How to make a goal in basketball

How To Set Goals as a Basketball Player

There's a lot of information out there around goal setting, and we want to simplify it for you. This post is going to be our best takes on how to get started with goal setting, how to stick with your goals, and how to make this year your best one yet! We suggest completing each step before moving on to the next. 

Before you set your goals, it is important to understand where you are. When you look at your basketball game, do you know how stack up? Consider all elements of the game including shooting, defense, endurance,  ball handling, etc. Break down your entire game, and try to get a good understanding of where you are currently. Without having a good idea of where you are starting, it will be difficult to measure your progress. 

TIP: If you have a Dr. Dish machine  already, let the Dish help simplify this process. For example, spend 2 weeks doing our “2K Shot Club” program,  and get a baseline of what your shooting percentage currently is.  

After you’ve taken the time to assess your game. Think about where you want to be. Do you know what specific skills you want to grow? Do you have an idea of how you could best contribute to your team? If you are struggling with this, we encourage you to speak with your coaches, trainers, teammates, or parents to assist. Sometimes an outsiders perspective can be valuable. 

Goal setting can be a vague term. Some people confuse goals with visions, which isn’t always the case. To simplify things, we defined two different types of goals below. 

Action Goals: These are actions you are going to take on a repeated basis based on what you considered in step 1. These goals may not have a defined end, but will be aligned with your outcomes. 

Example: Shoot baskets for 30 minutes per day, each week day. 

Outcome Goals: These are goals that can be completed, or accomplished. Your action goals may pour in to helping you reach your achievement goals. 

Example: Be top 3 in shooting percentage on the team measured by Dr. Dish TMS.  Or, crack the top 10 in shots attempted on the Dr. Dish Player App global leaderboard. 

In order to set great goals, we want to give you a framework. Taking inspiration from Michael Hyatt’s Book “The Best Year Ever” we are going to share his SMARTER framework with you. SMARTER is an acronym, which stands for…

Specific. Broad goals are confusing. When we’re setting goals, we want to be specific and detailed of what exactly we will be doing, or want to achieve. For example, “become a better shooter” is a vague goal. How will you know if you’re getting better?

What specifically can you do to guarantee that? Instead, something like, shoot 500 shots or more daily on the Dr. Dish machine every week day between Jan 15th and June 15th.  The more specific your goals are, the easier they will be to reach.  

Measurable. How will you know when you have achieved your goal? By ensuring your goal is able to be measured, you will always know where you’re at. In the example above, you either got your 500 shots up, or you didn't. 

Actionable. The purpose of setting goals is to take actions. To best do this, start your goals with verbs based around specific actions. For example, “Use the Dr. Dish machine more.” This phrase isn’t actionable. Switching it to “Train for 30 minutes 3 times per week on our Dr. Dish machine.” 

Risky. Goals should push you out of your comfort zone. By setting “risky” goals that force you to grow, you will be motivated to keep going. Challenge yourself to think bigger than you have before, and to set goals outside of what you are certain you can accomplish. 

Time-keyed. Goals are dreams with deadlines. Be sure all of your goals have time tied in to them. This could be with a deadline, or frequency. For example, “work on my dribbling more” turns in to “practice dribbling for 15 minutes, 3 times per week”. 

Exciting. Your goals should be fun! To be sure they are exciting, remember your why. Why do you want to become a better basketball player? Do you want to make a certain team? Win a championship? Whatever your reason is, be sure to remember that every time you take action towards your goals. 

Relevant. Be sure your goals are relevant to where you are currently at. What does your schedule look like? Do you have a job? School commitments? Before committing to a goal, be sure it lines up with your current life, your values, and other goals you’ve already set. 

STEP 3- TAKING Action 

Goals are only half of the equation for success. Once you’ve laid out what you want to accomplish, it is time to put in the work. As you begin, take a moment to think about the items on the list below. 

Not having a plan will set you up to fail. Be sure you know when exactly you will be spending time working on the goals you’ve set. Think about which days you are free, what time slots you have open, and how you can set yourself up to focus on what matters most.

Once you’ve set your goals, you need to think of what actions you can take. Brainstorm a list of everything you can think of, and start with something simple first. If you’re going to commit to shooting 500 shots a day, what is next? Do you need to contact your coach about scheduling a time to use your Dr. Dish machine? Look at the gym schedules? Whatever actions are next, get going in the right direction. Remember, someone else out there is already working. 

In addition to setting goals and laying out actions, you must track your progress. Say your goal is to increase your shooting percentage on the Dr. Dish by 10%. How often will you review this? By looking at your goals daily, and spending time reviewing your progress weekly, you can be sure you are on the right track. If you are falling behind, it will be a sign it's time to switch something up. 

