Tiger Re-Tooled His Swing

Players are very protective about "their" shot. The shot seems to be directly connected to a player's ego in a way that other skills aren't. I have helped many players improve their shooting mechanics over the years and I have learned that the psychological details are probably more important than the physical ones.

If a player wants to improve his shot, he or she should keep these points in mind:

1. It takes 21 straight days to create a new habit, so be patient.

2. You often have to be willing to go backwards short-term to improve long-term.

3. You will have to sacrifice some range/distance initially as you work to change and improve

your shot.

4. Take advantage of expert coaching/teaching. Check credentials, be wary of self-proclaimed

gurus or some guy on the playground.

Preaching vs Teaching

I remember quite well an experience that I had as a rookie PE teacher. I had just delivered what I thought was a great introductory lecture on the material that the class would be covering. Then, I asked a series of questions to gauge how well the class had listened. Not one student had any real understanding of what I had just said. I was stunned and disappointed. Then, I saw a hand shoot up. Great, I thought, someone with some insight. The student's question: "Mr. Saylor, why is that light in the corner brighter than the other lights?" OK, maybe I had better start this class over.
I had to find a better way to communicate the information to my students. The usual reaction is to blame the students: they aren't listening, they are not focused, etc. The reality is, if you aren't presenting the information in an interesting and memorable manner, at the correct level, using the appropriate language, the students aren't going to "get it" and this is not their fault.
I was at a basketball clinic once, and after one of the coaches gave a spirited talk about the next drill/activity that would be conducted, I asked the group of young players a series of questions to assess their understanding. Not one player knew what the word "scrimmage" meant. They didn't know understand the phrase "flash to the post." I covered most of the key basketball terms used and they didn't know what most of them meant. They basically didn't comprehend the majority of the coaches' talk, but, they didn't want to appear to be "dumb" so they didn't ask any questions for clarification.
The point is, be very aware of your players' level of understanding and knowledge of the game of basketball. Ask questions. Don't assume that they know what you are talking about. Basketball has its own language and many young players haven't established their hoops vocabulary yet. The next time that you notice that they aren't following your directions, make certain that you "taught what you thought." Take a look in the mirror and assess your teaching skills.

Moses!

I had the opportunity to play against the great Moses Malone in a high school All-Star game. He was a 6'11" high school phenom who went on to become the first player to go directly from high school into professional basketball. He started out in the ABA, then moved into the NBA where he became one of the greatest players ever.
Moses was known for his rebounding prowess, and I was able to watch him up close and personal as we went through practice sessions and scrimmages in preparation for the game. He wasn't loud or demonstrative, in fact, he rarely said a word. He didn't have a great "build" and he wasn't extremely explosive as a jumper. Yet, he was a rebounding machine. How did he manage to outrebound more athletic players?
He worked constantly to gain inside position. He had a tremendous "knack" for anticipating where the ball would come off of the rim. He had great footwork and vision. He assumed that every shot would be a miss.
I learned a lot watching Moses at work. He had 30+ points and 20 rebounds in the national All-Star game that I played in, beating my team by 1 point with a dunk at the buzzer. He was a man among boys that evening. Today's players would do well to watch some video of Moses at work, quietly dominating the boards. They might want to get quiet and get busy.

Be Quick But Don't Hurry

One of the greatest basketball quotes ever is Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden's classic, "Be quick but don't hurry." He managed to say so much with so few words. Many young players try to play too fast. They rush around the court, thinking that they are going to "out quick" their opponents, only to manage to make more mistakes in a shorter time frame.

Steve Nash had a very insightful observation about Chris Paul after playing against him during his rookie season. Nash noted that Paul didn't try to play too fast. Nash was impressed that Paul knew how to use his quickness without trying to play fast the entire game. Basketball is a game of quick movements and quick reactions, however, a smart player has to slow down enough to make the correct read and thus the correct decision. Be quick but don't hurry.

I Showed Him That Already

I have worked with hundreds of players, most of them individually. I work hard to help each player improve, using all of my expertise as a former player, as an exercise physiologist, and as a teacher. I don't just put players through a "workout." I customize each session depending upon many variables. I want the players to understand why they are performing certain drills. I want them to be able to apply this knowledge to game situations. I want them to learn as they work. I want them to be able to demonstrate this knowledge.

Often parents will ask me what we worked on, and I will usually make the player explain and demonstrate the drills, skills and concepts to their parents. Often, the parent (usually a dad) will exclaim, "I already showed him that. I told him that." Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. One thing is certain, the player didn't learn it.

Let's assume that the parent has a strong knowledge of basketball. Does the parent know what to teach, how to progress, how to explain, how to model, how to give feedback, when to give feedback, the type of feedback to give, and when to fade feedback? Does the parent know and understand child development? Does the parent know and understand kinesiology and biomechanics? Does the parent really know how to teach? Simply being an expert does not mean that you know how to teach. You haven't really taught unless the player demonstrates that they have learned.

Triple Threat or Something Else?

I worked with members of a high school team recently. We focused on ball handling but I included some shooting work, as well. At one point, I asked them to demonstrate Triple Threat position for me. Not one player demonstrated this basic stance correctly. I was not surprised. I have worked with hundreds of players, and as of this posting not one player has demonstrated this fundamental offensive stance correctly. Can you? Are you sure?

