Things you learned from experience during a game

[bobbyflay]

I wanted to know some personal experience tips people got. Some tips several people told me are:
1: When you're defending a person with the ball, put your body from the person to the hoop
2:They can eye/shoulder/leg fake you but can never hip fake you

[Swaggin916]

I really need to start looking at the hips when I play D... can't ever seem to remember it while playing and it's so basic.

[devin112]

I wanted to know some personal experience tips people got. Some tips several people told me are:
1: When you're defending a person with the ball, put your body from the person to the hoop
2:They can eye/shoulder/leg fake you but can never hip fake you

3: when defending a player without the ball, position yourself so that you can keep one eye on your man and the other eye on the ball- by using peripheral vision. You'll always know what's going on and can pick off passes.

4: quickly realize which hand is ur opponents dominate hand and force him to drive to his off hand.

5: when your opponent is dribbling- if the ball is in their left hand it's the perfect time to attempt a poke away. time it, when the ball leaves their hand take a quick poke and then back into position. some people can't react fast enough or don't have the same moves to protect the ball when it's in their off hand.

[PowerGlove]

Sometimes I drive wide, instead of hip to hip. Why? I dont know.

[DevDaAllstar]

If a player is right handed try to block they're jump shot with your left hand and the opposite if they are left handed

[richi]

basic but if a player is only a threat when driving give them a bit more room to block of there drive or if there a 3 point slinger get all up in there grill

also i find if im playing against a good player and they are in the triple threat position i leave my hand in there face to block there vision which really annoys people

[1manfastbreak]

if your going to give someone an ally off the backboard, make sure you lay it off gently and don't give a chest pass.

[AJ2k8]

Taking charges can hurt:hammerhead:

[shlver]

If a player is right handed try to block they're jump shot with your left hand and the opposite if they are left handed
Why exactly?

[AJ2k8]

Why exactly?
I think this is more suited to a post up situation, think of a right handed player posting up and doing a right hand jumphook on a right handed defender. The hook is going to provide space for the right hand against a same handed opponent but a lefty can get inside and block the hook if you know what i mean..

Take this image(too big to paste in here): http://thehullabaloo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Loyola.jpg

If the defender were to try and block that hook with his left then he could face the opponent and go in front of his body for the block whereas if he uses his right like he has chosen to he is forced to go over the body to get anywhere near the shot at release.

I guess it can be applied to when you're being driven on aswell, if a right hander drives right and the defender tries to block the layup right handed he would have to get around the body of the player or give up the drive and try and swat in onto glass etc.. whereas a left hander, providing they're in a decent stance, is nearly symmetrical to the person driving and can block the shot without going over the body or having to give up space like a right hander would.

:cheers:

[shlver]

I think this is more suited to a post up situation, think of a right handed player posting up and doing a right hand jumphook on a right handed defender. The hook is going to provide space for the right hand against a same handed opponent but a lefty can get inside and block the hook if you know what i mean..

Take this image(too big to paste in here): http://thehullabaloo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Loyola.jpg

If the defender were to try and block that hook with his left then he could face the opponent and go in front of his body for the block whereas if he uses his right like he has chosen to he is forced to go over the body to get anywhere near the shot at release.

I guess it can be applied to when you're being driven on aswell, if a right hander drives right and the defender tries to block the layup right handed he would have to get around the body of the player or give up the drive and try and swat in onto glass etc.. whereas a left hander, providing they're in a decent stance, is nearly symmetrical to the person driving and can block the shot without going over the body or having to give up space like a right hander would.

:cheers:
Oh I see. Thanks for the explanation.:cheers:

[richi]

Taking charges can hurt:hammerhead:

yeah but dont ***** out man up and take it on the chest

[AJ2k8]

yeah but dont ***** out man up and take it on the chest
Amen to that:cheers:

[stridge]

getting open off the ball is not easy.

[DevDaAllstar]

I think this is more suited to a post up situation, think of a right handed player posting up and doing a right hand jumphook on a right handed defender. The hook is going to provide space for the right hand against a same handed opponent but a lefty can get inside and block the hook if you know what i mean..

Take this image(too big to paste in here): http://thehullabaloo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Loyola.jpg

If the defender were to try and block that hook with his left then he could face the opponent and go in front of his body for the block whereas if he uses his right like he has chosen to he is forced to go over the body to get anywhere near the shot at release.

I guess it can be applied to when you're being driven on aswell, if a right hander drives right and the defender tries to block the layup right handed he would have to get around the body of the player or give up the drive and try and swat in onto glass etc.. whereas a left hander, providing they're in a decent stance, is nearly symmetrical to the person driving and can block the shot without going over the body or having to give up space like a right hander would.

:cheers:

Exactly

[bobbyflay]

Dam, I made a super huge post, but I'm too lazy to make it again(connection dced). Keep the tips coming guys(need help playing against college/mid 30's guys in gym)
Questions: How do you guard taller,stronger, and faster guys? I have to sprint to keep up with the other team's point guard who just jogs lol. My friends and I have a hard time with the people(we're 14-16 years old).

[Shadow Zujed]

If a player is right handed try to block they're jump shot with your left hand and the opposite if they are left handed

I started doing this after I read this post and it works so much better than I though it would. I'm a small guy, and get less than a block a month is seems like. But now, I get like 3-4 blocks per game. Thanks for this tip. It is really helping me out.

[Timmy D for MVP]

Dam, I made a super huge post, but I'm too lazy to make it again(connection dced). Keep the tips coming guys(need help playing against college/mid 30's guys in gym)
Questions: How do you guard taller,stronger, and faster guys? I have to sprint to keep up with the other team's point guard who just jogs lol. My friends and I have a hard time with the people(we're 14-16 years old).

Skill will trump athleticism most the time (in my experience at least).

I grew up always playing with older, and better players and I learned that having:

a) Hustle
b) High IQ
c) Good core fundamentals

Has allowed me to be able to guard those more athletic than me, and bigger than me. The other important factor is timing. I stand only 6 feet but I am a big threat to block any shot because I have decent hops, but a good knack for timing. Just from playing with bigger people a lot.

My main advice, and I tell this to everyone who's looking for advice, is to make sure that you continue to play with people who are faster, stronger, and even better. Now I enjoy going somewhere every once in a while where I know I'll dominate. But for the most part I try to seek out really tough competition because that's where you will learn the most, and the quickest. But so long as you love the game and have the will to get better you will catch up, and you'll catch up quick!

[bobbyflay]

Hmm.. alright I'll continue getting my a** kicked to learn. I'll try to master the basics by the end of the summer to join high school basketball.
Another Question:How to be more involved during a game where your role is fullfilled? I mostly played point guard/shooting guard during middle school. Now... There are these guys that shoot 75% of their field goals, and the people who handle the ball mostly are the guys who are the tallest. In pickup games, it seems that I'm guarding the guy who gets the ball least on the other team also(who happens to be closest my age and the shortest also). I'm 5'7. I can beat most of the people I play with in 1v1 around like 11-3. In a pickup though... I get the ball around 2 times in a 15 minute game. I feel so useless lol. Also, in a pickup game my reaction is 3x slower for some reason. A guy who saw me shooting jumpshots told me to shoot more(how can I shoot if I get the ball only twice a game)? Dang, it's too hard.

[carpevicis]

Hmm.. alright I'll continue getting my a** kicked to learn. I'll try to master the basics by the end of the summer to join high school basketball.
Another Question:How to be more involved during a game where your role is fullfilled? I mostly played point guard/shooting guard during middle school. Now... There are these guys that shoot 75% of their field goals, and the people who handle the ball mostly are the guys who are the tallest. In pickup games, it seems that I'm guarding the guy who gets the ball least on the other team also(who happens to be closest my age and the shortest also). I'm 5'7. I can beat most of the people I play with in 1v1 around like 11-3. In a pickup though... I get the ball around 2 times in a 15 minute game. I feel so useless lol. Also, in a pickup game my reaction is 3x slower for some reason. A guy who saw me shooting jumpshots told me to shoot more(how can I shoot if I get the ball only twice a game)? Dang, it's too hard.

What you are doing isn't useless if you're winning. If you lose and you don't do anything, then yeah, that's useless. But otherwise, feel good that you're contributing to the win (if you are). Everyone wants to be Kobe and drop all 15 points in a game to 15, but sooner or later smart people realize that they're not scorers. If everyone in the NBA wanted to be top scorers, it would be pretty ugly to watch. Just look at the Lakers. Kobe's the top scorer. What do the other guys do? They have to find other roles like rebounders and defensive specialists.

Just because you aren't shooting the ball or getting alot of touches doesn't mean you have to chill on the offensive end. You have to cut, move without the ball, set good picks and roll to the basket. You're not going to get the ball alot so go for offensive rebounds. Your teammates will appreciate your hustle if you're truly giving it.

Remember that you can be a difference maker. Since you're shorter than most of the other guys, how about running the pick and pop alot to create a mismatch? I assume you're a good shooter, so when you set the pick on your team's primary scorer, your shorter defender shifts onto him, and he can make a decision to drive on the smaller man or kick it out to you for a shot. Go for steals, but make smart gambles. There's no excuse to be lousy on defense but the point of this is, do what it takes to win, not what it takes to shine. I don't know about you, but I've been in situations ranging from me being the top scorer/player on the worst team imaginable to role playing and staying on a court for countless games. Staying on the court was infinitely more enjoyable than losing EVERY TIME (for me at least).

[devin112]

Hmm.. alright I'll continue getting my a** kicked to learn. I'll try to master the basics by the end of the summer to join high school basketball.
Another Question:How to be more involved during a game where your role is fullfilled? I mostly played point guard/shooting guard during middle school. Now... There are these guys that shoot 75% of their field goals, and the people who handle the ball mostly are the guys who are the tallest. In pickup games, it seems that I'm guarding the guy who gets the ball least on the other team also(who happens to be closest my age and the shortest also). I'm 5'7. I can beat most of the people I play with in 1v1 around like 11-3. In a pickup though... I get the ball around 2 times in a 15 minute game. I feel so useless lol. Also, in a pickup game my reaction is 3x slower for some reason. A guy who saw me shooting jumpshots told me to shoot more(how can I shoot if I get the ball only twice a game)? Dang, it's too hard.

Get involved by setting picks for the ball handler, once you do that roll to the rim or spot up and call for the ball.

Get offensive rebounds.

Talk to guys and get them to set u up w/ a baseline picks and free urself up on the same side w/ the ball, might get a pass. When you get that pass, you'll be open make the best of it and be aggressive and make a play. Take good shots and make them, they'll keep an eye on you next time.

Don't just scream for the ball, get involved.

[Swaggin916]

If you are more of role player, you are always going to have those games where you don't get a lot of touches or do much to effect the game... sometimes it works out that way and it is frustrating when you lose. If you win... there is always another game.

So... either you can continue to be a role player and be frustrated sometimes... or you can start taking the steps toward becoming the focal point of a team AKA the main ball handler... and that takes a lot of practice. I know for me, I was never comfortable being the main ball handler for a while... I'd get on a team that wasn't very good or just didn't have anybody that could handle the ball real well and make plays... and I'd want to do it, but I just wasn't good enough. Now, I have the ability to do it because I've practiced, studied the game, and now am confident enough in my ability to beat defenders and make good decisions. You are still going to have bad games, but at least you know it's on you and maybe sometime during that game you start deferring to others because you are having a bad game... trust me, it's better than having an uneventful game as a role player.

From experience tho... like these guys have been saying, going for offensive boards, cutting... just hustling your ass off... you rarely ever have those uneventful games because you are constantly in the mix. For me... I haven't been able to do any of that due to injury. When I play, I'm either the main ball handler (and just basically the guy who brings it up court and tries to set people up without doing anything too strenuous) or simply being a spot up shooter. Being a spot up shooter is the worst cus every other game can be uneventful.

[bobbyflay]

Alright, thanks for advice. I'll try to communicate better and hustle more. The bad thing is I didn't go to basketball camp($150 for 3 days is just BS) so I don't know the competition yet. One of the guys who was a bench player from the camp played at the gym today. He was making 80% of his 3 pointers :O He was also excellent at setting picks, cutting, passing, and many more. He just met me and already understands how to play with me(it takes me about a week with someone to communicate efficently with them). Dam them for being so pro.
Another Question: How do you communicate efficently with people in basketball?

[carpevicis]

Alright, thanks for advice. I'll try to communicate better and hustle more. The bad thing is I didn't go to basketball camp($150 for 3 days is just BS) so I don't know the competition yet. One of the guys who was a bench player from the camp played at the gym today. He was making 80% of his 3 pointers :O He was also excellent at setting picks, cutting, passing, and many more. He just met me and already understands how to play with me(it takes me about a week with someone to communicate efficently with them). Dam them for being so pro.
Another Question: How do you communicate efficently with people in basketball?

I guess it's different for everyone. It goes both ways; I've played pickup with people and we meshed right from the start, and I've played with people who were total dumbasses on the floor. I'd say 80% of the time the people you play with are neither, they're just people you play with, win some and lose some.

If the other people are cool and are the team type, then you shouldn't even need to ask about how to communicate. It'll be natural and you'll just play off each others strengths.

If they're the not so cool type, then I'd say whatever. They're not going to change for 1 pickup game and you'll probably forget about them when the day is over.

Basically, if you want to communicate effectively just call out picks, be unselfish and just play for the team. I find that actions speak louder than words so if your teammates got a good position in the post, give him the ball. Sooner or later you'll be finding each other with sharp cuts and once you start winning games and staying on the floor you'll all feel confident on what to do.

[Swaggin916]

See it's the exact opposite for me... unless I play with friends on my team, then most of the time it's just a sloppy game because nobody knows what each others strengths are and I can't tell you how many people dribble with their head down and don't see things. I'd say almost 80% of the time I am at least somewhat frustrated if I am not playing with at least a couple friends... those games where everything goes well are few and far between.

[MasterDurant24]

On shorter guys the up and under/Rondo move is the way to go. If they don't jump, easy shot, but if they fall for it, you can lower your shoulder into his chest and pull off a nice under move going into the paint.

[bobbyflay]

Excellent advice from everyone so far. I guess it's because I'm too shy or something because everyone keeps telling me to take more shots/handle ball more/take more risks.
Another Question: How do you excell at playing point guard?
I just saw the competetion of the high school basketball. To be blunt...THEY SUCKED A$$. Only about 10 of them are decent. There's already a great shooting guard and one of my acquantiences play small forward really well. I'm a little better in terms of skills for their point guard, but he's better at communicating/spotting plays.

[Swaggin916]

To be a good PG you have to be able to set up plays, run the O, and not turn the ball over. If you can do those... then you will start for most teams, and if you can shoot, then you will definitely start. It definitely helps to be quick so if you get a switch you can take advantage and so the quicker PG's can't blow past you... but there are plenty of starting PG's at multiple levels who aren't necessarily the best defenders (AKA Steve Nash, Jose Calderon, Derek Fisher).

Yea just try to 2 or 3 plays that you are really uncomfortable with a game... things that don't feel natural. Obviously you don't want to be dumb and go 1 on 5 or do something that doesn't make sense, but just work on the stuff you'd like to be better at. I think I already said all that... but it's good to reiterate ha.

[devin112]

Excellent advice from everyone so far. I guess it's because I'm too shy or something because everyone keeps telling me to take more shots/handle ball more/take more risks.
Another Question: How do you excell at playing point guard?
I just saw the competetion of the high school basketball. To be blunt...THEY SUCKED A$$. Only about 10 of them are decent. There's already a great shooting guard and one of my acquantiences play small forward really well. I'm a little better in terms of skills for their point guard, but he's better at communicating/spotting plays.

First off you have to have the ball on lock. Great handles.

Ability to push the ball up at any moment fast to take advantage of the defense.

Vision + know your players and their abilities, where and when they want the ball.

Composure and leadership when team is struggling and not letting up when you're up.

See where the mismatches are, let your teammates know what the play is and get them the ball where they can do work. Often times I'll let my teammates know how exploit their defenders, I'll notice their defenders fall for shot pump fakes or they don't know how to guard the pick and roll, whatever it is.


Remember just because you don't get the ball doesn't mean you can't get offense boards, set screens, go back door, and when you get the ball call for a pick and when they roll hit them off. They might do the same next time around for you. Other people can't make you obsolete only you can. Do all of those things and lock down your player, get boards, call out screens, and steals- you'll be essential to whatever team your on.

[bobbyflay]

alright. The advice helped me well. Today I just focused on being helpful as much as possible with the "all star guys" (my friend who's 14 but super buff that can bench like 150 even though he's like 140 pounds). It worked out quite well. I had like 5 rebounds/6 points/2 blocks per game and more.