If you read this entire post, you're off to a great start! We believe the tips above can help make 2021 your best year as a hooper. Remember, goal setting is bigger than basketball! Think about goals that will make you a better student, friend, family member, and person.

We fully support you as a member of our #DrDishFam and are excited to see you grow in the new year. Be sure to tag us @DrDishBball for a chance to be featured on our social media. As we always say, train hard, train smart, and train with a purpose. Let’s get it! 

Ultimate Hoops - How To Set S.M.A.R.T. Basketball Goals

Just like anything in life, setting goals is important to your basketball success. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the five important elements in goal setting. Learn about how create your own S.M.A.R.T. goals for on and off the basketball court.

Goal Setting Worksheet (DOCX)

Goal Setting Worksheet (PDF)

Specific goals are well-defined and have a focus.

Example of a specific goal: “Improve made free throw percentage”

The specifics of this goal allow the athlete to focus on drills and activities to help achieve the goal.

Not a specific goal: “I want to become a better basketball player”

This goal is very vague and doesn’t give the athlete the ability to setup a plan.

Along with having a specific focus a goal also needs to be measurable. This will help the athlete see progress and results.

Adding a measurable to the Current Goal: “Improve made free throw shooting percentage from 25% to 35%.”

Adding a measurable allows the athlete to count made free throws to provide an overall percentage. This will help track the progress of the goal over time.

The goal needs to be achievable by the athlete. Setting a goal of 100% free throw percentage is not an achievable goal. The best ever recorded free throw percentage by a professional basketball player was 98% in a season, so 100% is an example of an impossible goal.

Work in steps. If the athlete is a poor free throw shooter, start small grow the percentage over time. Make the goal achievable!

Depending on the athlete’s ability the goal “Improve made free throw percentage from 25% to 35%” is an achievable goal.

Is this goal important to improving your game? Are you passionate about achieving this goal?

Basketball players need to choose goals that will self-motivate them and that will help impact their game.

Using the above goal as an example, improving made free throw percentage is a relevant goal as free throws can be the deciding factor in the outcome of a game. The free throw is the only opportunity in basketball where the defense cannot interfere, allowing the athlete to take full control of the ability to score, making a goal to improve free throw percentage a great goal to have.

A goal needs to have a timetable for increased odds of completion. Without a timeline the goal might be forgotten about or take longer than needed to accomplish.

Continuing our free throw percentage example a goal with a time-bound addition would look like this “Improve made free throw percentage from 25% to 35% by the end of 90 days.

Now the athlete has a time table and can easily setup small goals to see progress within that larger goal.

Final result of our created SMART goal:

Next, add the SMART goal to the goal setting worksheet. Add all the objectives of your SMART goal and be sure to breakdown the goal in phases. See the example below.

Goal Setting Worksheet (DOCX)

Goal Setting Worksheet (PDF)

Put in the work, follow your plan, and get after that goal! Don’t hesitate to adjust your goal if it’s too easy or too difficult. Last, ask for help if you are not seeing results, we are here to help!

➡️Pro Tip: Set reminders in your phone to keep your goals at the top of your mind.

Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners

Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.

Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners

1. Hands up

In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!

2. Make shield rolls

Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!

3. Look at the ring, not at the ball

Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.

4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only

The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.

5. Throw with one hand

If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.

6. Do not jump when protecting the ring

Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.

7.

When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).

8. Bring the throw to automatism

Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.

Throw the ball with all fives and jump

Throwing Rules:

• Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
• Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
• A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
• The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
• Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.

The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).

Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.

How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball

How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.

9. Copy masters and play as a team

Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.

10. Do not throw in a straight line

The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.

11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand

This is the biggest newbie mistake!

Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.

The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.

***

And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.

Basketball rules

How the rules have changed in your favorite game

How did the rules in your favorite game change

WE ALL LOVE TO PLAY BASKETBALL, DO WE KNOW THE RULES FOR EXACTLY?

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Then everything was different: playgrounds, baskets, balls…

!!! Read about the evolution of balls in the article:

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Then everything was different: playgrounds, baskets, balls…

!!! Read about the evolution of balls in the article:

The history of basketballs

The history of basketballs

What balls are played now and how it happened

Beginning

The rules have also changed a lot during this time. Initially, there were only 13 of them in basketball:

1. The ball can be thrown in any direction with one or two hands.
2. The ball may be hit with one or both hands in any direction, but never with the fist.
   
3. The player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw the ball from the point at which he caught it, except for a player running at high speed.
   
