Home »
Misc »
How to do basketball nails
How to do basketball nails
Basic Concepts and Defense Examples
Table of Contents
Where is the nail on a basketball court
The nail is at the center of the free throw line and its technical purpose is to line up the basketball goal so that it is centered and perfectly aligned with the basketball court.
In reference to basketball defense, the nail is primarily used as a marker on the court, particularly by perimeter defenders, who could then use that marker to hinder the offense.
Why is it important for basketball defenders to cover the nail
It is important for defenders to cover the nail because this defensive tactic could limit or prevent dribble penetration, especially into the lane area near the basket.
Simply put, without some type of nail protection by the defensive team, the offensive team could potentially get the ball into the middle of the court, which opens up multiple scoring options from both sides of the floor.
Furthermore, by establishing a defender on the nail, this could disrupt the high post actions of the offensive team such as the high low set or prevent easy high post entry passes, particularly against certain types of zone defense.![]()
In other words, if the offensive team sends a player to the high post, then a defender that covers the nail could either deny any passes to that high post player or at the very least, make it more challenging for the offensive team to run their actions through that high post player.
Essentially, by guarding the nail, the offensive team would have to settle for jump shots, perimeter passes, or baseline dribble penetration which could then lead to difficult field goal attempts or turnovers.
One other thing to note is that when middle dribble penetration occurs, particularly from the wing, defenders who cover the nail are usually one pass away from their respective assignments.
Therefore, it is important for those same defenders to understand the stunt and recover concept while executing nail defense.
In other words, defenders that cover the nail should not fully help off the ball one pass away, at least in most instances. This would most likely cause the ball handler to simply pass to the nail defender’s assignment which then would lead to a potential wide open jump shot or more dribble penetration.
Instead, the nail defender should only stunt at the ball for about a second while still splitting the difference between their man and the ball handler.
By doing this stunt action, the ball handler would most likely settle for a jump shot which is usually a bad shot or pass to the nail defender’s assignment.
If the latter option occurs, then the nail defender should have enough time to recover and execute a defensive closeout on their original assignment with no opportunity to take a wide open jump shot or easy dribble penetration.
What are examples of nail defense in basketball
Example 1a – Bad nail defense
This is an example of bad nail defense which is essentially no nail protection at all. For this case, 2 beats X2 with middle dribble penetration but X1 is too occupied guarding their assignment, which is 1, far from the basket instead of protecting the nail.
However, it is not necessary for X1 to cover 1 that far from the basket.
The reason is because 1 does not have the ball and 1 is probably not going to shoot the ball from that distance like Steph Curry.
Yet, even if 1 does decide to shoot that far away, it is generally better to give up a shot 30 feet from the basket as opposed to potential dribble penetration into the paint just based off of shooting percentages alone.
So, once the middle dribble penetration occurs, this leads to X5 having to guard two players; that is their own assignment (which is 5) as well as the ball handler.
At that point, 2 would either shoot the short jump shot or floater in the lane or pass to 5 if X5 attempts to contest the jump shot attempt. Either way, it is a bad scenario for the defensive team.
Example 1b – Good nail defense
This is an example of good nail defense which does not allow middle dribble penetration. To start, 2 beats X2 as before but X1 stunts at the ball to prevent the middle dribble penetration.
When that occurs, 2 has to settle for the jump shot or pass the ball.
For this case, 1 drifts away towards the weak side and receives the ball from 2.
However, since X1 only stunted at the ball for a split second, X1 has enough time to recover and closeout, represented by the gray arrow.
Example 2 – Nail defense vs. side ball screen
This is an example of nail defense against offensive action that seeks to create middle dribble penetration by way of a side ball screen. 2 dribbles towards the middle of the lane via the side ball screen set by 5.
However, X1 is at the nail and stunts at 2 to limit or prevent the dribble penetration. After that, 1 receives the ball from 2 but X1 recovers to closeout and prevent the wide open jump shot or easy dribble penetration.
Example 3 – Nail zone defense
This is an example of nail defense used within a 2-3 zone. X1 closely guards the ball near the wing while X2 drops back to protect the nail. At the same time, X2 takes away the potential high post entry pass, which could also prevent possible high low action between 4 and 5.
Furthermore, if 2 decides to dribble towards the middle, then X2 could simply stunt and recover to limit or prevent the dribble penetration.
Example 4 – Nail defense when assignment is far away
This is an example of nail defense which occurs when the nail defender’s assignment is a great distance away. In this scenario, 4 executed a pitch ahead pass to 1 during a transition offense sequence.
