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How to not suck at basketball


Why You Suck At Basketball?

You might think that the title of this article is kinda harsh. But your here because you feel like you suck at basketball, I get it. I felt I sucked at basketball at one point in my life also The good news is you can actually do something about it.

Why do you suck at Basketball? Basketball is a difficult skillful sport that requires a lot of consistent practice of fundamental skills that are apart of one’s game.  It is not enough to play pickups games, you must work on shooting, dribbling, and footwork away from the game in order to improve your fundamentals. Making the right decisions on the court takes practice and experience which involves time.

Many basketball players overlook what they actually are doing to get better at the game of basketball, that it gets frustrated to the point that they give in and just think that they suck and this game isn’t for them. Anyone can improve at basketball with the right mindset.

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Excuses

I have heard it all before, I suck at basketball, I’m too small, I can’t shoot, I’m too slow, I’m not good enough.

No one cares….

I know that sounds harsh but its the truth, your friends won’t pity you for not being good at basketball, they just laugh at you. So now do something about it, quit playing, or continue. It’s simple, or you can just play for fun, but stop the excuses.

Before you continue reading promise yourself you are not going to make any excuses anymore as to why you missed a shot, lost a game, or didn’t feel like practicing. Now that’s out of the way read on you won’t regret it.

How Bad Do You Want It?

It’s a simple question, don’t tell me that you have been practicing for the last 30 days playing pickup basketball every day. What have you been doing in the last 12 months? It’s time to evaluate yourself and your game. How bad do you want to get better at basketball? Are you willing to practice every day and do what’s necessary to be better than you were yesterday? Are you ready to go months on end and see no improvement but continue the grind? Basketball is fun to play in general but its much more fun when you’re really good.

Are You Practicing Enough?

Pickup basketball may be hurting your game and here’s why?

You play pick up basketball every day and you barely notice any results in your game. Your shooting is subpar, you barely make layups and you barely score in your games. Why? Sit back and actually think for a moment, how many basketball shots are actually taking on a given day when you go and play pick up. You warm-up and shoot a couple of shots on the side hoops and then you play.

How many shots in a pickup game are you taking let’s say for the record you are taking 10 shots a game in a pickup game, that is actually a lot Kobe! You play 8 games because you are on a winning streak, then you lose and are tired so you go home. So for the day, you have taken 80 shots (10 shots a game for every game you played) plus warm-up so let’s say another 20 shots. You have taken a whopping 100 shots for the day, and you play 5 days a week and ask yourself why am I not getting better.

Volume

Are you getting the picture? You lack volume and reps, you shot 500 shots for the week, you need more reps. You should be shooting that number of shots in one day. The quality of shots could be questionable also that you are taking in your pickup games, are they good shots, do you think your Steph Curry like the rest of the world shooting nothing but threes and missing?

So you think I should quit playing Pickup Basketball for a while?

NO, that’s not what I’m saying at all, you need a balance of playing pick up basketball and skill work. If your playing pickup every day get to the court early before playing and put up some shots. Between games when you are not playing put up some shots. After your done playing put up more shots. Not just any half-ass shots either, shots you would take in a game going at least 3/4 speed. You should be practicing the way you play.

I would even suggest taking a week or two off now from playing pickup games and start some volume shooting drills. Then in a couple of weeks time, start adding pickup basketball again. I willing to bet you will see your shot improve and your game following these tips.

Do you have a basketball? You can do ball-handling drills at home, no excuses, there are a ton of basketball videos on dribbling that you can follow along and do, your resources are endless and free on the internet.

Fast Track To Improvement in Basketball

If you really want to improve, I would advise that you shoot up to 500 shots a day, and play pickup also, you could do this all in one day or alternate days between shooting drills/dribbling drills and pickup. On days you play pickup try to put up at least 300 shots that day, again quality shots.

I would keep track of my shots and how many I made from each drill or spot I would shoot from. I would go back the next day and beat my score. This is how you get better you have something you can measure your success by. Writing down the number of makes on a piece of paper while your goal is to beat yesterday’s score.