Another Question:How should I adjust my shots now? Since I'm growing, I have to adjust my shot. When I was short(5,2), I had a high arc/made 75% of my 3's, 80% of my jumpshots, and 80% of my layups.. Now I have a medium arc which makes me have less swishes/hits the rim more, 25% of my 3's....(pissing me off but for the sake of my shooting form),50% of jump shots, and 90% of my layups. I became 2x better in my ballhandling/understanding of the game. Should I just continue only shooting jumpshots/layups until I become stronger to use the shooting form on a 3 pointer or kind of force my shot a little(so mad of shooting 3 pointer bricks using shooting form).

[devin112]

you need to get stronger to shoot the way you did when you were shorter? I don't get it. If you use your legs enough and release on the way up, you shouldn't have a prob w/ HS or college 3.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Things I've learned:

1) Do NOT reach in to strip the ball unless you're 100% sure your hand is flat against the ball. A bunch of co-workers and I were playing at night after work about a decade ago in a decently lit park. My friend tries to strip me from the side on a layup attempt as I'm going up. He instantly falls to the floor screaming "my finger! my finger!" We figured he had jammed his finger really bad (I felt his hand hit the ball and then my thigh as I picked my knee up to jump). Nope. He turns over and his middle finger is bent at a 90-degree angle right at the middle knuckle, with the bone protruding through the skin. We had to rush him to the hospital; his finger still isn't able to bend fully a decade later. This was because he slapped at the ball with his hand coming down sideways, not flat against the ball, and he must have hit my thigh. I rarely reach in for strips for this reason.


2) Do NOT go fully over the back of someone for a rebound and extend your arm over their shoulder in an attempt to back-tap the ball to yourself. I did this in a YMCA league when I was like 18, and my hand was under the ball, about to tap it backwards, with my arm/elbow bridged over the opponent's shoulder. My opponent managed to yank the ball straight down with two hands really quickly before I could tap it. If I didn't retract my hand from underneath the ball in time, my elbow would have been bridged over his shoulder as he pulled down, and probably would have come right out through the skin on the other side of my arm. Needless to say, I'm VERY careful about tapping from over the back since then. :oldlol:

[Maga_1]

Things I've learned:

1) Do NOT reach in to strip the ball unless you're 100% sure your hand is flat against the ball. A bunch of co-workers and I were playing at night after work about a decade ago in a decently lit park. My friend tries to strip me from the side on a layup attempt as I'm going up. He instantly falls to the floor screaming "my finger! my finger!" We figured he had jammed his finger really bad (I felt his hand hit the ball and then my thigh as I picked my knee up to jump). Nope. He turns over and his middle finger is bent at a 90-degree angle right at the middle knuckle, with the bone protruding through the skin. We had to rush him to the hospital; his finger still isn't able to bend fully a decade later. This was because he slapped at the ball with his hand coming down sideways, not flat against the ball, and he must have hit my thigh. I rarely reach in for strips for this reason.


2) Do NOT go fully over the back of someone for a rebound and extend your arm over their shoulder in an attempt to back-tap the ball to yourself. I did this in a YMCA league when I was like 18, and my hand was under the ball, about to tap it backwards, with my arm/elbow bridged over the opponent's shoulder. My opponent managed to yank the ball straight down with two hands really quickly before I could tap it. If I didn't retract my hand from underneath the ball in time, my elbow would have been bridged over his shoulder as he pulled down, and probably would have come right out through the skin on the other side of my arm. Needless to say, I'm VERY careful about tapping from over the back since then. :oldlol:

Damn, that's some scary schittt ! I don't want even to think of that.

[DevDaAllstar]

Things I've learned:

1) Do NOT reach in to strip the ball unless you're 100% sure your hand is flat against the ball. A bunch of co-workers and I were playing at night after work about a decade ago in a decently lit park. My friend tries to strip me from the side on a layup attempt as I'm going up. He instantly falls to the floor screaming "my finger! my finger!" We figured he had jammed his finger really bad (I felt his hand hit the ball and then my thigh as I picked my knee up to jump). Nope. He turns over and his middle finger is bent at a 90-degree angle right at the middle knuckle, with the bone protruding through the skin. We had to rush him to the hospital; his finger still isn't able to bend fully a decade later. This was because he slapped at the ball with his hand coming down sideways, not flat against the ball, and he must have hit my thigh. I rarely reach in for strips for this reason

Common sense tells you not to try to strip the ball from somebody flying at you for a lay-up or going full speed, attacking the basket. Most people just jump to try and block the shot or just get out the way. If anything try to go for the strip when someone's on the way up underneath the basket

[bobbyflay]

madness stories O_O Yeah, when I was shorter I would shoot with both hands. Now I'm doing the right shooting form. It's more consistent because if I shot the way I was before, I would sometimes get like 10/10 shots in a game and get 2/15 shots in another one.
Another Question:How do you play better in one on one defence? My friends,who I play pick up basketball with, don't know/research about basketball concepts so they just think about blocking their man no matter what. This leads to the other person(who is usually more experienced and about 5-30 years older)using cuts/screens/manipulating my teammates/and other things. I try to defend the guy, but usually you can 85% of the time get past on one v one situations. My teammates don't rotate people also :O

[Swaggin916]

Things I've learned:

1) Do NOT reach in to strip the ball unless you're 100% sure your hand is flat against the ball. A bunch of co-workers and I were playing at night after work about a decade ago in a decently lit park. My friend tries to strip me from the side on a layup attempt as I'm going up. He instantly falls to the floor screaming "my finger! my finger!" We figured he had jammed his finger really bad (I felt his hand hit the ball and then my thigh as I picked my knee up to jump). Nope. He turns over and his middle finger is bent at a 90-degree angle right at the middle knuckle, with the bone protruding through the skin. We had to rush him to the hospital; his finger still isn't able to bend fully a decade later. This was because he slapped at the ball with his hand coming down sideways, not flat against the ball, and he must have hit my thigh. I rarely reach in for strips for this reason.


2) Do NOT go fully over the back of someone for a rebound and extend your arm over their shoulder in an attempt to back-tap the ball to yourself. I did this in a YMCA league when I was like 18, and my hand was under the ball, about to tap it backwards, with my arm/elbow bridged over the opponent's shoulder. My opponent managed to yank the ball straight down with two hands really quickly before I could tap it. If I didn't retract my hand from underneath the ball in time, my elbow would have been bridged over his shoulder as he pulled down, and probably would have come right out through the skin on the other side of my arm. Needless to say, I'm VERY careful about tapping from over the back since then. :oldlol:

Gosh man now I never want to play again :lol

I have done that second one but it was my finger that got bent. It hurt but not terribly... that finger feels a little off tho months later. I always think about getting a mouthpiece so I don't lose teeth out there... and wear goggles so I don't get Stoudemired out there. .. but then if think about all the things that can go wrong, you have like 30 pounds of gear on :oldlol:

[carpevicis]

Common sense tells you not to try to strip the ball from somebody flying at you for a lay-up or going full speed, attacking the basket. Most people just jump to try and block the shot or just get out the way. If anything try to go for the strip when someone's on the way up underneath the basket

Since people take it up with 2 hands, just keep your hand horizontal and reach up/down and try to knock the ball out of their hands. It works for me alot of the times and if not I'll contest. Usually though, I'll put my hand in the face to constrict vision.

[bobbyflay]

Well, thanks for the tips everyone. I found out I had to adapt to every single situation. I spent a whole night sorting out my friends' weaknesses/strengths and how to play with/against them. It really helped out alot.

I must keep on training to compete against another pg(found out one of the guys from my school was also trying to get pg. He's much faster because he's like 5'4. He's good at making layups and creating shots. He has bad communication though). Trying to get my thoughts down lol.

Tell any other tips as you like. I'll update weekly on my training. (one more week of strength training then 3 weeks of endurance. 2 more weeks of pure fundamentals then 2 more weeks of recreating my style and some fundamentals).

[bobbyflay]

Dang, can't take this strength training. It's making me slower(but stronger though). I can't wait until sunday so I can start the explosive/endurance training.

I seem to make people worse or something...My friends and I were playing 2v2(I'll be referring the 3 to 1 and 2 and 3). 1=fast but bad form and almost everything 2=balanced but not that great and great at the same time 3=super buff and plays great as a type of shaq but wants to play pg.When I teamed up with 2, he was like 5/15 and I was 4/6. 1 was 6/10 and 3 was 5/7. When I teamed up with 1, he had 1/10(unbelieveable...and they were mostly open layups)and I had 4/7. 2 had 6/10 and 3 had 3/4. When I teamed up with 3...(we usually get like 11-1)he had 2/5 and I had 2/3. 1 had 5/6 and 2 had 4/4. I think I have communication problems or something..I do perfect assists that let them penetrate the defence and 1 just fails and misses openly, 2 just misses all of his jump shots/3's and 3 just keeps hitting the rim.

[bobbyflay]

Update: Beginning 3 week explosive training
strength training: pros-made me have more muscle/feel somewhat stronger/free throws are so much easier now
cons-made me somewhat slower/messed up my arc/

I feel that I have improved free throw shooting, basketball IQ, defence, and maybe more these 2 weeks of strength training. I somehow feel that I have destroyed my arc, but I'm working on it these next 3 weeks. The consequences are me missing more 3's/jump shots/more in and outs.

Edit:The purpose of this thread(for me) is to do a reference for in the future and for the community. I read several threads that wanted to do the same thing, but they never completed it.

[Maga_1]

Edit:The purpose of this thread(for me) is to do a reference for in the future and for the community. I read several threads that wanted to do the same thing, but they never completed it.

Keep updating, nice work

[carpevicis]

Update: Beginning 3 week explosive training
strength training: pros-made me have more muscle/feel somewhat stronger/free throws are so much easier now
cons-made me somewhat slower/messed up my arc/

I feel that I have improved free throw shooting, basketball IQ, defence, and maybe more these 2 weeks of strength training. I somehow feel that I have destroyed my arc, but I'm working on it these next 3 weeks. The consequences are me missing more 3's/jump shots/more in and outs.

Edit:The purpose of this thread(for me) is to do a reference for in the future and for the community. I read several threads that wanted to do the same thing, but they never completed it.

Yeah don't worry about your shot being a little off. The weight training will shock your muscles but you'll get used to it eventually. Just remember to shoot with good form after every workout, because that's how you get better. Don't try to make the shot if it compromises form, form is key here.

[drainthe3]

basketball is a 70% mental game

[bobbyflay]

Update: I can't really say that I improved anything..only trained twice this week, because of party/went to two fairs. I actually got somewhat weaker? but I improved my basketball intelligence.

Improvements: I can now spot more opportunities on the offensive side and defensive side. It's cool. It seems like everything is in slow motion. Example: Me see two defenders not guarding middle. Me teammate to the left side but fail shooter so me not pass until get open for layup. Me do crossover to man. No reaction so me do another crossover to blow by. Me do jumpstop into left layup. Me score!!!

Need Improvements:I need to rework on my wrist movement in my shooting process. It's like when I practice free throws, it's either a perfect swish or an in and out. I play this game where I try to get at least 50% free throw or more out of a certain number of shots. I make around 4-10 in a row then I miss 3-10 in and outs in a row. It frustuates me alot, because I sometimes go to 40-80 with this game with that pattern.

Summary: Negative: Got weaker(don't know how this happened at all)/need to work on wrist movement(in and outs often)/must run faster(getting mile at 6 40, must get at least 5:50 or something). Positive: More basketball intelligence(better reaction)/more feel of the ball(like an extention of my body

[carpevicis]

Update: I can't really say that I improved anything..only trained twice this week, because of party/went to two fairs. I actually got somewhat weaker? but I improved my basketball intelligence.

Improvements: I can now spot more opportunities on the offensive side and defensive side. It's cool. It seems like everything is in slow motion. Example: Me see two defenders not guarding middle. Me teammate to the left side but fail shooter so me not pass until get open for layup. Me do crossover to man. No reaction so me do another crossover to blow by. Me do jumpstop into left layup. Me score!!!

Need Improvements:I need to rework on my wrist movement in my shooting process. It's like when I practice free throws, it's either a perfect swish or an in and out. I play this game where I try to get at least 50% free throw or more out of a certain number of shots. I make around 4-10 in a row then I miss 3-10 in and outs in a row. It frustuates me alot, because I sometimes go to 40-80 with this game with that pattern.

Summary: Negative: Got weaker(don't know how this happened at all)/need to work on wrist movement(in and outs often)/must run faster(getting mile at 6 40, must get at least 5:50 or something). Positive: More basketball intelligence(better reaction)/more feel of the ball(like an extention of my body

You're running miles? I guess that's one way to condition but me personally I try to stick to court drills because if you keep working on that mile you'll lose strength in the enlargement of slow twitch muscles. A mile is way too long, a basketball court is less than 100 feet. Even a conventional 40 is extra.

[bobbyflay]

You're running miles? I guess that's one way to condition but me personally I try to stick to court drills because if you keep working on that mile you'll lose strength in the enlargement of slow twitch muscles. A mile is way too long, a basketball court is less than 100 feet. Even a conventional 40 is extra.

Nah, I'm not actually running miles as my training. Yeah, I heard of becoming less explosive if you run long distances, but I try to balance myself.

mini update: found out my shooting form was way too wrong. I have been shooting with two hands. No wonder there was so many in and outs.. I believe I have found my perfect shooting form though. From 3 feet away from the basketball, I could shoot 48/50 shots, while my old one was around 42/50.

[bobbyflay]

Update: I really REALLY need help with my basketball training schedule. All the training schedules I heard from people are way different. They practice moves they use in the game. Maybe I should do drills one day then alternate with practicing moves the next then alternate again.

Improvements:I guess I got stronger.. I corrected my shooting form. I can almost shoot free throws with it now.

Need Improvements: I need to hurry with getting used to my old shooting form. I'm not getting any better.. I need to change my basketball training schedule. It's way too much. I need to get better defence. I tend to give my opposition space. What I'm realizing though is that they are taking the jump shots because they know I'm not close enough to block it. I have to mix all my game into one and master it.

Summary:Negative: not getting any better(must rework my basketball skill training) Positive: corrected my shooting form before it was too late

[carpevicis]

Update: I really REALLY need help with my basketball training schedule. All the training schedules I heard from people are way different. They practice moves they use in the game. Maybe I should do drills one day then alternate with practicing moves the next then alternate again.

Improvements:I guess I got stronger.. I corrected my shooting form. I can almost shoot free throws with it now.

Need Improvements: I need to hurry with getting used to my old shooting form. I'm not getting any better.. I need to change my basketball training schedule. It's way too much. I need to get better defence. I tend to give my opposition space. What I'm realizing though is that they are taking the jump shots because they know I'm not close enough to block it. I have to mix all my game into one and master it.

Summary:Negative: not getting any better(must rework my basketball skill training) Positive: corrected my shooting form before it was too late

When you train, you should be trying your hardest to simulate a game situation. If you're not going to use the moves you're practicing, then don't bother practicing them. Do everything game speed from game spots.

Under "needs improvements": did you mean hurry to get used to your new shooting form? If so, don't hurry because when you change form you need to make sure you replicate it every time. Do not play pickup games or any kind of competitive game because usually you'll revert back to your old form and inconsistency will make it impossible to develop the new form.

Always play close to your man, but not close enough where he can blow by you. Rely on quick feet and anticipation. If you back off too much you're relying on his shot and with good scorers you can't do that.

[bobbyflay]

When you train, you should be trying your hardest to simulate a game situation. If you're not going to use the moves you're practicing, then don't bother practicing them. Do everything game speed from game spots.

Under "needs improvements": did you mean hurry to get used to your new shooting form? If so, don't hurry because when you change form you need to make sure you replicate it every time. Do not play pickup games or any kind of competitive game because usually you'll revert back to your old form and inconsistency will make it impossible to develop the new form.

Always play close to your man, but not close enough where he can blow by you. Rely on quick feet and anticipation. If you back off too much you're relying on his shot and with good scorers you can't do that.

Yeah, I just realized that with Maga's helpful post. I was just doing drills in my workout, but not in game situations. No wonder I was failing hardcore in 5v5s. I guess I'll stop practicing every single move, but the moves that are useful to my style like euro step, crossover, in and out dribble, stutter step, and behind the back.

Yeah, it's hard not using my old form in pick up games. I get frustuated, because I can't even shoot from the range of free throws with it. I must hurry though, because basketball is starting in a couple of months.

Yeah, the people I play pick up with usually did layups. I started backing off and making them get around 25% on their layups. I guess I became one sided defense or something, so they started taking jump shots more often. I'll try recognizing the people I play with and the people I could play with and what should I do in those situations. I'll practice them in my training.