Even if that occurs, X4 should still drop back to protect the nail. This will limit or prevent the potential dribble penetration of 1. So, X4 could stunt at the ball and then recover to the respective assignment as shown with the gray arrows.
how to play basketball with nails on
TikTokUpload
For You
Following
faith.masonius
faith.masonius
I didn’t scratch you, my nails are perfectly filed. #nails #umdwbb #fypシ
588 Likes, 10 Comments.
TikTok video from faith.masonius (@faith.masonius): "I didn’t scratch you, my nails are perfectly filed. #nails #umdwbb #fypシ". When ppl ask me how I play basketball with “long” nails. original sound.
8633 views|
original sound - KHAENOTBAE 🦦
lovejones_10
LoveJones
It was the third jump-shot for me! Fun Fact: We met 15 years ago this month at the gym playing basketball! 🥰 #basketball #couplegoals #fyp @neashneash020
81 Likes, 7 Comments. TikTok video from LoveJones (@lovejones_10): "It was the third jump-shot for me! Fun Fact: We met 15 years ago this month at the gym playing basketball! 🥰 #basketball #couplegoals #fyp @neashneash020". Playing Basketball With These Nails 🫣 | Y’all think I can beat my wife?? | 5 jumpshots in a row each | .... Basketball.
3064 views|
Basketball - Lil Bow Wow
snow.
white5556
Snow White
basketball 🏀 nail 💅 tutorial 🌹 #nails™ #tutorial™ #basketball™ #viral™ #fyp™ #tiktok™ #snow_white™
499 Likes, 8 Comments. TikTok video from Snow White (@snow.white5556): "basketball 🏀 nail 💅 tutorial 🌹 #nails™ #tutorial™ #basketball™ #viral™ #fyp™ #tiktok™ #snow_white™". original sound.
35.9K views|
original sound - Snow White
justyou_beauty
MYCnailart
Let’s play basketball.
TikTok video from MYCnailart (@justyou_beauty): "Let’s play basketball.". Let’s play basketball with my press-on nails.. Happy Music.
3159 views|
Happy Music - Mystix Instrumentals
kikimac2
Kiara McIntyre
the girls that get it get it🥰 #fyp
125 Likes, 6 Comments.
TikTok video from Kiara McIntyre (@kikimac2): "the girls that get it get it🥰 #fyp". them: how u play college basketball w nails and lashes on all the time. This What i do.
1788 views|
This What i do - MonNext-
shea.frazee
Shea Frazee
3 ways to split the defense with Nail and Shrink Splits #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #basketball #basketballtraining #ballislife
TikTok video from Shea Frazee (@shea.frazee): "3 ways to split the defense with Nail and Shrink Splits #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #basketball #basketballtraining #ballislife". 3 ways to SPLIT the DEFENSE with ease 😱 | In-n-out throw | Same hand tap | .... original sound.
2111 views|
original sound - Shea Frazee
sydney_parrishh
Sydney Parrish
if you know me you know I can’t play without my nails done😍 #fyp #basketball #oregon #nails #acrylics #oregonwbb #athlete
3.
2K Likes, 23 Comments. TikTok video from Sydney Parrish (@sydney_parrishh): "if you know me you know I can’t play without my nails done😍 #fyp #basketball #oregon #nails #acrylics #oregonwbb #athlete". for everyone asking if i play with nails. YES😇. Nails Done.
46K views|
Nails Done - Shizzy
_victoriaisasecret_
💕babyy
Now these angles are wayy better #fypシ #24 #lesbianastiktok #foryoupage #girlbasketball #basketball #fyp #greenscreenvideo
2.5K Likes, 28 Comments. TikTok video from 💕babyy (@_victoriaisasecret_): "Now these angles are wayy better #fypシ #24 #lesbianastiktok #foryoupage #girlbasketball #basketball #fyp #greenscreenvideo". “Big guard 😂?” | “How do you play with nails,eyelashes on?” | “You just big that’s it” | .
... original sound.
17.3K views|
original sound - hypeversed mixes
ducksoupcreative
Duck Soup Creative
4 tips to nailing dribbling between your legs #basketball🏀 #hoopers #nbl #basketballtips
7K Likes, 46 Comments. TikTok video from Duck Soup Creative (@ducksoupcreative): "4 tips to nailing dribbling between your legs #basketball🏀 #hoopers #nbl #basketballtips". How to dribble between your legs | 1. Bounce the ball through legs without catching it | 2. Do it again, this time try catching it | .... Basketball Dreams (Intro).
125.3K views|
Basketball Dreams (Intro) - Sleepy Hallow
Why do basketball players get pedicures every 1.5 months? Is it normal for footballers to paint their nails? All about the controversial procedure - Healthy Lifestyle Daily - Blogs
Have you seen Misha Batshuayi's painted nails? Lacquered nails of Borja Iglesias from Betis? Did you know that LeBron and other basketball players get pedicures every 1.
5 months?
Men's manicure and pedicure services are becoming more and more popular. But why do professional athletes take special care of their nails? Why varnish them?
Men have been doing manicures since ancient Egypt. But in the 20th century, only musicians dared to do it.