Fearless or Clueless?

Coaches like players who aren't afraid to make a play at "crunch time." Players who want to handle the ball against pressure, players who want to take the big shot. Players who want to go to the foul line in the final seconds to win the game. Usually these are the most highly skilled players on the team, the players that should have the ball in these situations. These players seem immune to the pressure, fearless.

However, some players don't understand their role on the team. These players want the ball at crunch time, only to turn it over. They want to take the big shot, only to clang it off of the rim. They don't understand that the reason that they are open at crunch time is because the defense wants them to have the ball. Coaches shake their heads and wince, wondering why these players don't "get it." These players seem immune to court awareness, clueless.

Develop your skills. Understand your role on the team. Know and understand your coach's game plan. Work to make yourself fearless, not clueless.

Training Thoughts

There are only 4 variables that can be manipulated during training. These are: Mode: what you do. Duration: how long you do it. Frequency: how often you do it. Intensity: how much effort you put into doing it. However, there are many, many combinations of these 4 variables.

When planning a workout think about how you are going to structure it using these 4 variables. If you are not sure how to proceed, seek out and use someone with expertise. For example: if you are training for strength and conditioning, consider paying for the knowledge of a NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association) CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist). These credentials mean that this trainer has the education and training to properly advise you. Spending some money now will save you in the long term: less injuries and more production from your workouts.

Dealing with Injuries: A Paradigm Shift

Injuries are a part of sports, and almost every basketball player will have to deal with injuries during their career. Like most situations, the response is more important than the event. In his best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talks about the power of a paradigm shift. Basically, a paradigm shift involves seeing a situation from a different perspective.

Most athletes, particularly young athletes, look at an injury as a totally negative event. The player who can look at this situation from a different perspective can benefit in the long run. A great example is NBA Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy. He broke his right arm at age 13 when he fell out of a tree. He continued to play basketball and stick ball with his left arm until his right arm healed, becoming basically ambidextrous. He later called this "a fortunate event" and credited it with helping to make him a better player.

The next time that you suffer an injury, take a look from a different viewpoint. Is there an area of your game that you can improve as you recover? Can you sit in a chair and dribble, pass and even shoot? Can you develop your "weak" hand? Can you read and study video to expand your game? Work to turn your misfortune into a positive. The biggest benefit will be the development of your mind.

Kung Fu Basketball: Using Levels for Passing

In his national bestseller, American Shaolin, Mathew Polly chronicles his experiences as an American living and training at the Shaolin Temple in China. He spent two years studying the ancient art of Shaolin Kung Fu. In one memorable passage he describes a challenge match against a coach from a rival martial arts school. He (Polly) fakes a low kick and connects with a devastating high kick. He comments on the rationale behind this move, "Coach Cheng had taught us to work on the high and low planes, because it is mentally difficult to process attacks at different heights: fake high, attack low; fake low, attack high."

One application (there are many) is passing. There is an often used coaching cue: Fake a pass to make a pass. A logical extension is, Fake high, pass low. Fake low, pass high. Although it seems simplistic, it works. Defenders have trouble recovering from a pass fake at one level followed immediately by a pass executed in a different level. Work one side of the defender's body so that he doesn't have time to recover.

THOUGHTS ON IMPROVING IN THE OFF-SEASON


Basketball has an extremely long competitive season. The relatively short off-season period is a critical time and needs to be maximized. The point of this article is to help players make the most of this time period. Players who know how to practice intelligently will gain an advantage over their peers. These players will capture the attention of their coaches in the fall with expanded games and increased value to their teams.

Take an honest self-inventory of your skills. Ask yourself: What will my role be on the team next season? Remember, your coach determines your role, not you. You need to know exactly how he sees you fitting into the team. If you are not sure, ask your coach.
Now, ask yourself: How can I expand my role? Where can I improve specifically so that I become more valuable for my team? Example: I am a good rebounder and defender. My ball handling skills are relatively weak. My shooting mechanics are poor.

Look at the amount of time that you have to work prior to next season. How will you use this time? Will you be playing in any AAU or summer league programs? How much time will be invested in these programs? Caution! Be careful that you don’t spend too much time playing and not enough time working to improve your game! Ball skills take correct repetitions to develop and this takes time. Here is some math to consider: If you play in 5 AAU games and each game is 32 minutes long, that is a total of 160 minutes. There are 10 players on the court, and 1 ball, 160 divided by 10 = 16 minutes. If all things are equal (which they never are) and you play every minute of every game (which you probably won’t) you will have had the ball a whopping total of 16 minutes in those 5 games. That doesn’t allow you much time to develop your ball handling and shooting skills. In contrast, a well planned 1-hour workout will allow you basically 60 minutes of focused work on your ball skills. It would take more than 18 games to get that much “ball in your hands time.”

In summary, to start improving and preparing for next season: Evaluate your game. Know your role. Look at your time and resources. Set some goals based upon an intelligent expansion of your role. Make some plans for focused practice. Don’t spend too much of your precious time playing in games during your off-season. Spend your time preparing to play in next season’s games.