[bobbyflay]

Update: Oh yeah and when I mean if I can't make the shot it means I can't do a set shot. I'm making up a basketball workout each time so not good..I must create one soon or might as well combine them into one. I'm joining basketball next week. I can shoot free throw points but there on and off. Sometimes I just hit the rim 10 times in a row. Sometimes I just airball completely 5 times in a row. Sometimes I just swish 10 in a row.

Improvement:somewhat developing leadership qualities on the court. can shoot free throws on and off now.

need improvement:must get faster! must develop ultimate basketball training for myself. must watch more games.(can anyone send me a site where you can watch the stuff to learn in basketball besides youtube? all they have are nba all star games which are sloppy).

Summary:Negative:I must practice more consistently/rework schedule/improve everything about myself/ Positive: not really anything, I haven't practiced for a week

[Maga_1]

Update: Oh yeah and when I mean if I can't make the shot it means I can't do a set shot. I'm making up a basketball workout each time so not good..I must create one soon or might as well combine them into one. I'm joining basketball next week. I can shoot free throw points but there on and off. Sometimes I just hit the rim 10 times in a row. Sometimes I just airball completely 5 times in a row. Sometimes I just swish 10 in a row.

Improvement:somewhat developing leadership qualities on the court. can shoot free throws on and off now.

need improvement:must get faster! must develop ultimate basketball training for myself. must watch more games.(can anyone send me a site where you can watch the stuff to learn in basketball besides youtube? all they have are nba all star games which are sloppy).

Summary:Negative:I must practice more consistently/rework schedule/improve everything about myself/ Positive: not really anything, I haven't practiced for a week

You can see the world championship, its having great games and see ALL the teams .. everyone play a different style of playing ( don't see just the US).
www.livescorehunter.com

[bobbyflay]

You can see the world championship, its having great games and see ALL the teams .. everyone play a different style of playing ( don't see just the US).
www.livescorehunter.com

ahh alright. bookmarked it :D. First day of training today. It looks like I have to step up my game.. Most of the JV people were supposed to be in varsity, but they were held back until next year. Training isn't that hard though except for the jumping.

[bobbyflay]

Update:I must continue to find the ultimate training to do at home. No wonder basketball players only do training for a max of 2 hours or a little more..They're too tired from working out lol. I kept on procrasinating this past week. When I did try to train, I fell and hurt my ankle and limped for 2 days. When it healed, during a basketball game at a park, a freaking football was thrown right into my wrist and I had to make it heal for 2 days again. Now, I'm back in business baby.

Need Improvements:Everything for now.. Shots are way off for not training this past week and weights. My handles got ALOT worse from not training for 2 weeks on them and weights.

Improvements:Physically, there were none..Mentally, with my coach's words..I found new love in basketball again.

Summary:Negative:can't take this anymore, I'm going to make a schedule for basketball training that can balance my weight training/school work/basketball skills/ Positive:faith in basketball restored to a whole notha level

[carpevicis]

Update:I must continue to find the ultimate training to do at home. No wonder basketball players only do training for a max of 2 hours or a little more..They're too tired from working out lol. I kept on procrasinating this past week. When I did try to train, I fell and hurt my ankle and limped for 2 days. When it healed, during a basketball game at a park, a freaking football was thrown right into my wrist and I had to make it heal for 2 days again. Now, I'm back in business baby.

Need Improvements:Everything for now.. Shots are way off for not training this past week and weights. My handles got ALOT worse from not training for 2 weeks on them and weights.

Improvements:Physically, there were none..Mentally, with my coach's words..I found new love in basketball again.

Summary:Negative:can't take this anymore, I'm going to make a schedule for basketball training that can balance my weight training/school work/basketball skills/ Positive:faith in basketball restored to a whole notha level

Yeah, it's better to train harder/smarter than to train longer. You'll know you trained hard when it becomes impossible and inefficient to keep practicing.

Don't worry too much about finding the perfect training program. A lot of people (including myself before) spend too much time thinking instead of doing: is my form right? how should I crossover? is that a travel? am I jumping high enough?

They spend too much time worrying how they should be doing the drills, that they never do the drills themselves. Don't worry about form too much, pick one you like and feel comfortable with and stick with it. In a game, you don't have time to think about form so why bother worrying so much about it?

[bobbyflay]

Yeah, it's better to train harder/smarter than to train longer. You'll know you trained hard when it becomes impossible and inefficient to keep practicing.

Don't worry too much about finding the perfect training program. A lot of people (including myself before) spend too much time thinking instead of doing: is my form right? how should I crossover? is that a travel? am I jumping high enough?

They spend too much time worrying how they should be doing the drills, that they never do the drills themselves. Don't worry about form too much, pick one you like and feel comfortable with and stick with it. In a game, you don't have time to think about form so why bother worrying so much about it?

Yeah, I guess your right. One hour before my practice, I would imagine the ingame situations I encountered today and counter it. I would also look at some videos. I do feel like warming up for 5 minutes and then practicing 15 minutes on drills/passing. Then I would work on my moves for 10-15 minutes. Then I would proceed to be doing 20-30 minutes on the shooting from everywhere this one poster said(It was very informed, something about them combining everything. Problem is that I can't do it all in 20 minutes. My backyard is a junkyard, so whenever I miss, it would send the ball 50 feet in a direction). Then I would do the ingame situations I struggled with today and some more for 20-30 minutes. Oh dang forgot freethrows, I would probably make 5-10 in between those drills. Wow, I just realized I created the workout I was looking. Thanks for making me blow out my thoughts LOL

[carpevicis]

Yeah, I guess your right. One hour before my practice, I would imagine the ingame situations I encountered today and counter it. I would also look at some videos. I do feel like warming up for 5 minutes and then practicing 15 minutes on drills/passing. Then I would work on my moves for 10-15 minutes. Then I would proceed to be doing 20-30 minutes on the shooting from everywhere this one poster said(It was very informed, something about them combining everything. Problem is that I can't do it all in 20 minutes. My backyard is a junkyard, so whenever I miss, it would send the ball 50 feet in a direction). Then I would do the ingame situations I struggled with today and some more for 20-30 minutes. Oh dang forgot freethrows, I would probably make 5-10 in between those drills. Wow, I just realized I created the workout I was looking. Thanks for making me blow out my thoughts LOL

Yeah not having a rebounder gets annoying, but sometimes there's nothing you can do. For free throws, to save time, do them at the end of the workout or whenever you feel exhausted. It's best to simulate them like a late 4th quarter situation where you're sore and tired. For me, I try and imagine as much pressure as I can, because this is practice and it'll help me when the real thing comes.

And yeah, make a plan and stick to it. You'll see the results and if not, just switch it up.

[bobbyflay]

Update:Wow alot of great players just joined recently. I need to really step up my game. Now I'm willing to train for 2 hours independently. There are these 2 really good point guards. I could be better than one of them if I trained for about an hour and 30 minutes each day(he has bad defence, bad arc, and several other things). The other guy... He has great arc(guess I could train my arc and beat him in that), fantastic shooting(shooting 50% my god and I'm around 30%), great defence(first day he came and he's already stopping a ballhog. The ballhog penetrates the defence really well.), and so many other things..

Need Improvements: I must perfect my shooting form(I'm starting to feel automatic randomly. It's like I'm making 5-10 shots in a row from any spot)/I must play better defence(For some reason, I became a bad defender again. They're penetrating more against me. I guess I have to be more aggresive now.)/I must develop more leadership(trying out for point guard so duh) and be a man(tried talking to the coach yesterday to get to know him and then he just started raging randomly and I just walked away)

Improvements: Rediscovered my passion yet again/shooting form is becoming perfect/none others

Summary: Well, I guess I have to try my best on the court now. I used to only stop when I couldn't breathe. Now, I just stop, because I'm too lazy for some reason.

[Birmingham1955]

Update:Wow alot of great players just joined recently. I need to really step up my game. Now I'm willing to train for 2 hours independently. There are these 2 really good point guards. I could be better than one of them if I trained for about an hour and 30 minutes each day(he has bad defence, bad arc, and several other things). The other guy... He has great arc(guess I could train my arc and beat him in that), fantastic shooting(shooting 50% my god and I'm around 30%), great defence(first day he came and he's already stopping a ballhog. The ballhog penetrates the defence really well.), and so many other things..

Need Improvements: I must perfect my shooting form(I'm starting to feel automatic randomly. It's like I'm making 5-10 shots in a row from any spot)/I must play better defence(For some reason, I became a bad defender again. They're penetrating more against me. I guess I have to be more aggresive now.)/I must develop more leadership(trying out for point guard so duh) and be a man(tried talking to the coach yesterday to get to know him and then he just started raging randomly and I just walked away)

Improvements: Rediscovered my passion yet again/shooting form is becoming perfect/none others

Summary: Well, I guess I have to try my best on the court now. I used to only stop when I couldn't breathe. Now, I just stop, because I'm too lazy for some reason.

Keep it up

[bobbyflay]

Update:I combined my old training with steve nash's training, and it did wonders. I improved my shooting by around 5% or so from just one day. I have to be honest though. I thought I would do it everyday, but I only did it once in the 4 day period. 2 of the days I was tired and the other 2 I was lazy. I think I'll change it so mon/wednesday/friday/sunday is just working on ingame situations and tuesday/thursday/saturday is the real training. A flood of homework came from high school recently.

Need Improvements:Well, everything I stated from earlier.

Improvements:Nothing..

Summary:I need to balance school/basketball/video games/friends. This is just way too much for me to handle.

Oh yeah, another question :D How do you analyse a player's game?(im having a hard time doing that) and why did the tips stop coming?(I was looking through the forums for my old thread but it turned out this was the one. People probably stopped giving tips because they thought I made this into just a log).

[carpevicis]

Update:I combined my old training with steve nash's training, and it did wonders. I improved my shooting by around 5% or so from just one day. I have to be honest though. I thought I would do it everyday, but I only did it once in the 4 day period. 2 of the days I was tired and the other 2 I was lazy. I think I'll change it so mon/wednesday/friday/sunday is just working on ingame situations and tuesday/thursday/saturday is the real training. A flood of homework came from high school recently.

Need Improvements:Well, everything I stated from earlier.

Improvements:Nothing..

Summary:I need to balance school/basketball/video games/friends. This is just way too much for me to handle.

Oh yeah, another question :D How do you analyse a player's game?(im having a hard time doing that) and why did the tips stop coming?(I was looking through the forums for my old thread but it turned out this was the one. People probably stopped giving tips because they thought I made this into just a log).

When I analyze a player's game I try and see the small things they do, like movement off ball. How much do they cut and are those cuts realistic or are they just going through the movements. Then on defense, if they box out or not and how long they stay on ball until they give up and call for help D.

On offense, I look at their fakes and how realistic those are. I also look at their visual cues like jabs and eye movements, to see if they're really trying to sell their defender a drive or a shot. If it's a drive, how close to the defender's body are they driving past? Or is it arcing away from the defender? Once they beat their defender, I try and see if they cut back in front of their defender to seal them out of the play and whether they look to make a play or try and score, and how controlled they appear to be.

[Maga_1]

How can you say you improved 5% in just one day?
Sometimes is "just a day", sometimes you score with 80%, others with 40% and you're doing just the same practice.

[bobbyflay]

@carpevicis:well I knew it was about small things but those things opened my mind. I can't imagine what nba players such as kobe bryant notice.

@Maga:yeah, I guess you're right. I'll try my hardest to follow my program this entire week and to say what happened.

[carpevicis]

I don't know about you, but I feel every day I improve a great deal. I'm constantly thinking so some days I'll come up with a new drill, or a new move and other days I'll work on my handle and my shot and I'll know it's getting better. That's why I'm never worried about not getting better; just playing and watching people play I learn about so I know I'm improving both skillwise and IQ-wise.

[Maga_1]

I don't know about you, but I feel every day I improve a great deal. I'm constantly thinking so some days I'll come up with a new drill, or a new move and other days I'll work on my handle and my shot and I'll know it's getting better. That's why I'm never worried about not getting better; just playing and watching people play I learn about so I know I'm improving both skillwise and IQ-wise.

That's the spirit bro, keep the good work.

[bobbyflay]

yeah great state of mind. I played with some of my freshmen team and twas chaotic.. I'll tell it in more detail in my other thread.

[bobbyflay]

Mini Update: I'm getting really tired with the school work. There's a 3 page essay everyday from just a reading class. My passion for basketball may be losing and slipping a bit, but my love for it is undying. I guess I gained more knowledge of the freshmen team, but that's about it.

[carpevicis]

Mini Update: I'm getting really tired with the school work. There's a 3 page essay everyday from just a reading class. My passion for basketball may be losing and slipping a bit, but my love for it is undying. I guess I gained more knowledge of the freshmen team, but that's about it.

Don't let it slip bro. I had the school issue also but in the end, I fixed it by really organizing myself and cutting out time I didn't need. If need be, go to school early so you can finish the paper, because you love basketball. Schoolwork is a temporary issue, once you get back on the right track you'll be glad you didn't spend too much time wasted on school. Isn't passion the same as love though?

[bobbyflay]

Don't let it slip bro. I had the school issue also but in the end, I fixed it by really organizing myself and cutting out time I didn't need. If need be, go to school early so you can finish the paper, because you love basketball. Schoolwork is a temporary issue, once you get back on the right track you'll be glad you didn't spend too much time wasted on school. Isn't passion the same as love though?

Well to me they are different. I can't really explain them though.. It's like passion is just liking the game. It's just like with a friend. He has passion but he lacks alot of love with the game. He sometimes go on bouts to train for 3 hours and then he might just stop training altogether, because he's just focused on something else. He just plays the game to just well.. play it. To me though, love is suffering through the worst and just finding the good things in it. You just don't ignore it, but you deal with it. Today, it started snowing lol. I was playing outside with my friend(I had to tell him a 30 minute essay about passion and love for him to come haha). The people watching us were like "What the hell are those guys doing. They are crazy for just playing basketball. You're not supposed to play basketball in the snow." To me, you can play basketball anywhere. So yeah... :banana:

[carpevicis]

Well to me they are different. I can't really explain them though.. It's like passion is just liking the game. It's just like with a friend. He has passion but he lacks alot of love with the game. He sometimes go on bouts to train for 3 hours and then he might just stop training altogether, because he's just focused on something else. He just plays the game to just well.. play it. To me though, love is suffering through the worst and just finding the good things in it. You just don't ignore it, but you deal with it. Today, it started snowing lol. I was playing outside with my friend(I had to tell him a 30 minute essay about passion and love for him to come haha). The people watching us were like "What the hell are those guys doing. They are crazy for just playing basketball. You're not supposed to play basketball in the snow." To me, you can play basketball anywhere. So yeah... :banana:

It started snowing already? Dang... the outdoor court is my dawn/dusk training place so I'd be pretty bummed if it snowed.

It makes sense, your explanation of passion vs love I guess. But when I see it, love and passion are one and the same. I love to play basketball, it's my passion. Your definition of passion is more like my definition of interest, but you cleared it up well.

And yeah I've gotten that alot, the "what are you doing playing ball here". Once, I was at my town courts at like 5 am and these 2 kids were recovering from a hangover, so we chilled and played some 21. Then me and my friend went and played after we got chased out of our school gym in the rain. Third time I was playing ball in pitch dark using passing car's lights to see. I'm always playing basketball at the weirdest times :oldlol:

I'm glad you said your love for the game remains strong. It seems like that's the more important definition to you, so it's great to hear you're sticking with it. By the way, what are you goals for ball? I don't think you've ever mentioned.

[bobbyflay]

Well, I don't really have any goals. I guess it would be great to play college bball or something. I just think that basketball is still a game. It's just the things that you learn while learning the game and sometimes playing it that is so spectacular.

Mini Update:I need to clean up my basketball training. Maga was right about it having too much basic stuff. It ends up eating my time. My training constisted of 5 min stretching, 5 min warm up, 10 min ball handling drills such as spider, figure 8, up the ladder, etc, 10 minutes on practicing ball handling moves such as crossover, two step, etc, 5 minutes on passing, 20 minute steve nash shooting working, then i practice ingame situations for 10-20 minutes(I realized that I can't do all my other training fast enough so it's eating away the time and I'm only doing around 10 minutes), then 5-10 minutes of free throw shooting. I want to keep some of the basic stuff like the ball handling drills(sometimes i can do them all in 5 minutes), passing(freshmen team sort of lacks this), and the steve nash shooting. I don't know if I should combine the steve nash with my handles training to make time more efficent.

[carpevicis]

Well, I don't really have any goals. I guess it would be great to play college bball or something. I just think that basketball is still a game. It's just the things that you learn while learning the game and sometimes playing it that is so spectacular.