Men began to paint their nails not yesterday or last year, but since the time of Ancient Egypt. Then the cosmetic procedure was not tied to a specific gender: archaeologists found mummies with gilded nails, and on the territory of Babylonia - a manicure set (3200 BC), which, apparently, was part of combat equipment. But then everyone safely forgot about it, and manicure remained a purely female prerogative for many millennia.
In the 20th century, lacquer of any shade on men's nails was considered a challenge, so musicians most often decided on this: David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, Kurt Cobain. Following them, the trend was picked up by rappers: Jaden Smith, Lil Peep and A$AP Rocky (Rakim Myers), one of the key rappers of the decade.
Among the athletes, too, there are outrageous personalities. A striking example is the striker of the English club Chelsea Michy Batshuayi, he often visits the London manicurist Imarni Nails. Misha loves nail art - a complex manicure with different patterns: a smiling face on one nail, a geometric pattern, a colored spot or a symbol on others. This is the same manifestation of individuality, like tattoos. Misha does not hide the fact that he got the idea of intricate nail designs from A$AP Rocky.
Mixed martial artist Jeff Monson painted his nails for good luck for many years. Once he allowed his daughter to paint his nails - she really wanted to decorate her dad, and Jeff could not refuse. The fight, which he entered with a pink pedicure, ended well, and since then he painted his nails for all important fights.
Nails are also painted as a sign of protest or support for public initiatives. In 2016, Ukrainian midfielder Yevgeny Levchenko painted his nails blue to support the Children's Pneumonia Foundation.
In June 2020, in protest against racism, Betis striker Borja Iglesias painted his nails black and, in response to the outrage of the fans, added that he was also against homophobia. And English snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan came to the English Open last fall wearing pink nails to support women with breast cancer.
Men take care of their nails for exactly the same reason that women do - for beauty and health
But men's manicure is not necessarily coloring, first of all it is hygiene and prevention of nail diseases.
The manicure procedure includes a comprehensive care of the skin of the hands, cuticles and nail plates. Why is it important?
1. Nails must be cut properly . In contact sports (football, basketball, martial arts) it is important that the fingernails are of optimal length, otherwise the player may injure himself or his opponent.
Nails should be filed rather than cut. Scissors damage the nail plate, it begins to flake off.
A file is the safest tool for shaping nails. But here, too, there are nuances. The corners of the nails should be round: the sharp ones will dig into the finger, which means that their ingrowth cannot be avoided. But the free edge of the nail should be straight, not round (this is especially important in the case of toenails - the round edge will rest against the shoe and break).
2. Need to take care of the skin around the nails : If the burrs (cracks in the skin around the nail fold) catch on clothing, a wound will appear where an infection can get. This problem can be avoided if you regularly do a manicure. You can remove burrs with nail clippers. But you should not do cosmetic procedures at home, especially for those who do not know how to use wire cutters - you can damage the skin around the nails and bring an infection there. If the procedure is performed by a specialist, the risk of accidental cuts is excluded.
3. Nails are coated with strengthening varnish (usually clear).
When the nails protrude beyond the pads of the fingers, they can easily be damaged after hitting the ball or colliding with an opponent. The damaged nail plate, including chips, is restored with the help of acrylic powder and gel - in fact, they build up the nail. If this is not done and a torn nail or a nail with a crack is left to heal on its own, an infection can be introduced through the crack into the wound, which will lead to inflammation.
What about a pedicure? Why do anything to the legs?
Five years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo caught the public's attention with pictures of the athlete's toenails covered in black. But it was not a varnish, but a special medical coating for restoring the nail plate, as the British media claimed.
Washington Basketball players, including coach Scott Brooks, have long considered foot care the norm, and pedicures a must. Among their ranks are four-time NBA champions LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal. Take a look at O'Neal's nails in one of the treatments (photo from his Instagram):
Howard Osterman, podiatrist and physician for the Washington Basketball team, explains, “Basketball players don't hesitate to get pedicures.
A cosmetic procedure for them is part of the training program. During each season, players get a pedicure every 1.5 months . This type of care prevents the development of skin diseases of the feet and reduces the risk of injury. Foot massage improves blood circulation, relieves tension and relieves pain. Sharp movements during the game often cause irritation of the skin of the feet, calluses and cracks appear. Removal of keratinized skin relieves discomfort while walking, and the correct shape of the nails helps to avoid ingrown nails.”
An ingrown nail is a problem in which the nail plate cuts into the skin, it is injured and a wound appears, where festering can begin. Inability to properly use nail clippers is one of the main causes of ingrown nails. Large loads on the legs and uncomfortable, tight shoes also provoke the development of this problem.
Little things like calluses or corns can also cause a lot of discomfort. The feet are constantly subjected to serious stress, and under the influence of gravity, the skin is trampled, becomes dry and rough.