You have to understand that you need to build up the muscle memory necessary to be able to shoot and dribble. Basketball is a tough sport in regards to skill development, much like golf, if you are not playing every day and working on your shot, (swing in the case of golf) you lose your skill quite quickly. The average non-golfer isn’t very good, but that could easily be because they aren’t on the driving range every day working on their game. The average golfer books a tee time plays with his buddies and that’s good enough for him/her.

I would also advise working on one move every week, practice this one move until you are sick of it and it becomes easy that you don’t have to think about it. The following week pick another move to work on.  You can even do this with a type of new shot or movement without the ball to try and get open to score in a pickup game. Do this for a full week until it becomes second nature and you don’t have to think about it.

Understand you get what you put into this game, I have seen players in the summer go from being cut from their high school team to being the man and averaging 20 points a game the following year. All because this individual took no days off and was determined to be a baller.

My Quick Story

I did the above when I was in my senior year of high school, I played basketball every day during the summer. I shot at least 600 shots daily while playing pickup at least 5 days a week. I would shoot 300 shots in the morning on my hoop in the backyard on the grass before I played pick up at the local YMCA and when I got home I would shoot another 300 shots after dinner working on shots that I remembered missing in pickup games from that day.

That is an intelligent way of thinking about your game isn’t it, It was no surprise how good of a shooter I became thereafter.  What’s your excuse?

You Make The Same Mistakes Over and Over

Many players play basketball and just go through the motions, they don’t stop and think outside the norm of what their game is. They shoot the ball and it is short, they continue to shoot short and don’t adjust.

They don’t know how to adapt or get better, turning the ball over with simple mistakes that can be avoided. They do too much on the basketball court, trying to make unnecessary steals, shooting threes out of their range, and making no-look passes out of bounds.

Sound familiar? Keep the game simple, fundamentally simple. If you are turning the ball over evaluate why? Ask yourself what was a better decision. It may just be to fake a pass before you make a pass.

Shot Selection

Do you know the difference between a good shot or a bad shot? A good shot is a shot you are confident in and have practiced over and over again away from the game.

A bad shot is a shot that you force or have no business shooting even if your wide open and you’re inconsistent such as shooting 3 pointers 5 feet out. Shot selection is different for everyone.

Stop taking bad shots, watch your game improve, and your confidence.

Lack of Confidence

So you lack confidence when you play basketball. Do you lack confidence in writing a test if you don’t study? Yes! What is the best way to combat a lack of confidence? Come prepared. To do that it involves practice, practice until it becomes easy and until you feel comfortable in games instead of being too nervous play that it’s affecting your play and you are scared to make mistakes.

Part of your confidence issue is also experience, if you avoid pickup games cause everyone is better than you then how will you get any better, you need that experience and fuel to drive you to get better.

Experience

You are going to have get the experience necessary to feel confident in situations when it calls for it, be aware your going to fail more times then you will succeed at first, it’s ok. The best players in the world have a short term memory. Could you imagine if Lebron James dwelt on losing and missed shots, he would never be the player he is today? Just remember no excuses…..

How To Improve At Basketball Without Playing?

Basketball IQ is a thing,  Lebron James is said to have a high IQ, Javale Mcgee maybe not so much. The point is you can get on youtube and watch videos to improve your IQ which in turn will make you a better player without even playing.

Moving without the ball is an underdeveloped skill with new basketball players and even high school players. This is definitely a fast track to add points to your average. Watching players play and breaking down moves and footwork is vital to add weapons to your arsenal.

A simple trick I will give you, that works most of the time is anytime you catch the ball stand up straight and act like you want to get rid of the basketball bypassing and looking in one direction, when the defense relaxes explode to the hoop it’s so simple and works. I do this with shooting a lot, I look like I don’t want the ball by looking in one direction. I am trying to get rid of the ball by looking to pass it, defense relaxes, and then I square up and shoot an open shot, it works, I’m a shooter.

These are little details you can learn right now on youtube, how players move without the ball, with the ball, etc… Do you know what to do at the end of the game being down 2 baskets with 50 seconds left on the clock? Do you know what to do when your up 2 points with the ball with 35 seconds left?