Good thinking, never let the glamor and money overtake the love for playing... I've heard of kids who play only to get a scholarship or only play because they were tall, but it should be an honest passion.

My mini update: I'm getting pretty nasty at threes now. A couple months back, I couldn't even hit a 3 with good form, but now I'm just pulling up and spotting up. All the people are always backed 3 feet off me cause they thought I had no range so I'll just rise and shoot.

[bobbyflay]

Yeah, they're crazy. They should just get scholarships for being tall or something lol(I'm assuming they lack acadedmic skills).

mini update: I found a secret collection of instrumentals, so I had an idea of going healthy/doing my basketball training at exact times/being time efficent and sleeping around 10pm for this next week. I recreated my basketball training, so I'ma see the results. If this doesn't help me then screw it lol. Although I'm guessing the only way it wouldn't help me is if I didn't follow it..

[carpevicis]

What are instrumentals? The only kind I know of are the music beats without vocals...

And if it doesn't help you, just switch it up again. It's trial and error to find a good workout program because you never know exactly what you're good at and what you need to work on.

[Snapwebsolution]

The most important thing I learned from basketball is consistency. Doing a little bit every day to get better.
________________
Basketball Drills (http://www.basketballperformance.com)

[bobbyflay]

@carpevicis:yeah same thing as without vocals lol. I can't stay on my schedule though, but I'm trying.
@snapwebsolution: yep that's true. I see a lot of guys with pure natural talent but aren't consistent(by natural talent with basketball I mean they train in other sports that develop some basketball skills. I mean there's this guy that never practices basketball but is in track and is sophmore, 5'8, has a 8 pack, could bench press 165, and has like a perfect body lol from just running. He has great handles, shooting, defence, and almost everything, but he just isn't consistent at them.

[bobbyflay]

I'm getting really lazy at this, so I won't do it in the update format I used. I realized that my game is like an exact replica of stephen curry(I take this as a bad sign though because even though I can't explain it, there's just a bunch of things missing in his game) and somewhat dwayde wade(I'm learning how to finish, but I need to get stronger because I'm getting bumped around). Well, looking back on the past things I wrote about myself, I'm now pretty confident in everything except when I'm defending someone who can shoot/drive/pass from anywhere and I need to be A LOT more aggresive.

One Question: How is it travel if you somewhat delay after you pick up the ball and take two steps? (it occured in a pick up game today. I picked up the ball and stopped for like half a second and took two steps then everyone said it was a travel. They told me that you can't stop. It's kind of strange to me, because no matter what you have to stop in technical terms).

[Swaggin916]

You can't delay at all when you catch the ball off a pass or after you pick up your dribble otherwise it will be a travel... cus it's just like you stopped and established a pivot foot and then lifted it.

[Birmingham1955]

have good spacing

[jerzymade]

learning how to tune out trash talk is the biggest thing to me. And you become a more confident player because your shutting them up:hammerhead: .

[bobbyflay]

^^^ yeah that's true. I'm learning how to do that right now. I only do that when I'm in the zone, but I can't help myself from listening when I'm not 100% focused.

[Swaggin916]

yea it's hard not to get those quick hot flashes when someone starts trash talking... usually that's when your mechanics start to get poor tho. Keep your mechanics and try to score the best way you know how... don't try to get fancy.

[jerzymade]

Lol yup it was terrible when i was younger because i was overweight, so i would get alot of those fat jokes. Lol my feelings used to get hurt i aint gonna lie.:cry:

[Wally450]

For me, its shoot when I feel I should. When I get a pass, I pump fake because if I just take the shot and continue to take shots once the ball comes my way, I feel like a chucker. I played a pick-up game yesterday and I was told to make a move and take a shot or just take the shot when your open and don't worry. I did that and I was making almost every shot I took. I still pump faked some of the time and I realized I just need to shoot and not worry about what happens.

[bobbyflay]

Alright, I'm going to train harder. I need to train my endurance to get used to playing basketball for long periods of time. Today, I played 3 hours in a row of just 1v1s and 2v2s and 3v3s. I then lifted weights and came to a park. I was really tired then played a game of pickup basketball. I had about 5 turnovers(really important ones so it's going to be hard to let it go). I was playing with the "kings of the park". They play there like 4 hours a day. Their shooting form is strange yet they make around 70% of their shots in the game(they freaking make 90% of their shots during practice. A guy made like 24 jumpers in a row and then missed one from bouncing off the rim and yelled,"WOW IM OFF TODAY"). Once I get to go to the gym again I'll work my hardest. I'm going to start training in game situations mostly now. I'm also going to change the way I update how I'm doing.

Tip I learned From A Baller: When you cut in, look at the person passing WHILE cutting in.

[bobbyflay]

Well, time to implement the updates thingy I was talking about. I'm starting to figure out what type of game I want to play(I'm basing all my moves off of the jab step, jump stop, and variations of crossovers. Also, I want to be a deadly free throw shooter, because I've noticed I'm really good at drawing in fouls by switching hands/delaying my shot/etc). I tried it for these couple of past days and it was very effective. It seemed to be a complete game, but I have to master them first.

Jab Step: I'm working on it. I need alot more improvement in understanding its effectiveness.

Jump Stop: I'm loving it. I need to understand when to use it though.

Crossover Variations: I'm doing pretty good with them, because I've did a lot of crossovers my whole basketball life. I still need improvements and to master the variations of the crossover.

Defence: I'm really good at 1 on 1 defence, but I need to learn how to help my teammates more effectively(it's hard for me to read what the defence is going to do to my teammates).

Passing: I know when to pass, but I need to know how to pass at an angle.

Shooting: I got it down... YES...a varsity player told me I had great shooting form with everything down except backspin. I'll check that up soon.

Well, time to train again.

Another Great Basketball Quote: Dre Baldwin:"Want to know the secret of being better? Work on your ****ing game"

[bobbyflay]

I'm going to really step up my game this week. I have thursday and friday off because of the weather/staff development bs lol.

My game:I now am perfectly comfortable with my shooting form. I looked at ray allen and kevin durant and asked myself how their shots looked like bullets and how they smoothly went in. I discovered that I shot below my head causing less accuracy. Now I shoot above my head and my shot looks exactly like kevin durant's. It's freaking awesome, because I can accurately pinpoint the place I want to shoot. It's also hard, because of having to be precise. I got a little better at everything I guess, but not that much progress.

Something Strange: I also discovered that I am 5'5(that's freaking strange. I went to get my physical and the doctor said that was my height. My dad said he was 5'5 and I'm like 3 inches taller than him. I believe this is a lie, but I don't know.

Edit: haha I just realized I put up the same quote..

Another Great Basketball Quote: Steve Kerr: "**** it"

[carpevicis]

I'm going to really step up my game this week. I have thursday and friday off because of the weather/staff development bs lol.

My game:I now am perfectly comfortable with my shooting form. I looked at ray allen and kevin durant and asked myself how their shots looked like bullets and how they smoothly went in. I discovered that I shot below my head causing less accuracy. Now I shoot above my head and my shot looks exactly like kevin durant's. It's freaking awesome, because I can accurately pinpoint the place I want to shoot. It's also hard, because of having to be precise. I got a little better at everything I guess, but not that much progress.

Something Strange: I also discovered that I am 5'5(that's freaking strange. I went to get my physical and the doctor said that was my height. My dad said he was 5'5 and I'm like 3 inches taller than him. I believe this is a lie, but I don't know.

Edit: haha I just realized I put up the same quote..

Another Great Basketball Quote: Steve Kerr: "**** it"

I'm almost 100% sure that Kevin Durant releases very close to the front of his face, or near his forehead. His shot is incredibly close to his head for anyone, especially someone with his arm length.

And yeah the doctor said I was 5'5 last time I went there but I know for a fact and outside measurements that I'm over 5'7". I guess it matters when you're that short :oldlol:

Where are you located? Winchester, MA? Cause the weather in MA is pretty crappy.

[bobbyflay]

Yep, lol I just need a couple more inches to dunk. This week I'm really going to push myself by training hardcore for about an hour and 15 minutes then playing pick up games and 1v1's for 3-5 hours a day this week.

Sorry, but the place I put up is a lie. I actually live in a city near los angeles, california. I probably went a bit too far as to say it was "snowing". There was just frost here and the weather is about 50-60 degrees. It kinda sucks, because the days get really short and I have to train earlier. It doesn't really matter to me, because I've got a friend who lives in Indiana and it's 30 degrees there.

[carpevicis]

Oh, you're lucky, LA is full of opportunities and places to play basketball. I can imagine it would be easy to get distracted there also.

Just remember that jump training will require sufficient rest, playing lots of basketball (pickup and intense training) will be detrimental to your vertical. Unfortunately, it's really choose one or the other when it comes to vertical or basketball if you really want to maximize the gains in one of them.

[bobbyflay]

Yep, lots of basketball courts here. College basketball players go to 24 and ex college basketball players/street basketball people come to the parks.

I'm going to try to use cold treatment such as 30 second hot then 30 second cold and repeat showers and ice to combat that. I get what you mean by the vertical or basketball, but I believe you're not fully explaining. Care to explain?(I think vertical IS part of basketball and you get better vertical by sprints in jumping, which is part of games).

I ended up training hard for an hour then shooting around for another hour then playing 3 hours of pickup(well around an hour and 30 minutes of actual intensity). It was pretty crazy, because at first, I was doing 3v3's with ex high school basketball players that were in the 40's. Ended up losing 2 games because of the other team's guy who was 5'10 and destroying my other 2 teammates. I was pretty happy at the end result of 3/7 and 7 steals(I had 0/3 in the beginning). Then I played pick up with college basketball players. I was on their team against the ex basketball players. We destroyed them hardcore because of "stacked" teams lol. They were just too tall. I had like 1/2 shots. Pretty good I guess.

[J21]

I dont know if it was already posted, but the only pump fakes that work are the ones where you move the ball above your head(which imitates most shots anyway) and you slightly move the balance of your body forward.

[BigByrd]

If you can't carry the ball down the court, don't.

[Swaggin916]

I dont know if it was already posted, but the only pump fakes that work are the ones where you move the ball above your head(which imitates most shots anyway) and you slightly move the balance of your body forward.

That's not true... head fakes and slight ball fakes will get guys off balance all the time. If you are talking about getting them off their feet... then yea maybe.

[J21]

That's not true... head fakes and slight ball fakes will get guys off balance all the time. If you are talking about getting them off their feet... then yea maybe.
most defenders (especially at the higher levels) regain their stance when you just do a slight fake.

[Swaggin916]

most defenders (especially at the higher levels) regain their stance when you just do a slight fake.

I'm actually mostly referring to the post. Little head fake step through moves can work quite often. On the perimeter... yea they shouldn't if the defender has any sort of discipline :lol But hesitation headfakes while driving can work too. There are times and places where they can.

[JJ81]

1. Know your role. Nothing worse than the big, slow centre thinking he can bring the ball up the court and refusing to give it to a guard.

2. Don't be afraid to do what you're good at! I know a few guys who are lights-out shooters in training, they're hitting shot after shot after shot. Then in the game, they're not looking to shoot right away and by the time they try to shoot, they're off their rhythm and they cant make it. I'm not saying, if you're a shooter, shoot it every time. I'm saying look to shoot every time, and take it if it's a good shot. Similarly, I'm a slasher and my speciality is taking it one on one and driving to the basket (whether than means kicking it out to a shooter or dumping it into the post, etc.) because I know I can nearly always beat my man. When I first started playing in division 1, I looked to run the plays so I was passing and cutting/screening without even considering a drive. Now I get the ball, look, then if there's nothing on, I continue the play. This look takes no time at all and if you do see a gap, take it! If you end up taking it every time, you're probably not great at recognising a good opening but this will come in time.

[bobbyflay]

Nice, I like those tips JJ.

I couldn't believe what I found today. I was pretty tired from the cold and didn't get much done these past two weeks. My other thing that I do online besides video games and researching basketball is finding out how to make money online lol. I was finding out how to create a blog when a guy just out of nowhere posts a link in a comment on a blog page about ganon baker. It contains ganon baker's basic videos on triple threat, finishing moves, street ball moves, HOLY OH MY interesting..haha lol I was just looking up the videos when I found out that there's a tiny arrow at the bottom and now there's like 6-10 more pages of videos including pete maravich and magic johnson. I'm definitely downloading these and I'm going to use them. My 1st practice game is this saturday. I wish I found these videos sooner though.. like 5 months sooner.

Improvements:I'm starting to feel automatic in my jumpshots. I just randomly start doing jumpshots by myself, so I'm feeling it woot. I sometimes do it randomly without even knowing when I'm about to go to sleep too lol. I'm also better at reading the defense and spotting what the other team will do too. My ball handling is really getting to the next level. I turned from a player who couldn't even do a correct double crossover and one round of figure 8 to a player who could do the killer crossover in half a second from slow to fast and I could do the figure 8 with two balls. I don't know how much better I'll get from using the videos I found though.

Needs Improvement: I need more confidence throughout a game. I sometimes start out doing nothing and not knowing my role. When I do realize what to do though, it gets a lot easier. Like we were doing a practice game and I couldn't do much in the first 10 minutes. My teammates just started yelling at me for the mistakes I knew I already did, so I was thinking Okay just focus. I then got the ball at half court and no one was open. Everyone including the other team yelled at me to shoot. I shot like 2 feet away from the half court with the net going up. Everyone just started screaming like little girls and my confidence just got boosted by around infinity percent lol. I got like 2 steals, 2 assists, and a block in a minute. I was like hell yes!! then we were too loud and got kicked off the court for being freshmen and disturbing the court right next to us haha(dam varsity team). I also need to work on controlling the ball I guess. When I'm not confident, I end up not pounding the ball causing me to lose it a lot.

Summary: Improvements-Becoming automatic, reading better, defense better, have more knowledge of the game, GOT NBA LEVEL VIDEOS THAT WERE RIPPED I mean borrowed,
Need Improvements-I need more shots to becoming automatic, need to analyze a player quicker, need to analyze a TEAM, I definitely need to somehow get that spark of confidence all the time.

What I'll do: I'm going to work freaking hard these next months. My semi long term with these training programs is to compete at a elite level destroying the drills presented in the video easily and absorbing the knowledge by spring which has another basketball tournament. I'll have the videos though, so it's all good.

Random Quote: "If you made the decision with your heart, mind, and soul, then stay with it."

[carpevicis]

Good job on the figure 8s, but don't get carried away with those ball handling drills. You have to make sure you can be a good ball handler, not a good dribbler. So remember to work on your full court handle.

And all that about knowing your role, know it, but don't stress it. I don't think there are roles in basketball anymore. People would usually put me under the "last option" role and I'm fine with that because it lets me fly under the radar. But don't think for one second that I'm not looking to score every time. I feel like if you have a designated role, you fulfill the requirements for that role and don't go further.

Be versatile so that you can play any role. If your team needs a point guard to balance 4 scorers, be that guard. Or if they need someone to slash and draw fouls, get that in your game. Basically, the more versatile you are, the more time you'll get because the coach will have more uses for you.

[bobbyflay]

Yeah, I'm hoping with these videos that I make a routine that could benefit my game with being the most time efficent(about 2 hours) and skill efficent. It gets kind of complicated, because should I let my training with my team finish some of my desired skill goals in accordance with seasons? Should I train in different seasons? Should I just work on games by doing lots of pick up games during the season or should I start my skill development training right now? What are the benefits of the nba players weight lifting during the season? I have so many other questions, but it all comes down into striking a balance between all of these. I just don't know how though..

Yeah, I guess I should just play the game and know what's right. In high school level the players are all looking to score because of their similar physical size(I feel my self repeating lol).

I've been told that you should work your game individually then test it during pick up games then during real games, but again, I'm trying to find a balance. I don't know if I should just say SCREW THIS and do the program and get exhausted.

[Underballer]

make hand checking defenders pay by holding a fist and swinging away at their hands with your off hand

[KokoWarzone]

i learn that people fall for fakes alot in a pick up game { atleast from where i play }

and i learn most people can't go from left/right... vice versa


btw how can i have consistent jumpshot?

[J21]

btw how can i have consistent jumpshot?

practice? lol

[carpevicis]

Yeah, I'm hoping with these videos that I make a routine that could benefit my game with being the most time efficent(about 2 hours) and skill efficent. It gets kind of complicated, because should I let my training with my team finish some of my desired skill goals in accordance with seasons? Should I train in different seasons? Should I just work on games by doing lots of pick up games during the season or should I start my skill development training right now? What are the benefits of the nba players weight lifting during the season? I have so many other questions, but it all comes down into striking a balance between all of these. I just don't know how though..

