should take a step back and self-evaluate their game and determine where and how they can be most effective on the basketball court.

Well, these are some of the secret that I believe made the great post-players despite their lack of size, that you can implement into your own games. Shared from basketballforcoaches.com

Be Willing to Go to Battle

There’s no better secret to start us off than ‘be willing to go to battle’. It’s a war zone in the paint when you’re an undersized post player. There will be elbows thrown, knees colliding, pushing and shoving; it’s going to get physical.

You’re going to have to fight on every play with everything you’ve got! There’s no other way! Playing in the paint while undersized is just as much mental as it is physical. You have to come prepared physically and mentally every time you step onto the court.

Use Your Body to Create Space

One of the few benefits of being an undersized post player is that you have a lower center of gravity. You win the battle of getting your hips lower than your opponents hips.

After reading the flight path of the basketball, you must use your body and strength as leverage against your opponent to keep them away from where you think the ball is going to land to give yourself the best chance at it. It’s all about increasing your chances at securing the rebound. Keep in mind that the earlier you get a body on your opponent, the more space you’ll create to get yourself a rebound. So box out early!

Out-think your Opponent

You must play smarter than your opponent and think your way through the game. If you have the luck of having seen your opponent play before or, if you play against them on a regular basis, think about what advantages you have over your opponent. Can you step outside and knock down the jump shot? Do they have a tendency to foul? Are they slow on their feet?

Determine in what areas of the game you have the advantage and strive to put yourself in that position as much as possible throughout the game.

Master the Jump Shot

If you’re too small to beat them inside then it’s time to step outside for a few easy points (as long as your team offense allows it). When you’re playing on a big man that loves to clog up the paint, step outside and stretch the floor as long as you have a reliable jump shot.

This is a huge benefit for your team. If you make a couple of easy jump shots your opponent has to start respecting your jump shot and come out and play you. Now the paint is opened up for your teammates to get to the ring for a few easy scores.