4. The ball must be held with the hands. You can not use the forearms and body to hold the ball.
   
5. In any case, hitting, grabbing, holding and pushing the opponent is not allowed. The first violation of this rule by any player shall be called a foul; the second foul disqualifies him until the next ball is scored, and if there was an obvious intention to injure the player, then a disqualification for the entire game. It is not allowed to replace a disqualified player.
   
6. Punching the ball is a violation of points 2 and 4, the penalty is described in point 5.
   
7. commit no foul).
   
8. A point is scored if a ball thrown or bouncing off the floor hits the basket and stays there. Defending players are not allowed to touch the ball or basket while shooting. If the ball touches the edge and the opponents move the basket, then a point is scored.
   
9. If the ball goes out of bounds, it must be dropped into the field by the first player to touch it. In the event of a dispute, the referee must throw the ball into the field. The thrower is allowed to hold the ball for five seconds. If he holds it longer, then the ball is given to the opponent. If either side tries to play for time, the referee must give them a foul.
   
10. The referee must monitor the actions of the players and fouls, and notify the referee of three consecutive fouls. He shall have the power to disqualify players under rule 5.
    
11. The referee must watch the ball and determine when the ball is in play (inbounds) and when it is out of bounds (out of bounds), which side should be in possession of the ball, and any other actions that the referee would normally take .
    
12. The game consists of two halves of 15 minutes each with a break of 5 minutes between them.
13. The side with the most goals during this time period is the winner.

The most important rule change in the history of basketball is the introduction of dribbling. In the original version of the game, this was prohibited by paragraph 3 of the rules.

One of the first changes in the game and the rules was the replacement of the basket with a ring with a net. It seemed to be very inconvenient to climb after the ball every time after a hit. Around the same time, free throws, dribbling appeared, and the composition of the teams was fixed for 5 players on the court at the same time. Before that, in some matches, up to 50 people could be on the court at the same time. All this happened back in 1896-1897.

The emergence of FIBA ​​(International Basketball Federation)

Basketball at the beginning of the 20th century was becoming more popular and the rules in each country could be different. This was one of the reasons why FIBA ​​appeared in 1932 year. At the first FIBA ​​Congress, the teams were approved (5 people and 2 substitutes), and it was decided that after each goal there would be a throw-in in the center. This rule was removed after 4 years to reduce the advantage of tall players.

Over the next few years, the main changes were related to the number of personal fouls, the number of players on the bench and the introduction of a time limit for getting the ball into the opponent's half of the court.

More changes came in 1952 after the Olympics. The game became very boring, because the teams held the ball, having received a minimal lead in the score. Everyone understood this and searched for solutions for several years in order to save the life of basketball. At 1954 Danny Biason proposed to the NBA to limit the time for the shot to 24 seconds. At the 1956 Olympics, there was a similar rule: it was necessary to make a throw in 30 seconds. At the same time, to add equality between defense and attack, another rule familiar to us appeared: you need to start dribbling the ball before the supporting leg comes off.

Then the game became similar to the modern one from a technical point of view: dribbling, shots, a three-second zone appeared. In 1979, the NBA added a three-point line, and in 19In 1984, FIBA ​​also added an arc.

!!! An article about the evolution of the three-point shot and interesting facts:

10 interesting facts about the three-point shot.

10 interesting facts about the three-point shot.

Three-pointer evolution and insane records.

Changes in the rules and basketball since 1956 have included the number of free throws, the situations in which these free throws are given, and individual and team penalties. Some rules were introduced, and a few years later they were canceled. For example, the "3 for 2" rule: if a player was fouled in the shooting phase, then if one of the first two shots was missed, he could make another free throw. This rule was later removed.

Since the 1990s there have been constant changes: the emergence of alley-oops, changes in the timing and rewriting of the rules of running, which continue to this day.

From the most interesting: if the team has 0.3 seconds or less to throw the ball from behind, then it must be a one-touch throw. It takes at least 0.4 seconds to perform a full throw.

Derrick Fisher made similar throws:

And here is a small selection of videos of how they throw in 0.2 seconds:

Do you want to take your first steps in basketball or improve your basic skills? We have a Basic Basketball Skills workout for you. See the schedule and sign up:

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Coach: Yuriy Bespalov

- Professional player of the INANOMO 3x3 team;
- Champion of Russia 3x3 2019, 2021;
- Winner and medalist of the MOFB championship;
- 2017 MLBL Summer League MVP;
- Multiple participant of the Moscow Open;
- Champion of Moscow 3x3 2017;
- MVP GrunisCup 2017.

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