If I Could Go Back

If I could go back in time to improve my basketball game I would do the following…

Start playing at an early age, this is obviously key, the earlier you start the better you have a jump on your competition.

Workout, I always found a correlation of how strong I was and how consistent and easy it was to shoot the basketball, I just never stayed consistent in the weight room as I should have. I wonder what could have been if I could have stayed working out for years on end instead of just months and stopping. There’s an endless supply of programs from getting stronger to jumping higher for free on the internet. If you don’t have access to a weight room then improvise, there are a ton of free bodyweight and plyometric programs on the web you get my drift.

I would play as much as I could and do exactly what I did in high school during my senior year. Enough said. It worked.

I would watch videos of my favorite players on youtube and study their game trying to improve my basketball IQ.

I would play one on one way more than I did, I didn’t do enough of this. This works on your basketball moves and on one on one defense, it doesn’t get better than that. It really is that simple, this is why you see the pros doing this constantly in the offseason because it works. There are so many variations you could use, one, two, three dribble max, etc.

The final thing I would do is play against better competition constantly, it will definitely have you wanting to quit playing basketball at times but when you play against your level of competition it’s going to feel easy. Remember no excuses, practice the way you want to play and you get what you put in…

 

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What Do You Do If You Suck At Basketball?

What do you do if you suck at basketball?

Practice dribbling at different speeds and doing sudden stops. Dribble hard and work on your coordination. If you arent messing up during practice you arent practicing hard enough. Shooting: Look up form shooting drills.

Frequent question, why am I not getting any better at basketball?

Similarly, why am I so bad at shooting a basketball? It could be any number of things. Maybe you’re pushing your shot instead of letting it fall, maybe you aren’t jumping high enough, maybe your form is bad. consistency. go look on youtube or something on the pros shooting forms and pick whichever is comfortable for you and keep practicing that.

Amazingly, can you lose basketball skill?

You asked, how do you know when to quit basketball? The fact of the matter is: if you don’t have some very compelling reasons to renew your commitment to this game, you should quit. Quitting is a very reasonable response to a situation that is not fulfilling. And sometimes, it is a necessary step on the path to success.

Contents

  • How can I get better at basketball?
  • How do you dunk?
  • How do you jump higher in basketball?
  • How can kids get better at basketball?
  • How do you aim a basketball shot?
  • Is it hard to shoot a basketball?
  • Why do I shoot worse in games?
  • How do I get my basketball shot back?
  • How do you play basketball when you’re sick?
  • How do I get my basketball game back?

How can I get better at basketball?

  1. Prioritize ball control.
  2. Identify and improve your weak spots.
  3. Practice at game speed.
  4. Improve your physical fitness.
  5. Work on your lower body shooting mechanics.
  6. Practice your hand alignment on the ball.
  7. Watch more college basketball games.

How do you dunk?

How do you jump higher in basketball?

How can kids get better at basketball?

  1. Your Game-day Mantra Should Be, “SHOOT! DON’T THINK”
  2. STOP BEING SHOOK!
  3. BE IN THE ZONE.
  4. YOU HAVE TO RELAX.
  5. COLOURED BALLS WILL HELP TO CORRECT YOUR ROTATION.
  6. NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WILL OBSTRUCT SUCCESS.
  7. Find Your Arc Optimization.
  8. Youtube Game Footage.

How do you aim a basketball shot?

Is it hard to shoot a basketball?

Why do I shoot worse in games?

Why one player shoots 20% better in practice than another player but shoots worse in games! … Variability versus constant practice could be one of the possible explanations. Constant practice (shooting the same shot repeatedly) often results in higher shooting percentages during practice.

How do I get my basketball shot back?

How do you play basketball when you’re sick?

If symptoms are “above the neck,” such as stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, or sore throat with no other body symptoms, then the athlete can proceed cautiously through a workout at half speed. If their congestion clears within a few minutes of starting exercise, the intensity can gradually be increased.

How do I get my basketball game back?

