Improving my Basketball Game

[MC Fatigue]

Ok. I wasn't sure where to ask this - it seemed here or in the Basketball(other) forum (but when I opened that up, it just didn't look like the place to post it).

I tend to practice a few days a week on my own (I'm going today). And then from 11-1PM each weekday, there are pick up games at the athletic club I belong to.

I have a pretty good shot - but when I get into a game I seem to really have nothing. I lose my dribble a lot, I miss wide open shots (I missed 3 shots from within 2 feet the last time I played), and I just have no game.

I'm figuring that I must be practicing wrong or something. When I practice, I pretty much just run around and shoot and do whatever.

So I'm wondering if anyone has tips for something to work on. Maybe a site that shows a shooting technique, to make sure I'm doing it right. Or something on ball control - or just anything - like what shots to be practicing and what not.

Thanks.

[Briman123]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

Ok. I wasn't sure where to ask this - it seemed here or in the Basketball(other) forum (but when I opened that up, it just didn't look like the place to post it).

I tend to practice a few days a week on my own (I'm going today). And then from 11-1PM each weekday, there are pick up games at the athletic club I belong to.

I have a pretty good shot - but when I get into a game I see to really have nothing. I lose my dribble a lot, I miss wide open shots (I missed 3 shots from within 2 feet the last time I played), and I just have no game.

I'm figuring that I must be practicing wrong or something. When I practice, I pretty much just run around and shoot and do whatever.

So I'm wondering if anyone has tips for something to work on. Maybe a site that shows a shooting technique, to make sure I'm doing it right. Or something on ball control - or just anything - like what shots to be practicing and what not.

Thanks.

Warm up before you play, do some layups, you have to be loose to do good. This year for my high school I played mainly Half JV Half Varsity, I would do so good on JV but when I hit Varsity I couldn't hit a shot to save my life, because I wasn't comfortable. Instead shooting in open gyms, try playing some 2v2 or 3v3 before running into a pickup game.

In High School we do alot of fundemental drills to improve our shot, that is by doing v-cut shooting, althought it involves 3 people a rebounder, passer and v-cutter, the v-cutter takes 5 shots and it alternates.

Now in a open gym that is not going to happen so play a couple 2v2, 3v3 or hell even a 1v1 that way you get comfortable playing around others, by just putting up a couple shots isn't going to make you better, you would have to put up over thousands and thousands of shots to actual become better, just get comfortable and make sure to properly follow through on shots.

Whenever I play pickup games I always try to play 1v1 2v2 3v3 or get a game of 21/taps in before a 5v5.

[heelsman22]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

Basically you just have to be comfortable, and for that to happen it will probably just take a lot of game experience. Also when you are practicing on your own don't just shoot like you are wide open everytime, pretend there is a defender in your face or that you are in traffic, etc, making the shots harder.

[Brandon13]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

It sounds like you're getting nervous when you start playing in actual games. You're just going to have to find a way to relax. Being relaxed out there will make a world of difference, trust me.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

You don't have to go to camp, he brings camp to you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgskqaJULyI

[colkilla]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

when i warm up before a game, i take like 30 straight free throws, always seems to get my shot flowing.

[Beantown]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

Relax.

See if you can get a game of knockout going before you play. Helps work on a mid-range shot, three-point shot, or FT - depending on where you shoot from to start - and lay-ups/pressure situations if you get intense. Always worked for me as a warm-up.

[ehh]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

.

I'm figuring that I must be practicing wrong or something. When I practice, I pretty much just run around and shoot and do whatever.

That's your problem. You aren't practicing at game speed.

It's a problem I see with a lot kids I coach and something we'd get yelled at a ton for when I played in college.

Anyone can stand in an open gym and knockdown jumpers all day. You need to be simulating game-like situations (it's hard to do with yourself as far as defense is concerned) but you can control the speed. Even if you're shooting by yourself, you should be dripping with sweat and exhausted by the time you're done.

As far as layups go, if you have a buddy who goes to the gym with you, bring a broom with you had have him stand near the hoop and try to alter your shot, not block it, with the broom. This gives you an idea of how high you have to get the ball off the backboard. A huge mistake a lot of weekend warriors make is they still abide by the "place it on the corner of the square to make a lay up" strategy. Eh, don't do that. Aim higher off the window and shoot it softer. You still need to use your wrist and have some touch on your layups. Watch any NBA game or college game, unless it's a wide open breakaway lay up no one lays the ball in off the glass by hitting the corner of the square, everyone lays it off higher. If you try and do that in college you're going to get a majority of your layups blocked.

I'm sure at the gym you go to there aren't tons of 6'9" kids with 40 inch verts, but it's still a good idea to get the ball higher up off the glass on close shots. I'm 6'8" but I still get an absurd amount of arch on my shots in the paint.