Yeah, I guess I should just play the game and know what's right. In high school level the players are all looking to score because of their similar physical size(I feel my self repeating lol).

I've been told that you should work your game individually then test it during pick up games then during real games, but again, I'm trying to find a balance. I don't know if I should just say SCREW THIS and do the program and get exhausted.

Your team's training should have priority over yours. It doesn't really make sense because for most people their team's training doesn't cover personal development and it makes it kind of a pain to focus on stuff you're already proficient at. But for the most part the offseason is where you really improve and the season is just for competition and maintaining what you got in the off season.

NBA players lift in season to keep their strength they got during the off season. If you want to do this, feel free, just don't go overboard or you'll exhaust your body and lower your performance in games.

The point: Offseason = personal improvement (strength, skills, conditioning, experience)

In season = play the actual games, maintain improvements, get better as a team

[MannyO]

never let the defense dictate the tempo smh. Today we played an aggressive defensive team and they through us out of rhythm. They trapped well and forced us to turn the ball over. They played like 2-3 and 1-3-1 were they trapped the corners. How do you attack these zones?

[bobbyflay]

Your team's training should have priority over yours. It doesn't really make sense because for most people their team's training doesn't cover personal development and it makes it kind of a pain to focus on stuff you're already proficient at. But for the most part the offseason is where you really improve and the season is just for competition and maintaining what you got in the off season.

NBA players lift in season to keep their strength they got during the off season. If you want to do this, feel free, just don't go overboard or you'll exhaust your body and lower your performance in games.

The point: Offseason = personal improvement (strength, skills, conditioning, experience)

In season = play the actual games, maintain improvements, get better as a team

I see what you mean now. It's just frustrating when I want to improve myself, but I can't unless I exhaust myself which decreases my performance in game and in school.

We did a lot better than we expected. Our freshmen team are filled with people that are mostly 5'5. The other team was mostly 5'9, so I thought we would get owned hardcore. It was a pretty slow start with us losing by 10-15 points until a guy who was a coach's son started playing(he's part of the reason why I want to get better lol. He's like a perfect basketball specimen. He could play all positions at high school level). I only played about 5 minutes though from having a team of 35 players.. I didn't do anything magical with stats. However, I played great defense. I only took one shot during the game and that was a jumper which rolled around in the rim 2 times before it just went out(I was thinking NOOO but I rushed back to defense).The best guy got about 12 minutes lol. I shall strive to become good at this level. I found new respect for college players/pro players. I can't imagine what it's like for other leagues with 6'0 freshmen :O

[OMG its McLovin]

Use fake steps in defense to lure you're opponent. Alot of shooters that look to finish at the rim try to exploit your vulnerable side if you go for a steal. My defensive strategy is to lure them by giving a quick step towards the left side but making sure I can immediately return to the right side. What this does is trick you're opponent into thinking you're going for a steal, they'll try and drive at the opposite side you're leaning but if you only faked the steal you'll have enough time to trap them. This adds pressure, gives the opportunity for a steal without sacrificing your defensive stance and forces a pass.

[carpevicis]

I see what you mean now. It's just frustrating when I want to improve myself, but I can't unless I exhaust myself which decreases my performance in game and in school.

We did a lot better than we expected. Our freshmen team are filled with people that are mostly 5'5. The other team was mostly 5'9, so I thought we would get owned hardcore. It was a pretty slow start with us losing by 10-15 points until a guy who was a coach's son started playing(he's part of the reason why I want to get better lol. He's like a perfect basketball specimen. He could play all positions at high school level). I only played about 5 minutes though from having a team of 35 players.. I didn't do anything magical with stats. However, I played great defense. I only took one shot during the game and that was a jumper which rolled around in the rim 2 times before it just went out(I was thinking NOOO but I rushed back to defense).The best guy got about 12 minutes lol. I shall strive to become good at this level. I found new respect for college players/pro players. I can't imagine what it's like for other leagues with 6'0 freshmen :O

Yeah it's important that one uses the off season to really improve because throughout the course of a season the lack of time and energy makes it hard to make significant strides in one's game.

As for your game... it's probably detrimental that you're going into the game thinking "oh shit, we're going to get run out of the gym". They got 4 inches on you. That's nothing. And you still shouldn't be nervous even if they had an entire foot on you. Never play scared, because you're hurting yourself before you even get started. It should be in your head to scare your opponent and destroy him. Dominate and rip them apart.

And why does your team have 35 players?

Cosign on college and pro players. I always looked up to pro players but now that I've actually seen college players play, they are not kidding. There is such a huge difference from the average high school player to the average college player. But part of that stems from the fact that the college players are the top high school players.

[bobbyflay]

Yeah it's important that one uses the off season to really improve because throughout the course of a season the lack of time and energy makes it hard to make significant strides in one's game.

As for your game... it's probably detrimental that you're going into the game thinking "oh shit, we're going to get run out of the gym". They got 4 inches on you. That's nothing. And you still shouldn't be nervous even if they had an entire foot on you. Never play scared, because you're hurting yourself before you even get started. It should be in your head to scare your opponent and destroy him. Dominate and rip them apart.

And why does your team have 35 players?

Cosign on college and pro players. I always looked up to pro players but now that I've actually seen college players play, they are not kidding. There is such a huge difference from the average high school player to the average college player. But part of that stems from the fact that the college players are the top high school players.

Yeah, my next game is tomorrow, so I'll definitely remember to spread some positive energy. Like our coach said, it was an eye opener. We went up against an "average" team and pretty soon we might have to vs a "college level" basketball team(when we win a few games this week or next week we have to vs them). They were ranked #2 in the nation last year. Bull**** thing is that we only worked on skills for like 2 weeks and worked out like a total of 8-10 days only.

No cuts for my team even though we actually play with like 10 people in a game.. Our program is like only a quarter of basketball and the rest is life and extra stuff. I can already see the fatigue in some of the players' eyes from not wanting to go out of their comfort zone. I was expecting them to quit before the season, but now it's too late. I'll have to encourage them to keep on playing.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy that the top of the college players are the nba players.

I'm starting to get how complicated basketball really is. Like before when I see a player analyzing a game, I'm thinking, "oh that makes sense" without grasping its true purpose. Now it's like a string of thoughts somehow linked to each other. This isn't that bad though. After I absorb a bunch of info and just utilize it for the better or bad, I love it even more.

[carpevicis]

Yeah, my next game is tomorrow, so I'll definitely remember to spread some positive energy. Like our coach said, it was an eye opener. We went up against an "average" team and pretty soon we might have to vs a "college level" basketball team(when we win a few games this week or next week we have to vs them). They were ranked #2 in the nation last year. Bull**** thing is that we only worked on skills for like 2 weeks and worked out like a total of 8-10 days only.

No cuts for my team even though we actually play with like 10 people in a game.. Our program is like only a quarter of basketball and the rest is life and extra stuff. I can already see the fatigue in some of the players' eyes from not wanting to go out of their comfort zone. I was expecting them to quit before the season, but now it's too late. I'll have to encourage them to keep on playing.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy that the top of the college players are the nba players.

I'm starting to get how complicated basketball really is. Like before when I see a player analyzing a game, I'm thinking, "oh that makes sense" without grasping its true purpose. Now it's like a string of thoughts somehow linked to each other. This isn't that bad though. After I absorb a bunch of info and just utilize it for the better or bad, I love it even more.

What team are you going to be playing? And yeah, take leadership NOW and spread the energy. Your teammates will look up to you and your coach should respect that you are rounding up the team and getting them ready. Don't worry about the past. What kind of training you did and didn't do doesn't matter anymore, so don't dwell on it. Focus on winning the game.

Don't let your mentality be "oh if we lose by 10 then we did good". That's not winning. You should be in the mindset that anything besides a win is unacceptable. And even against the best team in the country. Just because they were dominating other teams doesn't mean they should kill your team. Play smart and use teamwork, even though you probably already heard this a hundred times.

I feel you on players not completely set on basketball. It is what it is though, it's high school and these are kids who want to enjoy everything else in life. Don't let that deter you though, because once you get to college you'll realize that the players there don't mess around.

[bobbyflay]

What team are you going to be playing? And yeah, take leadership NOW and spread the energy. Your teammates will look up to you and your coach should respect that you are rounding up the team and getting them ready. Don't worry about the past. What kind of training you did and didn't do doesn't matter anymore, so don't dwell on it. Focus on winning the game.

Don't let your mentality be "oh if we lose by 10 then we did good". That's not winning. You should be in the mindset that anything besides a win is unacceptable. And even against the best team in the country. Just because they were dominating other teams doesn't mean they should kill your team. Play smart and use teamwork, even though you probably already heard this a hundred times.

I feel you on players not completely set on basketball. It is what it is though, it's high school and these are kids who want to enjoy everything else in life. Don't let that deter you though, because once you get to college you'll realize that the players there don't mess around.

My team played a mediocre team today. We ended up winning by about 7 points from making mistakes though. I didn't get any minutes, but I was happy that the coach chose to give me one of the seats for the people playing. Only about 8 people played throughout the game.

Yeah, I told everyone that we were going to kill and destroy them. It made them a bit more happy and they started spreading that we would destroy the opposing team too. Going up against the number 2 team in the nation will be hard, but it will be a great challenge to see how my team's level is at.

I have a feeling some of them will quit in a month or too. I'm getting pretty tired myself and I want to improve my skills(can't though because it's season). One of my goals is to score 20 points in at least one game(homage to Manny lol). Dam too tired, will update on wednesday for the game.

[bobbyflay]

oh dam I thought I updated already lol. We ended up losing by 20 points.. They were just better than our team physically.. Their jogging matched our sprinting, so that's pretty crazy. We tried to be optimistic, but we couldn't for long lol.

I'm really thinking of just starting my skill training now. At this rate, I'll probably get like 1 minute to 2 minutes a game if I play on the A team(there's going to be two teams because of so many people). I could play on the B team and get like two quarters, but it just doesn't seem right. The thing is that I don't have much time in my schedule anymore(see what you mean carpevis). I have like one opportunity a day of free time and that is mostly writing essays(I tried not using it yesterday and playing, so I had to stay up to 1 am. 3 days of sleeping 4 hours made me REALLY slow in athletic and student capabilities. I'll try to sleep at least 7 hours tonight).

I still have the dream though. I just need some advice on whether to train really hardcore in my skills when I have the time or not or should I train with my team who I'll actually barely play with.

[bobbyflay]

I discovered overtraining the hard way.. lol. I thought I could be cocky and do what 17 year olds couldn't do, but like always, the facts were right. I'll have to make my training only once a week and actually half it, but I'll do a full body workout. Basketball is just freaking tiring, and my overtraining is making me lose performance. I can't even shoot the right arc anymore. I also have to work on finding a consistent groove. Like in practice today, I was shooting 30% in the beginning. All of a sudden, I started having a burst of energy and started shooting 80%. I even made like 20 free throws and 20 3 pointers in a row right after another. It's kind of strange, because when I'm not in a groove, it's like everything I'm doing is wrong; my shooting form, the way I dribble, the way i see things, and a lot more. When I'm in a groove it's like I'm doing everything right. Oh well, time to vs the 2nd best team in the state(turned out it was state. they're like rank thirty something in the nation).

[carpevicis]

I discovered overtraining the hard way.. lol. I thought I could be cocky and do what 17 year olds couldn't do, but like always, the facts were right. I'll have to make my training only once a week and actually half it, but I'll do a full body workout. Basketball is just freaking tiring, and my overtraining is making me lose performance. I can't even shoot the right arc anymore. I also have to work on finding a consistent groove. Like in practice today, I was shooting 30% in the beginning. All of a sudden, I started having a burst of energy and started shooting 80%. I even made like 20 free throws and 20 3 pointers in a row right after another. It's kind of strange, because when I'm not in a groove, it's like everything I'm doing is wrong; my shooting form, the way I dribble, the way i see things, and a lot more. When I'm in a groove it's like I'm doing everything right. Oh well, time to vs the 2nd best team in the state(turned out it was state. they're like rank thirty something in the nation).

Overtraining's no joke... you end up wasting time and losing progress. Ideally you should be working hard 6 days of the week with 1 rest day. I myself don't really follow this concept because my workouts are more relaxed with more shooting and footwork. You said you were in Cali, right? I believe SoCal is loaded with excellent basketball teams.

And how are you 17 and still a freshman?

[bobbyflay]

Overtraining's no joke... you end up wasting time and losing progress. Ideally you should be working hard 6 days of the week with 1 rest day. I myself don't really follow this concept because my workouts are more relaxed with more shooting and footwork. You said you were in Cali, right? I believe SoCal is loaded with excellent basketball teams.

And how are you 17 and still a freshman?

I'm 14 years old. I think I somehow arranged my words wrong or something. I read on some forums about the 16-17 year olds being unable to do the workouts yet I still continued for only a full week and a half and I end up losing half of my endurance and strength and mental abilities.

Well, we somehow won against the team. It turned out that we were vsing their 2nd team, but it's alright. A win is a win against one of the better teams out there. I'm going to make myself "special" now in front of the basketball team and my coach. I've been sitting around doing nothing for too long.

[bobbyflay]

dam, I didn't realize that I didn't post in this forum for over a week. Hours turn into days fast. I decided to quit my program at my school. 13 hours on a non school day and 7-9 hours on a school day? No thanks for me. If I wouldn't quit, it would be 16 hours for 2 weeks straight during my winter break (well except for maybe 4-6 days out of the 16 I supposed). I get what people meant by the high school politics now... I guess I shouldn't have hoped that my school would be common like that. I'm going to fufill my goals of dunking on a 10'0 by next summer standing still and running and being skilled enough so that I can say to myself, "I can play basketball". I guess I'll update with how I train and what worked for me. I couldn't make the decision of staying on the basketball team with my heart/mind/soul, so I had to leave...

Random Quote: "Don't follow your dream-lead them" -Unknown

[carpevicis]

dam, I didn't realize that I didn't post in this forum for over a week. Hours turn into days fast. I decided to quit my program at my school. 13 hours on a non school day and 7-9 hours on a school day? No thanks for me. If I wouldn't quit, it would be 16 hours for 2 weeks straight during my winter break (well except for maybe 4-6 days out of the 16 I supposed). I get what people meant by the high school politics now... I guess I shouldn't have hoped that my school would be common like that. I'm going to fufill my goals of dunking on a 10'0 by next summer standing still and running and being skilled enough so that I can say to myself, "I can play basketball". I guess I'll update with how I train and what worked for me. I couldn't make the decision of staying on the basketball team with my heart/mind/soul, so I had to leave...

Random Quote: "Don't follow your dream-lead them" -Unknown

Haha same for me. There wasn't alot going on so I just read some of the posts.

I feel you on leaving your high school team. Alot of times kids just stay on the team and start complaining about this and that, but never actually do anything about it. Hopefully you can spend much more time into getting better yourself.

Are you trying to play in college? After getting cut this year from JV, I'm not going to try and play for my school again. The coach pretty much told me that there was little chance I'd play on varsity, so I'm now I'm focused on getting to college. The JV team wouldn't have been a good fit for me anyways, the kids got no respect, they screw around whenever the coach addresses them, they just chill all the time and a couple of them are already injured.

Maybe I sound immature, but I really want to see how the team does this year. How about you? Was the situation alright but you just didn't have the time? Or was there an issue of playing time and favoritism (cause you said politics). Well either way, best of luck in your training.

[bobbyflay]

Haha same for me. There wasn't alot going on so I just read some of the posts.

I feel you on leaving your high school team. Alot of times kids just stay on the team and start complaining about this and that, but never actually do anything about it. Hopefully you can spend much more time into getting better yourself.

Are you trying to play in college? After getting cut this year from JV, I'm not going to try and play for my school again. The coach pretty much told me that there was little chance I'd play on varsity, so I'm now I'm focused on getting to college. The JV team wouldn't have been a good fit for me anyways, the kids got no respect, they screw around whenever the coach addresses them, they just chill all the time and a couple of them are already injured.

Maybe I sound immature, but I really want to see how the team does this year. How about you? Was the situation alright but you just didn't have the time? Or was there an issue of playing time and favoritism (cause you said politics). Well either way, best of luck in your training.

Yeah, that was the case of one of my friends who ended up staying there for 2 years and only getting a little better. He ended up wasting money on the program and not getting only a little better. He got to learn the system a bit more though.

Yeah, my goal is to also get to play college ball. I know for sure they're serious there. The bad thing is that the program at my school focuses on "being a better person" instead of actually playing and winning in basketball games. They just make players spend time there and the coaches think they're disciplining them. The players end up just acting serious around the coaches then become clowns when they're gone. It just made me sick. To me, even the coaches aren't disciplined except the head coach(played division II basketball and is really good at coaching).