Girl game? Dirty protection? The NBA champion flew to Moscow

Three-time NBA champion and one of the toughest defenders in league history, Bruce Bowen, who visited Russia to open a basketball court in Nizhnevartovsk, spoke about how his career began, recalled his European adventures, as well as the conflict with Aizea Thomas.

- You would have had a very difficult childhood. The father left the family at an early age, the mother became addicted to hard drugs. How did this atmosphere in the family affect you as a person and did it affect your style of playing basketball?

— It took me a while to realize that life is not fair. It's not even that it's unfair, it's just that life is the way it is. She is what we make her. We can bow to circumstances or go against them and say, "I will be better and stronger than them." I always felt that there are people who have it even harder than me. Looking at what was happening in their lives, I clearly understood that we must not stop, we must move forward. So it was in elementary school, in high school, in college, where I played for not the most successful team.

As for the impact on my style, I think this whole situation has made me appreciate the time spent on the court more, appreciate every moment and the contribution that you can make to the game. Nobody guarantees that you will play for 20 years. Therefore, in order to prolong your career, you need to give all the best in every episode. As a child, I realized that you should not wait for inspiration from anyone. So you can wait a lifetime. You need to look for this drive and inspiration within yourself. I have always said that seeing and feeling myself on the floor is the greatest value that the game has given me.

- You did a great job getting into the NBA draft, but no team selected you. Then you decided to try your hand at Europe and left for France. Must have experienced culture shock?

Absolutely. What else, you can't even imagine! This trip helped me understand that basketball is an international language. After all, many players did not even speak French, but understanding the principles by which the game is built helped us interact on the court. And I must say, it's very funny. I ended up in the French team, which was coached by a Pole, who, as you understand, was also far from being a polyglot. There were plenty of times when I tried to learn a language but felt stuck because I was afraid of screwing up, mispronouncing a word, or getting the case mixed up. It is only children who have no problems with this, in childhood people are much more open, and therefore it is easier for them to learn the language. I, on the other hand, would go to a restaurant and have a huge problem ordering a sandwich. The waiter looked at me like I was crazy, and I poked at the menu in confusion. Over time, I learned to speak more or less tolerably, but when I returned to America, the need for constant practice disappeared, and I completely forgot French ... And I am glad for this circumstance.

— Do you follow the European Championship, which is now in France?

- Not closely, but of course, aware of Tony Parker's successes. Becoming the most productive player in the history of the European Championships is worth a lot. But I am by no means surprised. Tony has always been the kind of person who wanted to popularize basketball by all means, to leave a noticeable mark on it. Becoming the first Frenchman to become an NBA champion, president of Asvel, or winning a European championship. He always wanted his victories to be regarded as basketball victories, not his personal ones. Indeed, often there is no connection between some countries, and only a collision on a basketball court allows us to understand their attitude towards each other.

- You entered the NBA in 1997, but you were really noticed in the Heat in the 2000/01 season. You stood out for your tenacious defensive play, as they say, sometimes even on the edge. Did you play in such a tough manner before, or did the NBA of that time force you to adapt, because the 2000s were a tough time in the league?

- Even when I played in France, I had to keep the best scorers in the championship. The game from the mid-90s to the early 2000s was tough, but not rough. For example, any physical contact was excluded, you couldn't just grab a guy by the hand, it was considered a foul. But it was possible to actively interfere with him. I compensated for this with the work of my legs, keeping up with my opponent on my feet. A lot of people didn't like it, and then they started to complain: "Oh, this Bowen, this is just a dirty game."

At first I was surprised and even worried about such a reaction, but then I began to perceive it normally. If you lose, it's easy to complain and say that I play dirty, but you will never hear complaints and reproaches from the winners' locker room. Ray Allen once said of me, "It's just a girl game on Bowen's part." And you know, it sounded very strange. How can this be a girl's game if on the court you reproached me for playing too hard? Something doesn't fit here, do you agree?

- By joining San Antonio, you have earned a reputation for being willing to do anything to win, the kind of necessary evil that helped the team win championships. Is there at least part of the truth in this formulation? Every champion needs a villain like this to do all the dirty work?