Besides that, make sure you're looking at the hoop. It sounds dumb but a lot of people that don't practice at game speed are in such a rush when they play that they just get the ball up there as fast as possible and don't focus on their target.

[WFU2521]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

Basically you just have to be comfortable, and for that to happen it will probably just take a lot of game experience. Also when you are practicing on your own don't just shoot like you are wide open everytime, pretend there is a defender in your face or that you are in traffic, etc, making the shots harder.

haha

hes right its all about being comfortable, being relaxed, and keeping a smooth consistent stroke. shooting has always been my expertise, but its all comes from working hard often. theres no way i could count how many hours ive spent shooting on my driveway, at the ymca, or on the kickback machine at my highschool. you get back what you put into it

[Qb]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

I'm not sure how old you are Timmay, but I know when I was in HS I felt much like you. I was never the biggest, fastest or most talented. I didn't get to play a whole lot in 10th grade due to breaking my hand in practice just before the season started. What sucked was that the HS coach never seemed to give me a chance after that. I had played a fair amount in 9th grade (a seperate team with a different coach), usually one of the first guys off of the bench. I eventually grew so frustrated I didn't even go out for the team my senior year and started working more hours after school. However, I always enjoyed the game and never stopped watching or learning about it.

I went to college and began playing pickup and fraternity league ball, I found I wasn't too bad at all. I was usually one of the better guys on the court in the fraternity league, not because I'm a great athlete, but because I knew how to play the game. I recently worked at a school for court-adjudicated youth and I would frequently play ball with the students. A lot of these kids (HS age) were from the ghettos of Philly, DC, Pittsburgh and had some tremendous athletic ability and streetball game. But when we played 5 on 5, I could hang right with them, despite not being able to jump and being quite out of shape.

I guess what I'm trying (and failing I think) to say is, don't give up on the game if you truly enjoy playing it. Make sure you understand the fundamentals of team basketball. Not everyone can score all the time. Learn how to contribute in other ways, which will boost your confidence on the court when it comes time to score:

1) Focus on boxing out and getting in position to boost your rebounding (I'm assuming you're of average size).

2) Don't stand around when you don't have the ball. Set a pick for your teammate with the ball or make a cut to the basket. Never stop moving on offense as that makes you easy to defend.

3) Speaking of defense, make sure you hustle and keep your feet moving. When guarding a man one on one, don't stare at the ball, try looking more at his chest, as thats usually a good indicator of which way he's moving.

4) Use your dribble wisely. I'm not the best ballhandler, so I try to minimize that part of my game. I simply don't dribble a lot. I'll make a pass then cut to the hoop. If my defender gives me a lane, I'll drive on him, but I'm not going to isolate and try to take my man like I'm Kobe...

5) When all else fails, just play harder than everyone else!


I hope some of the suggestions help and good luck,


Q

[X*Cell]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

The difference between practicing and actually playing a pickup game is stellar. You can hit every shot you take in practice and then suck balls when you hit the game. It mostly has to do with what you think other's may think of you when you play, and the change in game speed like ehh said.

The big thing about missing those 2-3 footers is that everything is so fast and different in a pickup game...

you have to emulate fast breaks on layups, because rarely are layups made when fastbreaks AREN'T being run. Layups are really tough on fast breaks... you have to work a nice hop in your step that will slow down your momentum on your jump towards the hoop and lay it off nicely off the glass.

I'm lucky because i can get my fingers over the rim so I don't even use glass on those layups... I just slip the ball in the cylinder.

If you are standing ready to make a 2-3 footer... chances are you have defenders around you trying to block your shot. Going up as strong as you can with all your force helps... it also helps to patent a nice little fade away, which is pretty close to impossible to block.

[jlschmidt]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

I'm looking to improve my game too. I play in a church league, but never played organized basketball like in high school. I was wondering if anyone has used the instructional DVDs from Betterbasketball.com. If so, are they any good? Do you think they would help someone like me?

[NoleFan]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

My frat brother, and one of my best friends, is the AD for the middle school. We play every Sunday at 6:00 PM. I'm not very tall (5'8") and don't jump very high. I just pick up garbage and foul. If you value your ability to move as a normal human being, don't bring that weak **** in on me.

I have a decent midrange game when I do things right (focus-get rotation etc.) and I can box out.

You gotta find where you can help the team and do that.

Look at Ben Wallace.

[702]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

Basketball is all about confidence.

[NoSkillz50]

Re: Improving my Basketball Game

About using dvds and stuff I don't really think those are gona help you. If you already haven't played much that extra stuffs just gona make you think too much. I think those would help people who are already good and want to improve a little bit.