Yeah, I want to see how the team does because I'm just somewhat curious. It's like a combination of all those things you mentioned. The coaches favored the star players and let them get away with stuff. Things happened in the shadows and s*** like that. It was way too time consuming. Like some numbers are: 1-2 hours of practice and 7-14 hours of staying and watching or cleaning up.

Well I realized that I still want to play college basketball. A lot of people who quit the basketball team are really skilled and talented but aren't really truly dedicated to the game. I don't want to be like them, so I'm going to take my training to the next level. Over the next couple of days, I'll try to sort out my training schedule, then I'll stick with it. I might change my mind to rejoin the basketball program next year if they clean up their act or something lol. Most likely, I'll join another summer league at another school.

[carpevicis]

Yeah, that was the case of one of my friends who ended up staying there for 2 years and only getting a little better. He ended up wasting money on the program and not getting only a little better. He got to learn the system a bit more though.

Yeah, my goal is to also get to play college ball. I know for sure they're serious there. The bad thing is that the program at my school focuses on "being a better person" instead of actually playing and winning in basketball games. They just make players spend time there and the coaches think they're disciplining them. The players end up just acting serious around the coaches then become clowns when they're gone. It just made me sick. To me, even the coaches aren't disciplined except the head coach(played division II basketball and is really good at coaching).

Yeah, I want to see how the team does because I'm just somewhat curious. It's like a combination of all those things you mentioned. The coaches favored the star players and let them get away with stuff. Things happened in the shadows and s*** like that. It was way too time consuming. Like some numbers are: 1-2 hours of practice and 7-14 hours of staying and watching or cleaning up.

Well I realized that I still want to play college basketball. A lot of people who quit the basketball team are really skilled and talented but aren't really truly dedicated to the game. I don't want to be like them, so I'm going to take my training to the next level. Over the next couple of days, I'll try to sort out my training schedule, then I'll stick with it. I might change my mind to rejoin the basketball program next year if they clean up their act or something lol. Most likely, I'll join another summer league at another school.

I know exactly what you're talking about, I feel the same way. One of the biggest reasons why I want to play in college is that I want to play and practice with players who really care about basketball, not people who just like to play it for fun or because it's cool. In high school, almost everyone doesn't care, but once you get to college, everyone cares, because if you don't care, you won't be there.

It's doubtful that things will change over a year. Ever since I started trying out for my school teams in 8th grade, it's been the same thing. I get cut and other kids who didn't care got to play. I hate spending time around kids who don't care because I do and our interests become different. I have no problem with kids not devoting their time to basketball, but I'd rather maximize my improvements so I can play with people who do.

On another note, I still have a long way to go.

[GhostDeini32]

if you are a pg and playing with your dudes, pass first is the way to go.

if you are a pg and playing with randoms, shoot first is the only way to go.

[bobbyflay]

I haven't been able to practice last week, because of winter and stuff. I FINALLY finished the plans for the next year and I'm going to enact them starting today. I just spent somedays working on my footwork and stuff. I plan to base my game on jab steps/pump fakes/pivots/reverse pivots/stutter steps/crossovers/spin moves/between the legs/behind the back. When I look at it it's just a regular type of game I guess lol. Mostly will be focusing on jab step-drive or pull up jumper/stutter step-exploding drive/fast break layup or dunk hopefully/fast break pull up 3/ and maybe more.

[Sticks]

What I learned the hard way is not to bite on fakes and rely on my usually superior athleticism to contest shots and make them shoot over me rather than try and block everything.

The other thing is how much distance I have to give a guy so I can still contest jumpers and can stay in front of my man. Also off course looking at his middle and not at the ball.

But the most important thing I learned is to stay positive and keep my team-mates positive even if things aren't going the right way, negativity won't magically makes us play better but being positive sometimes helps...

[DWRIGHTWAY]

the little things matter the MOST

[bobbyflay]

Well, I guess the harsh times are what decides a person's true traits. I planned to go at 4 15 to 6 to do my shooting workout everyday and workout on my scheduled days then do skill training. Then some inconviences came such as 4 essays due in 2 days(my fault though I didn't do it right away) and the 40 degree weather in the morning. It was even cold with my heater on lol. I'll train tomorrow. I must!

Well, I expected my vertical jump to increase slowly. I can touch the rim most of the time when running from the 3 point line and 1/2 times when jumping from one spot to the rim without running. I am extremely frustruated from not making the time to do my shooting and skill training workouts this week though. I wasted valuable time and now that I finished all my hw and got my motivation back, I shall do my training to the max. It's true that you pick up habits when you don't train enough when you play pick up ball. The day after I trained for the full week I had perfect form and made 5/6 shots every pick up game. This week I couldn't train and was just too freaking cowardly to go out at 4 am and practice.

Oh yeah, I also learned that instead of just pouring hours of hours into watching HOW to do stuff, you should set guidelines on the limit of learning the information then do a minimum training everyday(such as 30 minutes of learning basketball then 2 sessions of 1 hour 15 minute intense training or something).

Random Quote: "Don't play scared" -Dre Baldwin

[GhostDeini32]

people will not cut backdoor or move without the ball unless that kind of play has been part of that teams demeanor.

i hate trying to hint to people to cut or set screens off the ball. people should know that shti.

[bobbyflay]

^ yeah I really worked on my cutting for 3 weeks, because I found that I was just standing around too much. Now I also get aggravated when people don't cut.

Mini Update: Strange thing is that I'm becoming too fast for my handles. A month ago my slow for my handles today was its fastest. I guess I got to play in more control now. A positive for it is that my crossover and jumpstop is freaking deadly now. Whenever I crossover someone I somehow get 2 steps ahead from the help defenders and get like a basket with no one guarding me most of the time. When I jumpstop, it seems like there are so many openings to shoot. Not much of an update but it seems that weight training has made me a lot more explosive and faster.

[carpevicis]

I feel you. My handle is also too slow compared to my normal speed. I end up having to dribble more because by the time I shift my body for a crossover, the ball is still in the other hand. On the other hand, I can move up and down the floor much quicker on a fast break both on offense and defense.

[KokoWarzone]

i learn that it's hard to guard cutters in my opinion.

btw i notice that my jumper is on today and making half of my shot attempts
and i use my left hand less akwardly {SP?} in dribbles

i have a question what bodyweight exercises help in basketball? and can you give me body weight exercise that focus on full body?

[Swaggin916]

i learn that it's hard to guard cutters in my opinion.

btw i notice that my jumper is on today and making half of my shot attempts
and i use my left hand less akwardly {SP?} in dribbles

i have a question what bodyweight exercises help in basketball? and can you give me body weight exercise that focus on full body?

You have to face guard cutters. At least that's the easiest way to negate them cutting.

[Sticks]

You have to face guard cutters. At least that's the easiest way to negate them cutting.

I've always been taught to just bump them... don't let them go where they want to go.

[JohnWall2]

the little things matter the MOST

true

[bobbyflay]

@carpevis yeah, me too. I used to could only dribble up the floor in 5 dribbles. Now it's like 3 dribbles.
@kokoWarzone practically all of them do lol. pushups/squats/burpees/pull ups/etc. In my experience with the past year though, weight lifting has given me more in 3 months then it has in doing variations of pushups, variations of squats, variations of situps, and burpees of 3 years.
Yeah it's pretty hard to guard them. In my opinion, it just goes back to one on one defense and use what you have such as size and stuff such as using your size to block them or using your quickness. If a guy who steps back over the arc isn't a shooter, then you shouldn't step and deny the pass otherwise he would just cut back in and stuff like that.

Mini Update: Now I understand what some videos meant about playing while skill training. After I trained hard in building up my shot form, I played some normal pick up with my friends and ended up messing it up from doing trick shots and stuff.
I also relearned that you HAVE TO find the minor details. I played with a friend in 2v2 who said he was good at inside shooting and rebounding. I ended up trying to set him up for cuts(at the moment I thought CUTS=INSIDE SHOOTING SO I SHOULD PASS IT TO HIM WHEN HE CUTS)...too bad he didn't know how to cut in. I also set him up with easy midrange jump shots... too bad he didn't know how to shoot(he said beforehand he didn't know how to so I was just being dumb). I also set him up with some easy 3 foot layups...too bad he didn't know how to do a layup without a backboard. Well, from this experience, I relearned that you have to do the right things at the right moments. We ended up losing 6-11. I had 4/7 while my teammate had 2/20. Well you learn from mistakes I guess lol.

[carpevicis]

Major question: how do you stop someone with an obvious weight advantage over you?

I played 2 on 2 today, had to guard this dude who was 40 pounds heavier. He was quick, too, with a handle, so I had to back off. Then he started draining 3s in my face. As soon as I'd step up, he'd drive. I wasn't playing bad defense, I had a hand up and stayed in front of him, but he'd drive his shoulder into my chest and keep the ball back so I couldn't get it. I ended up getting wrecked on every one of his drives.

So how do you play against someone like that? Not just one physical advantage, but many? I couldn't do anything on offense or defense...

[bobbyflay]

Major question: how do you stop someone with an obvious weight advantage over you?

I played 2 on 2 today, had to guard this dude who was 40 pounds heavier. He was quick, too, with a handle, so I had to back off. Then he started draining 3s in my face. As soon as I'd step up, he'd drive. I wasn't playing bad defense, I had a hand up and stayed in front of him, but he'd drive his shoulder into my chest and keep the ball back so I couldn't get it. I ended up getting wrecked on every one of his drives.

So how do you play against someone like that? Not just one physical advantage, but many? I couldn't do anything on offense or defense...

Ah those people. The first thing it made me remind me of is the NBA. They're either the ones with the most talent or the ones who worked more then the ones with a lot of talent.

When I'd face situations like that my mind would always say "it's almost next to impossible". Then I would just continue to ponder about how to do it. I would constantly be saying "it's almost next to impossible" over and over until I just finally admit it. It's just that you got to find his weakest area and force him on it(even if his weakest is more than your strongest lol). Remember when playing against opponents: Focus on their weaknesses, not their strengths

[Rake2204]

Through experience during a game I've learned not to overstate any game's given importance. The minute I began thinking about ramifications of failure, I was done. I drive this point home with my brothers all the time. One of them is fearful of his classmates laughing at him if he airballs a shot. It just doesn't matter. I couldn't begin to play "real" basketball during my seasons until I learned to let go a little bit and realize that my audience is likely going to forget about anything I accomplish one way or the other. There's no use in playing tentative. That's not what your coach wants, that's not what your fans want, that's not what you want.

Through game experience, I also learned all the things it's possible to get away with in an officiated ballgame. It's one of the aspects I miss most from official basketball contests - the mental warfare aspect. It was interesting to learn how to assert my control on a game from that perspective.

[bobbyflay]

dam found out that the reason why I can't dunk on like 8 foot rims is because my hands are too small lol. I can dunk easily on 9'5 rims with like size 6 balls but it just doesn't feel right with a size 6. I'm still continuing my training. Just putting in work.

[KokoWarzone]

i learn to use my body to protect the ball and create space. and i learn to play physical even if the guy is heavier than me.

and i learn if i make a mistake on offense, i hustle all the way to keep my opponent from scoring.

[GhostDeini32]

another thing I've learned..

you gotta come at least 3 deep. its no fun playing with other dudes who know each other and are looking out for themselves and their homies.

3 deep or be prepared to be a role player no matter good you are.

this is just my opinion.

[KokoWarzone]

another thing I've learned..

you gotta come at least 3 deep. its no fun playing with other dudes who know each other and are looking out for themselves and their homies.

3 deep or be prepared to be a role player no matter good you are.

this is just my opinion.


yeah it's hard to play with people they know each other and me and my teammates don't how each other play.

this thing i learn is pretty basic i guess but i learn that i must warm up first for dribbling and shooting before playing pick up games or else i shoot/dribble horrible.

[GhostDeini32]

definitely stretch. for a while.

and then warm-up. it is the only way to go.

[KokoWarzone]

any tips guys? like things to remember when playing pick up basketball?

[bobbyflay]

^Make the extra effort. In pick up games, the people who are most dominant make the extra effort.

Today me and my friends got destroyed in a pick up game for 4v4 against 8th graders lol. One was a 6'0 guy who was like 150, another was a dirty playing black guy who was like 5'8(carrys/grabs people's shirts/pushes you in the air), another was another guy who was 5'7 who was really quick and good at finishing, and the final guy was just kind of useless lol. My team consisted of me 5'9(I'm 120), my buff friend who was like 135 lol, my friend who is a good shooter and is somehow the strongest out of everyone but is 5'7 and 105 pounds, and another guy who is 5'7 and penetrates really well yet makes it to easy for the other team to pack him.

We got destroyed in the first 2 games by the 6'0 guy, because somehow my friend who was good at penetrating was guarding him in the post so the 6'0 guy got like 6-7 points each of the games. Then I switched to him and he got 3 points and 2 points the next 2 games. The scores were like 11-5,11-8, 11-9, 11-9.

From this experience, I learned that playing basketball really is a battle. I had to freaking fight in the post to maintain my position. The black guy shoved me many times and even shoved me out when I was just pivoting. He stopped after I v-cutted him so hard that he flew 10 feet outside the court(he was guarding me for 2 games until the other team's post player started guarding me). I also learned that you have to JUST DO IT. I trained myself to making plays and finishing in traffic and freezing people to shoot outside. I ended up only using the freezing people to shoot outside. The buff guy on my team told me to make some sh*t happen yet I just depended on him to make the plays. I also learned that there will always be someone better than you that is even younger then you and doesn't train as hard as you due to athletic talent. This gives me motivation to train harder now.

Random Quote that isn't so random because it's used so much: Just do it-Nike

Edit: Another thing I learned. Screens kick a**. Seriously. I used them a couple of times during the games and they were highly effective at setting people up. One time, a guy just ran into me when I set one and he fell back like 5 feet saying "oh sh*t didn't see that screen".

[KokoWarzone]

^Make the extra effort. In pick up games, the people who are most dominant make the extra effort.

Today me and my friends got destroyed in a pick up game for 4v4 against 8th graders lol. One was a 6'0 guy who was like 150, another was a dirty playing black guy who was like 5'8(carrys/grabs people's shirts/pushes you in the air), another was another guy who was 5'7 who was really quick and good at finishing, and the final guy was just kind of useless lol. My team consisted of me 5'9(I'm 120), my buff friend who was like 135 lol, my friend who is a good shooter and is somehow the strongest out of everyone but is 5'7 and 105 pounds, and another guy who is 5'7 and penetrates really well yet makes it to easy for the other team to pack him.

We got destroyed in the first 2 games by the 6'0 guy, because somehow my friend who was good at penetrating was guarding him in the post so the 6'0 guy got like 6-7 points each of the games. Then I switched to him and he got 3 points and 2 points the next 2 games. The scores were like 11-5,11-8, 11-9, 11-9.

From this experience, I learned that playing basketball really is a battle. I had to freaking fight in the post to maintain my position. The black guy shoved me many times and even shoved me out when I was just pivoting. He stopped after I v-cutted him so hard that he flew 10 feet outside the court(he was guarding me for 2 games until the other team's post player started guarding me). I also learned that you have to JUST DO IT. I trained myself to making plays and finishing in traffic and freezing people to shoot outside. I ended up only using the freezing people to shoot outside. The buff guy on my team told me to make some sh*t happen yet I just depended on him to make the plays. I also learned that there will always be someone better than you that is even younger then you and doesn't train as hard as you due to athletic talent. This gives me motivation to train harder now.

Random Quote that isn't so random because it's used so much: Just do it-Nike

Edit: Another thing I learned. Screens kick a**. Seriously. I used them a couple of times during the games and they were highly effective at setting people up. One time, a guy just ran into me when I set one and he fell back like 5 feet saying "oh sh*t didn't see that screen".


man i realize this thing screens is great today we play 5v5 with me and my classmates vs another classmates and pick up basketball friends. even though the guy is heavier than me i set up a screen and the ball handler just past by in my screen to get out of the defender. and yeah i realize it too that basketball is a battle and a physical game.

[GhostDeini32]

man i realize this thing screens is great today we play 5v5 with me and my classmates vs another classmates and pick up basketball friends. even though the guy is heavier than me i set up a screen and the ball handler just past by in my screen to get out of the defender. and yeah i realize it too that basketball is a battle and a physical game.

try setting screens off the ball. magic will happen.

[KokoWarzone]

try setting screens off the ball. magic will happen.


from my interpretation off the ball screen is like a screen to free up the shooter like ray allen/rip hamiltion? is it like that?