- I would not say that there is a need for a villain. Rather, it is the media that creates such an image in order to label the players. Look at the Spurs, who were always said to be boring. What do you see there? Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are three future NBA Hall of Famers. And then your eyes fall on Bruce Bowen. How to draw attention to him? Our star player played badly against him, why? Because Bruce defended himself against him in a special way, too hard, too dirty. Voila, you have a story to sell.

It's kind of like characters in comics. Why would the press say that Bowen can still shoot 3-pointers when Manu and Tony can do it better? But it's better to say that Bruce is a great defender, but in addition, he is also a real crazy man, ready to cripple the players. There is nothing terrible in this. Reporters get paid to speak their mind. And I respect this, I have no problems with this, but do not ask me to agree with this point of view if I think otherwise.

- I'm sure there were plenty of times when you played dirty against you. Maybe you can name a couple of such basketball players?

- First of all, I have never deliberately tried to injure players by getting under them during the throw or by putting my foot out so that they land on it. Yes, this happened, but I never had such intentions in advance. However, this has been talked about constantly throughout my entire NBA career. I myself have also landed on the feet of players defending against me, but you will not find any mention of this anywhere. I got into a situation where Byron Davis was playing against me.

An even more remarkable incident occurred when we played against the Knicks on the road. Steve Francis landed on my foot, I helped him up, asked if everything was fine. He replied: "Yes, Bruce, I'm fine, it happens." We hosted New York the following week and head coach Isaiah Thomas told Jamal Crawford to shoot from afar, and this guy shouldn't be allowed to do that. And as soon as I started playing against Jamal, Thomas literally took off. He began to cover me with the last words, saying that I was a dirty player. Isaiah received a technical, but still continued to put pressure on the judges. The last thing I heard from him was: "If we met during the time when I played for the Pistons, rest assured, we would find a way to take care of you." It was strange to hear that. You are not a player, but a coach, so behave accordingly.

- When you retired and bought out the contract from Milwaukee, did you hope that the Spurs would sign an agreement with you?

- This is part of the game, and you need to be ready for it. I left basketball on my own terms, and this is not given to many. Not because of injury or anything. I wanted to spend more time with the children. Many people say that I need to train, but I don't want to. I don't want my life to be as close as possible to the schedule I had when I was a player. Get up early, go to a workout, watch educational films. I never liked watching these films, but I had to do it because it was part of my duties. Now I train my children, that's enough for me. I work as an expert on sports television. I am quite satisfied with the current routine and do not regret anything.

- Your number "12" has been retired, and yet it will be under it that Spurs star rookie LaMarcus Aldridge will play. How did it happen?

- I know Lamarcus very well. I helped recruit him from the university where he studied. First of all, I was struck by the fact that during the whole conversation he looked into my eyes. Guys don't do that anymore. They say hello and then shake their heads and don't look at you. Lamarcus is a great guy. Besides, I don’t play anymore, so I don’t see any reason to refuse him.

- Aren't you afraid that this will become an additional burden of responsibility for him?

- No, besides, everyone knows who the real number 12 in the San Antonio Spurs is.

- You came to Russia thanks to the SIBUR corporation, which is doing a lot to popularize basketball in Russia. What does it mean to you to be part of this global campaign?

— First of all, I am grateful to SIBUR for the opportunity to be here. Don't be fooled by players who say that basketball allows you to travel a lot. Most often, you come to the country, train, and then, wallowing in fatigue, go to the hotel. Now I have arrived in a country where I have never been. I visited Red Square, visited St. Basil's Cathedral, attended a ballet, got acquainted with the richest history of this country. In addition, the SIBUR program is important for children, who, thanks to it, will have the opportunity to realize themselves in sports. They don't have to become new Bruce Bowens, they can become even better, grow into players with their own original style. Children learn to make decisions at an early age and decide for themselves whether to become professionals or just make sports a significant part of their lives. This is a very important and useful movement, and I am glad that SIBUR made me a part of it.

* A social network recognized as extremist in Russia

Basketball practice 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. Don't look back

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.


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