When the tips of the fingers rest on the shoes, especially while running, the nails begin to hurt, as if from a bruise. Under pressure, blood vessels burst, blood clots form in these places - hematomas. They usually go away when the nail grows back, but there are more serious cases when the nail plate moves away from the skin - if bacteria get there, an inflammatory process will begin.
Sneakers and boots that make your feet sweat are ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive. Athletes train for a long time, their feet sweat, and the fungus readily takes root in a humid environment . A fungal infection, also called "athlete's foot", affects the top layer of skin on the legs, causing flaking and itching. The infection is easily transmitted, occurs most often in public showers and changing rooms - you can become infected by contact with the patient or his shoes. Athlete's foot is treated with antifungal drugs.
When it comes to infections, a medical pedicure will help.
The procedure is performed by a podiatrist, a narrow-profile specialist who treats diseases of the feet and nails. But the best way to prevent the disease is to follow the rules of hygiene and regularly do pedicures.
Okay, for health reasons. And if a man does a manicure for beauty - is this normal?
The desire of men to take care of themselves is not an excess.
“Ordinary beautiful and well-groomed nails for men, with hygienic manicure, is a completely normal and aesthetic phenomenon, and nothing more than a requirement of the time, oversaturated with narcissistic elements - this is self-confidence, competitiveness, perfectionism. Society requires you to constantly think about how you look, transform the body and make it the very best. Manicure is just a part of it,” explains Anetta Orlova, Candidate of Sociological Sciences, psychologist.
But what if a man's interest in nail care is driven not only by practical but also by aesthetic considerations?
“If we ask society if it is normal for a man to want to be well-groomed and handsome, we are unlikely to see bewilderment in the eyes of the respondents.
But if it comes to men's manicure, most likely, you won't have to wait long for judgmental looks.
To find out if a man's manicure is normal, you do not need to look at how it looks from the outside. You need to understand the meaning of a man who makes himself a manicure. If for him this is self-care or a way to make himself more beautiful, then perhaps he is even more normal than those men who do not manicure themselves, that is, they do not take care of their hands and do not take care of their beauty to the fullest ” , - says psychologist Sergei Li.
Some men might want to paint their nails with colored polish or do nail art like Micha Batshuayi, but even polish manufacturers have long cultivated stereotypes that women paint their nails and men don't.
Now they want a more progressive image of male beauty: two years ago, OPI launched a Men Who Mani-Up campaign starring men; TV presenter Jonathan Van Ness became the face of the Essie brand. And Chanel last year added the first black lacquer for men to its Boy de Chanel product line.
Manicure in the 21st century has become an attribute of status: having well-groomed nails and allowing yourself to do it regularly is a component of the overall image in general, explains Anetta Orlova. “ Attitudes towards beauty are changing very much, and today a manicure says that a person takes care of himself, treats himself with attention, love and respect and, moreover, does not do hard physical labor.”
Photo: Gettyimages.ru/Jonathan Daniel; globallookpress.com; instagram.com/shaq; instagram.com; freepik.com/nensuria
How to learn how to spin a basketball on your finger
To skillfully spin a basketball on your finger, you need to learn a few simple techniques, find the ball and set aside 10 minutes of training per day. After a week of practicing your skills, you will master the technique of this trick and show it to your friends. In the step-by-step instructions below, we will show you how to learn how to spin a basketball on your finger.
Tossing the ball correctly
You can train on the sports ground, near the house or even in the apartment, but in any place you need to take into account the environment. For example, when practicing a trick in a room, the ball can bounce and break fragile objects. When a place is found and inventory is prepared, you can begin training. Initially, you need to learn how to properly hold and throw the ball in the air:
- Hold the ball with the stripes vertical. Horizontal scrolling looks ineffective and it is very difficult to catch a projectile from this position.
- Select throw method:
- Two hands. You need to keep the ball not on the sides, but so that 1 hand “looks” at you, and the second from you. Having fixed the object, sharply spread your arms and slightly “throw” the ball up.
- With one hand. To throw with one hand, place your fingers along the lines of the ball. It is important that there is free space between the palm and the inventory.
Lightly squeeze the ball. Turn the brush outward until it stops, and then gently turn it back. At the last moment, you need to give additional rotation to the ball with your fingertips. But we do not recommend using a large one, because. this will upset the balance and the ball will fly away.
- Throw the ball parallel to the floor, do not let the projectile wobble. It is important that when thrown, the projectile rises above eye level. When its bottom surface is visible, the ball is easier to catch.
These steps must be repeated until fully automatic. Usually it takes two days. When the throws are confident, you can move on to the second level.
Learning to catch the ball
Once you have learned how to throw correctly, try catching the ball with your finger. To do this, remember the following nuances:
- You need to catch the projectile on the nail, not the finger itself. In this case, it is important that the brush is turned with the palm towards you.