[AJ2k8]

from my interpretation off the ball screen is like a screen to free up the shooter like ray allen/rip hamiltion? is it like that?
Can be for a shooter or even for slashers, can have a back door screen set for someone to curl into the paint and score there.. :cheers:

[bobbyflay]

damit something wrong must have happened. I lost 3 inches of my vertical and my shooting form is somehow destroyed. It used to be one shooting form then it progressed to 2 shooting forms switching off and now it's like 5 shooting forms. It turns out that I forgot the GOLDEN rule of perfect practice makes perfect. I practiced around 2000 repetitions on the wrong shooting form and now I have to get it out of my system. I extremely don't know how I lost 3 inches of vertical. I run less than 2 miles a day and most of it is sprinting(playing basketball). I didn't weight train the past 2 scheduled days(friday and today due to complications..) of my training and I expected my vertical to remain the same or grow. Damit now I have to fix everything.

[bobbyflay]

Now I'm inspired to be a college basketball player. I saw this guy play and he was like the perfect basketball player. He was around 6'2 and could play any position during the course of 5 games. Anything about his game is great. The two things that I could say are outstanding is his finishing(I usually don't care about watching pickups but then this guy made me sit down and it was like watching Power Rangers when I was 5 years old lol) and his defense(He was unstoppable..Even though he wasn't the best ball handler, he made everyone seem like they have no handles when he was guarding them. He blocked out the angles for them to dribble or even move). I found out that he was only a senior in high school. He looked old from wearing a sort of banner around his body to look so destructive.

The bad thing is that my high school is definitely not the way to go(ranked 1000 something in the United States, actually not even ranked..and I already see why from experience).

What are ways to get noticed to play in D1 college or something? I can think of joining my city's team or something and hopefully get noticed.

[SourPatchKids]

Refs are retarded.

[KokoWarzone]

i don't know why but i'm working hard at basketball. doing 2 ball dribbling and a chair/instead of a cone because we dont have cones. anyway what is the experience in league games? and what to remember?

[KokoWarzone]

how do i gain weight? seriously guys im 80+ pounds and frustrated that i can't gain weight. some people said *just wait for age
20+ and you gain weight* i don't like it i want to get the right weight for my age and don't want to wait.

[01amberfirewv]

how do i gain weight? seriously guys im 80+ pounds and frustrated that i can't gain weight. some people said *just wait for age
20+ and you gain weight* i don't like it i want to get the right weight for my age and don't want to wait.


There is a little truth to that but it has more to do with what you eat. It's always calories in V calories out. I eat like a pig and still don't gain much weight. Get on a dedicated weight training program and increase your calories. Make sure you get plenty of good carbs and fats and eat lots of meat, and dairy products.

This is a great program for athletes

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=459321&cr=

[bobbyflay]

@Koko I gained 20 pounds over the summer through weights. I was also 90 pounds before the summer, but I started lifting weights. I actually got taller from weights along with stretching.

I looked back at my updates and found that my walls of text were getting hard for me to even read, so I'm going to revert back haha.

Positive: Due to weight training, I'm better at getting bumped around and slashing through to score a bucket. I used to just get bumped and the ball would fly ou randomly. For some reason, I'm sort of like an ingame rebounder now. I can barely touch the backboard when I try to jump, but when I jump to get a rebound, my hands are over the rim level. I'm also recognizing things a lot better now. It's like a strategy game.

Negative: My shooting form is going on and off. I keep on procrasinating.. I have to stop this. It's making me take off basketball training time. I end up doing half of my training. I have to stay dedicated to become part of the 0.5% asian american ballers in D1.

Summary: Positive: ALOT better at slashing/rebounding/basketball iq Negative: have to add more repetitions in shooting form/have to organize everything in my schedule
I'm going to make it happen now.

Random Quote: You only got one life to live-Allen Iverson

[bobbyflay]

Mini Update: I got a nasty cough. It might be a special strain of flu or something because it lasted for a week and a half. I hope it's not bronchitis..
I trained for a week with it and the training has made it a lot worse, so I started resting and not training 2 days ago(includes stopping skill training because I go all out and get tired). For some reason, my shooting stayed the same as it was 3 days ago. 3 days ago, I did 100 perfect form shots. Now, I stopped practicing and my form remained the same. It's pretty strange. I think this might be how some players from parks just seem so good; they are consistent in everything(and that's why their game doesn't evolve, they just rely on athletic ability). It's just something strange I noticed on my quest to become a D1 player.

[bobbyflay]

Mini Update: I'm going to do a real update after this week, because I started real training. I thought of it now and realized that why most of the basketball players don't make it to D1/overseas/NBA. They just don't work.. I'm practically the only guy working at least 1-2 hours on my game everyday in my school. Now I see why the basketball program is terrible. It's not also because of the staff; it's because of the players also..

I also found out that Rake's statement of being cocky and stupid is also true for life and basketball. I just acted cocky and thought I was right in everything and protruded confidence. Also ingame, I just made every shot and did whatever I want. However, it was a pick up game so I don't know.

My journals are about learning about life through basketball too :D

[carpevicis]

Most players don't make it to a high level for numerous reasons: often it's how hard they want to work, the body they were given or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. All I have to tell you is that don't focus on the world around you, think about the big picture. Just because you're the hardest working in your town doesn't mean anything. You have to remember that there are other people out there that you'll never meet. Never get complacent when you train because every opportunity you have you'll need.

Some notes that you might want to observe, given that you're a freshman and you decided you want to play in college.

-Try and make a list of colleges you're interested in attending both athletically and academically
-Get great grades. Not passing grades, but great grades. Take AP/Honors classes. The work load might be extra, but trust me, this is how you stand out.
-Play AAU basketball. If the school team isn't cutting it, play AAU and make sure you film every game so you can make a highlight reel when the time comes
-Eat healthy. You might be young but if you learn to eat healthy now, it'll be habit when you need it.
-Weight train/run. The earlier you start the better. Don't fall for the old saying that it'll stunt your growth. It might if you do it wrong. But if you do it right, the gains are invaluable. Also, most average players can't afford to not weight train. Some of the top elite players can get away with it because of their skill and natural athleticism, but most kids HAVE TO TRAIN.

[bobbyflay]

Yes, I got too cocky in my ways. I was too happy winning against my school peers and not vsing real players. I shall train my hardest for this summer.

I guess you're right about seeing what colleges I should attend. I'm hoping for UCLA, but I'll need a 4.2. I messed up my semester this time due to trying to want free time. I got a 3.5 but that's .7 away from my goal.
Ah, I see a highlight reel. I found out my school tapes games of varsity, so I might just use that.
You're right. I should eat healthy. I swear it's pretty hard when most of the food I get is junk food.
Yeah, weight training has made me grow taller actually. I'm sort of afraid it might have caused me injuries on my bones(joins/nerves hurt from it). It also seems that I'm the only 14-16 year old training in the gym also.
Also, I have to cut my free time I suppose. I planned to do my shooting workout at 4 am, but due to essays in honors and etc I could only get 5 hours of sleep daily. I thought about the price of my sleep and I had to do it. Then I realized that I wouldn't gain anything from my workouts and would be tired academicly and physically. I try my best though to go at 4 30-6:15 Am(I have class starting at 7).

Some questions: How should I train for rejoining the basketball program at my school this summer again? Please be more specific as in the type of weight training, endurance, explosiveness, agility, muscle mass, and etc. Also, am I doing something wrong in the gym? I'm lifting more than guys who have twice as much muscle mass than me. Ex: I'm doing 50 pounds on each side from a barbell 3x8(I swear my max is around 60 pounds. I don't want to strain myself to heavily lol.) Then I see guys that are freaking ripped doing 40 pounds and sweating and yelling across the gym. I'm thinking what? I just check my muscles and see like one muscle while I look at the other guy who is doing less than me and is about 4-6 years older and I see around 5-8 sections on his arm.

Edit: Another Question. What do you think is worth it more? 1 hour and 30 minutes of shooting practice at a park that's freezing and might be windy or might rain randomly and has a concrete ground or an hour of shooting practice at the gym. I have these 2 options in the morning at 4 30 am. It's just that I heard some people say that a day on concrete is around 3-5 days at the gym. When I think about it more and more. I'm starting to lean toward the gym.

[623baller]

Edit: Another Question. What do you think is worth it more? 1 hour and 30 minutes of shooting practice at a park that's freezing and might be windy or might rain randomly and has a concrete ground or an hour of shooting practice at the gym. I have these 2 options in the morning at 4 30 am. It's just that I heard some people say that a day on concrete is around 3-5 days at the gym. When I think about it more and more. I'm starting to lean toward the gym.

you are better off doing ur shooting drills wherever it is tougher to make a shot. make practice hard, it will come easy during game time.

i used to practiced on double rims, slippery floor , sometimes windy courts. it became a luxury whenever i get to play on decent court/gym.

focus on shots made rather than time spent on the court.

[carpevicis]

I agree with what 623baller said, but to an extent. Training on double rims and slippery floors will help your shot, but training when it's windy won't. You'll start to form a habit to compensate for the wind, which means your accuracy on a normal day will be off. You'll get used to adjusting for the wind which won't translate to a normal situation.

If I were you, I'd hit up the gym. It's easier to shoot there, but it's also more realistic. If the outdoor courts weren't windy, that's one thing but it is and therefore you won't play like you would in a game. If you work hard, you'll only have 1 hour in you. And more than that and you're probably not going 100%.

I'm not sure I understand your question about lifting. What lift are you doing? And what is the total poundage? I don't know what you mean by 50 lbs on each side, you mean 50lbs on each side of a 45lb barbell for 145lb total? And you'll need a goal for what you want done. Training isn't universal, so if you want to get bigger than that's one thing, as is getting faster and having better agility, etc.

And make sure you get enough sleep. Your body needs time to recover from the workouts. If you keep cutting sleep you'll feel more and more exhausted and you won't maximize gains.

[bobbyflay]

I agree with what 623baller said, but to an extent. Training on double rims and slippery floors will help your shot, but training when it's windy won't. You'll start to form a habit to compensate for the wind, which means your accuracy on a normal day will be off. You'll get used to adjusting for the wind which won't translate to a normal situation.

If I were you, I'd hit up the gym. It's easier to shoot there, but it's also more realistic. If the outdoor courts weren't windy, that's one thing but it is and therefore you won't play like you would in a game. If you work hard, you'll only have 1 hour in you. And more than that and you're probably not going 100%.

I'm not sure I understand your question about lifting. What lift are you doing? And what is the total poundage? I don't know what you mean by 50 lbs on each side, you mean 50lbs on each side of a 45lb barbell for 145lb total? And you'll need a goal for what you want done. Training isn't universal, so if you want to get bigger than that's one thing, as is getting faster and having better agility, etc.

And make sure you get enough sleep. Your body needs time to recover from the workouts. If you keep cutting sleep you'll feel more and more exhausted and you won't maximize gains.

For my example, I was talking about those ez curl barbells I think. Like those ones with just 50 pounds on each side and the barbell is straight. My goal is to get more explosive, have better agility, have more endurance, get faster, and be stronger. Bad thing is the endurance factor won't match with my training.

Yeah it's hard to sleep early though. I have to sleep at 8 pm to get a full 8 hours. I'm mostly getting 5-6 hours of sleep and around 8-10 hours on weekends.

Yeah, I made up my mind to go to the gym in the morning. Riding my bike there might be hell(3 miles isn't that much but with stoplights and the weather it is to me), but spending an hour and 30 minutes in the weather is even more. I imagined myself getting rebounds and wasting time and freezing to death instead of spending it on quality shooting time.

[bobbyflay]

Well I screwed myself.. There is a 95% chance I have a disease such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tenditis. I have the symptoms of loss of grip strength(no wonder I couldn't open bottles randomly or for some reason my hand just couldn't bounce the ball), cold hands due to poor circulation(I found myself putting my hands in my pockets subconsciously and people saying that my hands are cold), inflammation of the nerves(literally feels like its burning when I do strenuous stuff), the need to shake out my wrists, and pain/soreness on my wrists, forearms, shoulders, and somewhat top of my spine and neck. I think I received this disease or something from a combination of computer(I go on the computer maybe once a week for 8 hours straight if I can't play basketball) and weight lifting(maybe I was lifting with poor form. maybe that's why I could lift so much). Basketball, tennis, and school might have made it so that I couldn't recover. I have been having these syndromes for the past 3 years, but they didn't really pop up until 2 weeks ago. Damit, I can't do anything for the next 2 weeks-4 weeks.

Lesson Learned: Do everything correct and there will be no side effects. Cheating or doing something incorrectly will mask the real problem at the cost of many more problems.

[bobbyflay]

Update on recovering: Honestly I have been doing everything I have been doing before except without the basketball training and tennis. I'll start doing some stretches every hour when I'm on the computer. Life seems so boring without basketball. Nothing to look forward to after finishing my classes. Nothing to look forward to after I finish my hw. It's like I'm wasting away.

Also, the basketball instructional videos you see selling for like $40 don't really help you. Just find some websites or videos on youtube, and I'll swear you'll get just as much info and you won't waste your time.

[Scholar]

So I learned a difficult lesson in teamwork yesterday through 2-on-2 basketball.
Went to the gym, met 3 guys who wanted to run a quick game so I joined them. We decided that the first 2 guys to make a 3-pter would be on the same team. I ended up playing with a dude who seemed to have decent ball handling skills, much better than mine actually.
The opposition? Two 40+ year old men. I thought, "This is going to be easy. We're definitely much quicker than them."
Boy, was I wrong. I mean, we were quicker than them but that's where it stops.
The old guys were setting up screens, pick and rolls, pass-and-go, etc. My teammate? Every time I passed him the damn ball, he'd chuck a shot. He didn't make a single point! We got killed, 3-15. I made all 3 shots, after pretty much refusing to pass this idiot the ball. I asked him to start setting picks but he just stuck around the 3-pt line to chuck as many pointless 3's as possible.
His defense was terrible as well. The guys took turns shredding his D apart. I might as well have been playing one-vs-two. :rolleyes:

Anyway, my point is that you shouldn't judge a player by the first shot made. I assumed that because he and I both made our first attempts to become teammates for the game, it must mean we could take the older guys on without a problem. Next time, I'll be sure to try to aim being a teammate with someone older who has experience in playing basketball, instead of teaming up with some idiot who would rather chuck from out of his range than set up plays. :facepalm

[sundizz]

I realized...that a lot of basketball 'knowledge' is wrong. That look at the hips stuff is garbage, does anyone truly do this? You can't pay attention at all to what is going on in the game if you are focusing on the O players hips. Coaches when you are young always say don't focus on their eyes, or don't focus on the ball you can get tricked by them. I realized in so many years of playing that there are very very very very few players talented enough to trick me with their eyes or their ball handling. I get 2-3 steals a game person on person because I watch where they are dribbling the ball and when they do a slow dribble down I time it to reach in and take it away. Same with the eyes...I watch their eyes to see where and when they will pass it and can jump the passing lane easily.

Another one, don't make crosscourt passes. That only applies when you are too young to actually MAKE a crosscourt pass at full speed. As a grown adult I can zip that pass crosscourt one handed with a lot of speed. It's the best way to open up against a team when they are overplaying too much since they can't recover to that player that fast.

Another one: Focusing on the front/back rim (based on what your coach said). Every time I try thinking about WHERE on the rim I want to shoot it messes up my shot. I find it a lot more important to make sure I have my hands on the ball properly and everything after that is just body memory. Thinking about an individual thing like aiming for the back of the rim is ridiculous...shooting it the right distance comes from practice not from individually thinking about it every time.

I understand these things where all important to be taught as a youngsta so you start with good habits and then you can expand your game based on experience. I teach the same things when I coach also. It's just interesting seeing how many of the common 'tenets' really aren't true when you get to a certain level.

[KokoWarzone]

i learn that i dribble like an 80's player when dribbling and running

and i feel comfortable in my dribbling. and i learn i have inconsistent shooting form.

[Scholar]

i learn that i dribble like an 80's player when dribbling and running

and i feel comfortable in my dribbling. and i learn i have inconsistent shooting form.

Same here. :lol
I always dribble toward a defender with my back to him. I don't mind doing it so much, but it makes it seem like I lack handles. I don't have great ball handling skills but I'm decent, if I'd say so myself.
As for my shot, whenever I'm going for a J, I jump forward. I've stepped on a few people's feet or kicked a couple guys in the shin before because of this. :banghead: My form is always inconsistent and no matter how hard I try to work at improving it, I always lose the perfect form whenever I play 21 or a pickup game.

[KokoWarzone]

Same here. :lol
I always dribble toward a defender with my back to him. I don't mind doing it so much, but it makes it seem like I lack handles. I don't have great ball handling skills but I'm decent, if I'd say so myself.
As for my shot, whenever I'm going for a J, I jump forward. I've stepped on a few people's feet or kicked a couple guys in the shin before because of this. :banghead: My form is always inconsistent and no matter how hard I try to work at improving it, I always lose the perfect form whenever I play 21 or a pickup game.




man i'm in the same situation as you like everytime i play pickup game my shot is mess up.

[bobbyflay]

Well, I feel my wrists are getting better from a brace I got yesterday. I put it on for just one night, so I'm not really sure. Tried playing basketball for the first time after 3 weeks and I felt really weak. I could barely catch a ball, I couldn't shoot farther than 15 feet, and when I tried to shotfake, I let go of the ball.
I am interested in the comment Swaggin916 made.

If you are more of role player, you are always going to have those games where you don't get a lot of touches or do much to effect the game... sometimes it works out that way and it is frustrating when you lose. If you win... there is always another game.

So... either you can continue to be a role player and be frustrated sometimes... or you can start taking the steps toward becoming the focal point of a team AKA the main ball handler... and that takes a lot of practice. I know for me, I was never comfortable being the main ball handler for a while... I'd get on a team that wasn't very good or just didn't have anybody that could handle the ball real well and make plays... and I'd want to do it, but I just wasn't good enough. Now, I have the ability to do it because I've practiced, studied the game, and now am confident enough in my ability to beat defenders and make good decisions. You are still going to have bad games, but at least you know it's on you and maybe sometime during that game you start deferring to others because you are having a bad game... trust me, it's better than having an uneventful game as a role player.

From experience tho... like these guys have been saying, going for offensive boards, cutting... just hustling your ass off... you rarely ever have those uneventful games because you are constantly in the mix. For me... I haven't been able to do any of that due to injury. When I play, I'm either the main ball handler (and just basically the guy who brings it up court and tries to set people up without doing anything too strenuous) or simply being a spot up shooter. Being a spot up shooter is the worst cus every other game can be uneventful.

I feel like I should become this player. I swear out of all the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors I see playing outside, there are only 3 of them. I must strive to become that guy. The group I play with in basketball are a bunch of role players. Through the training I did before I was injured, I know I'm ready. The only freshmen who's that guy just told me to "let them do their thing". Sometimes he has like 8 turnovers in a pick up game, but he just makes it seem like he never had a turnover. I need advice from other players, but would be awesome if Swaggin came since he's an example of one.

[bobbyflay]

I thought about what I said about being that player and it's just being a point guard haha. I'm going to start weight training this Friday along with skill training tomorrow again. I feel excited and filled with energy to start practicing. I also got a guide I'll follow for my shooting training from a certain orange a certain guy. Time to put in work again weee. Also during the time of me not spending my time in basketball, I got a job which will allow me to pay for a new hoop at home in my backyard(got broken from being used) and one of those nets that give the ball back to me from a miss or make. It's really going to accelerate my shooting and give me an edge so a yeah. Got everything all planned and it's going perfectly with a few minor nuisances(like my injury that stopped me from practicing these last 4 weeks lol).

[stevieming]

getting to your spot....

i use to think I can score from anywhere and that becus i have a good jumper i can pull that trigger from anywhere...

wrong...

I know my game better now, left elbow around freethrow line and a foot out is practically 90% for me. I can do all sorts there, step back, fade away, jumper, hesistation pull up, it just goes in.

Consequently baseline jumpers = 60%...

:rolleyes:

Just the way it is...

[Swaggin916]

Yea baseline jumpers are harder. You just don't get very many of them so game experience is hard to come by.

[bobbyflay]

Practice has been going good lately. It changed from me doing 1/5 of it in 2 hours to 2/5 of it in 2 hours in a week. It seems that the competition is getting worse at the playground blacktops at my school, so the group that I run with has to find better competition at a park or something.

Something I found out: It seems that the best competition for me is in high school games. In the playground black tops, the competition isn't that much and is not serious and in the parks that I play at, I don't have enough athleticism and skills yet to match with the 20-30 year olds(I think I'll be able to run with them with them accepting me as a fellow basketball player instead of a random kid after I get enough athleticism by the end of june to dunk on their court haha).

[bobbyflay]

I'm going to stop doing Vertical Jump Bible and move on to The Jump Manual next week. I should have done more with the Vertical Jump Bible, but the past is past. Training is going good so far. It's starting to get somewhat boring though lol. A guy tried doing my training for an hour and he just went nuts and started doing something else.

[Swaggin916]

I'm going to stop doing Vertical Jump Bible and move on to The Jump Manual next week. I should have done more with the Vertical Jump Bible, but the past is past. Training is going good so far. It's starting to get somewhat boring though lol. A guy tried doing my training for an hour and he just went nuts and started doing something else.

You should at least finish the program... take a break and then start something else. The key to getting gains after the first month is consistency and simply switching up exercises.

[bobbyflay]

You should at least finish the program... take a break and then start something else. The key to getting gains after the first month is consistency and simply switching up exercises.


Well I completed the first phase of the novice strength training and I'm also need 3 more weeks to complete all 4 phases of the bodyweight strength training. It's just that I got the PDF only and it really doesn't seem that helpful. I'm happy with the results from just 6 months(added posting to my game), but I am limited in time(will be joining basketball team in summer and practice is around july and will train my endurance in the summer). The Jump Manual takes 12 weeks so If I buy it next week or so I'll still have an extra week of weight training and testing out things(I'm assuming that there will be 3 weeks of training and 1 week of resting on each phase). Also, I'll won't be able to do any vertical jump training from the start of july to may next year. Then for the rest of my 3 years, I'll only have may and june to do personal training. I just have to do this..

[01amberfirewv]

Well I completed the first phase of the novice strength training and I'm also need 3 more weeks to complete all 4 phases of the bodyweight strength training. It's just that I got the PDF only and it really doesn't seem that helpful. I'm happy with the results from just 6 months(added posting to my game), but I am limited in time(will be joining basketball team in summer and practice is around july and will train my endurance in the summer). The Jump Manual takes 12 weeks so If I buy it next week or so I'll still have an extra week of weight training and testing out things(I'm assuming that there will be 3 weeks of training and 1 week of resting on each phase). Also, I'll won't be able to do any vertical jump training from the start of july to may next year. Then for the rest of my 3 years, I'll only have may and june to do personal training. I just have to do this..


One thing to take into account is that since you have been training your vert the jump manual will not be as effective for you as it would a beginner.

[AJ2k8]

Playing point guard can be quite fun, i've always predominantly more of a shooting guard because i have a decent shot and can penetrate and finish well inside and usually play alongside others who will drive and dish.

It was only last week when i was playing with a team of players who aren't all that good at creating their own shot or penetrating the defence that i started to drive more often because i had the ball more often and pulled a few nice passes while i was at it and i gotta say the feeling you get when you make a great pass is something i could get used to:D

[mcrd101]

man i'm in the same situation as you like everytime i play pickup game my shot is mess up.

this!

[bobbyflay]

I thought the opposite was true.


One thing to take into account is that since you have been training your vert the jump manual will not be as effective for you as it would a beginner.

[Swaggin916]

I thought the opposite was true.

You always make the greatest gains when you first start. The fact that you have already been training your vert means that gains will come slower.

[bobbyflay]

You always make the greatest gains when you first start. The fact that you have already been training your vert means that gains will come slower.

dam, that sucks. I thought I was still considered a beginner, because my vertical for 1 legged jumping, 2 legged jumping, and standing still jumping is almost the same(got it from the Vertical Jump Bible)

[KokoWarzone]

Hey guys back i have a question. What barbell exercises is use to strengthen the whole body and core?

[bobbyflay]

Lots of exercises. Just google it :O Ex. Deadlifts/Squats

This diet I'm following from the Jump Manual is..I don't know lol. I'm drinking 12-16 cups of water a day. Eating a whole lot more then I usually do. It's making me more lean though. From 4 days of drinking protein powder, I could dunk on a rim that is 1 inch higher, 9'2. It's weak dunks so I still need 10-12 more inches. If all goes well, I'll make a video on youtube on July 4 of me dunking.

On player improvement, I'm just spending this week on observing certain people play to see their tendencies. I want to fully heal my wrist by not playing basketball/use computer alot and just sleep this week.

Random Quote that Makes me Happy Again: "When I become sad, I become awesome"- Some guy from How I Met Your Mother

[AJ2k8]

How rewarding it is to be able to finish with both hands, had another lefty and1 this past week and had another one which should've been an and1 but the ref missed the call, even the guy who fouled me admitted it shoulda been an and1:oldlol:

[KokoWarzone]

guys i have a question when shooting a jumpshot is it mostly balance and release? And another question how is it your first time playing in a league? is it physical?

[AJ2k8]

guys i have a question when shooting a jumpshot is it mostly balance and release? And another question how is it your first time playing in a league? is it physical?

Balance and release come into it but overall it is just repetition, you watch good shooters anywhere you go and their rhythm on every shot is always the same. When it comes to your first time playing in a league it can be overwhelming because teams are organised but it won't necessarily be more physical, physicality in a league comes down to how the refs ref the games and what becomes the norm. The league i'm in is rather physical but that's mainly because it's only a casual one and the refs sometimes let the game play i think:cheers:

[bobbyflay]

This past week has been going good. I tried to rest my wrists again by just training my hook shots of my left hand. I ended up training both lol. Now I have a nasty right hand hook shot. It also helped me finish without a backboard also. I also find out that my guide hand was keeping my shooting hand from getting power. I could stand under the basket on the other side of the court and jump and shoot with a push and hit the backboard of the other side, yet I didn't have enough power to shoot a free throw.

[PowerGlove]

Trying to bully your way in the paint when you're 5'9", 155 pounds can hurt a shitload.

I was attacking the rim and I tried to split two defender with a eurostep and got tripped up and hit the damn pole.

[Rake2204]

How rewarding it is to be able to finish with both hands, had another lefty and1 this past week and had another one which should've been an and1 but the ref missed the call, even the guy who fouled me admitted it shoulda been an and1:oldlol:
To spring off of that point, I actually learned the opposite from experience during a game. Through my youth it had always been stressed that the right hand was used on the right side of the court and the left hand on the left side of the court.

I am an above average one foot jumper off my strong (left) foot. I am a below average jumper off my right foot. Further, my left hand was never as strong as my right. So, that meant I was soaring to the basket when attacking with my right hand and sort of plodding when I attacked off one foot from the left side of the court. As a freshman, if I tried using my right hand from the left side on a fast break, my coach would let me have it.

Weirdly, after watching a lot of Grant Hill (Pistons Grant) and Latrell Sprewell I noticed they often attacked with their right hand regardless of their positioning on the court. It seemed to allow a lot more maneuverability. I gave this a try in games and never looked back. I will use my right hand whenever humanly possible. Jumping off my strong foot and using the hand I was born to use increases my threat level toward the opponent by about 74%. I keep the left hand in my back pocket for two-foot attacks from interesting angles where only a left would make sense (and on reverse layups coming from right to left).

Moral: I learned it's best to attack in a manner that's most comfortable for you and is most likely to result in a made basket. I cannot even begin to explain how many layups I didn't finish as a youth because I was just "trying to do the right thing" by going up with my left. The minute I turned a lot of those opportunities into strong attacks with my right, it all changed.

The thinking tends to be that using the right hand on the left side of the hoop means you're more likely to get your shot blocked. My personal experience is the control, agility, and movement gained from using your strong hand (and being able to dip, double clutch, or flip) far overrides the "shield" gained from using the left in a lot of cases. Again, the left is still there when I need it. I just don't need it as much as I ever thought I did.

[bobbyflay]

Well, I noticed that I am tired from Tuesday-Friday due to vertical jump training. It seems that I sort of lose my basketball touch/feel and miss every shot and layup. I also feel groggy and stupid. I can't make any split second decisions during that time. Then on Saturday-Monday I feel renergized and make most of my shots. It's strange, because I basically lift once a week(Monday) and lift lightly on Wednesday and Friday due to PE. I hope this grogginess goes away once I get used to weight training. I also hope that the results won't stop coming this fast when I do though(got 2 inches and a half in 3 weeks so far). I'm trying to get back on track with basketball because I'm starting to sort of get disgusted with it(lots of drama in bball team and etc lol) and just playing casually. I still want to go for the dream of being a D1 player due to me making the decision with my heart, mind, and soul.

[carpevicis]

To spring off of that point, I actually learned the opposite from experience during a game. Through my youth it had always been stressed that the right hand was used on the right side of the court and the left hand on the left side of the court.

I am an above average one foot jumper off my strong (left) foot. I am a below average jumper off my right foot. Further, my left hand was never as strong as my right. So, that meant I was soaring to the basket when attacking with my right hand and sort of plodding when I attacked off one foot from the left side of the court. As a freshman, if I tried using my right hand from the left side on a fast break, my coach would let me have it.

Weirdly, after watching a lot of Grant Hill (Pistons Grant) and Latrell Sprewell I noticed they often attacked with their right hand regardless of their positioning on the court. It seemed to allow a lot more maneuverability. I gave this a try in games and never looked back. I will use my right hand whenever humanly possible. Jumping off my strong foot and using the hand I was born to use increases my threat level toward the opponent by about 74%. I keep the left hand in my back pocket for two-foot attacks from interesting angles where only a left would make sense (and on reverse layups coming from right to left).

Moral: I learned it's best to attack in a manner that's most comfortable for you and is most likely to result in a made basket. I cannot even begin to explain how many layups I didn't finish as a youth because I was just "trying to do the right thing" by going up with my left. The minute I turned a lot of those opportunities into strong attacks with my right, it all changed.

The thinking tends to be that using the right hand on the left side of the hoop means you're more likely to get your shot blocked. My personal experience is the control, agility, and movement gained from using your strong hand (and being able to dip, double clutch, or flip) far overrides the "shield" gained from using the left in a lot of cases. Again, the left is still there when I need it. I just don't need it as much as I ever thought I did.

I completely agree. I find that most of the time, when I attack left I have to make a quick decision how I want to finish. If I feel I can beat the help defender, I will almost always use my right hand. I can jump quicker off my left foot and finishing with my right makes the move faster. However it makes it easier to get blocked.

When I drive and attack left with contact, I always try and finish with my left hand. It feels much more natural now, I don't feel comfortable bringing the ball up with my right where my defender can strip it. Instead I always try and throw my body into theirs then finish left.

[01amberfirewv]

Hey guys back i have a question. What barbell exercises is use to strengthen the whole body and core?


Cover 6 basic movements and you will work everything; overhead press, bench press, rows, squats Romanian deadlifts, and then throw in some pull ups. I tell my athletes to train those movements instead of focusing on muscle groups.

[AJ2k8]

To spring off of that point, I actually learned the opposite from experience during a game. Through my youth it had always been stressed that the right hand was used on the right side of the court and the left hand on the left side of the court.

I am an above average one foot jumper off my strong (left) foot. I am a below average jumper off my right foot. Further, my left hand was never as strong as my right. So, that meant I was soaring to the basket when attacking with my right hand and sort of plodding when I attacked off one foot from the left side of the court. As a freshman, if I tried using my right hand from the left side on a fast break, my coach would let me have it.

Weirdly, after watching a lot of Grant Hill (Pistons Grant) and Latrell Sprewell I noticed they often attacked with their right hand regardless of their positioning on the court. It seemed to allow a lot more maneuverability. I gave this a try in games and never looked back. I will use my right hand whenever humanly possible. Jumping off my strong foot and using the hand I was born to use increases my threat level toward the opponent by about 74%. I keep the left hand in my back pocket for two-foot attacks from interesting angles where only a left would make sense (and on reverse layups coming from right to left).

Moral: I learned it's best to attack in a manner that's most comfortable for you and is most likely to result in a made basket. I cannot even begin to explain how many layups I didn't finish as a youth because I was just "trying to do the right thing" by going up with my left. The minute I turned a lot of those opportunities into strong attacks with my right, it all changed.

The thinking tends to be that using the right hand on the left side of the hoop means you're more likely to get your shot blocked. My personal experience is the control, agility, and movement gained from using your strong hand (and being able to dip, double clutch, or flip) far overrides the "shield" gained from using the left in a lot of cases. Again, the left is still there when I need it. I just don't need it as much as I ever thought I did.

That's understandable, strange thing for me though is that i seem to finish better with my left hand these days despite it not being my natural hand. Obviously there's exceptions to that like finger-rolls and stuff like that are easier with my right. I think another reason why i finish with my left a lot is because my euro step is much better when i go right then left because i'm a left foot jumper and so i'll end of to the left of the basket or moving towards the left and it doesn't feel comfortable using my right while moving left if you know what i mean.. Really depends on the situation though i guess:cheers:

[Rake2204]

That's understandable, strange thing for me though is that i seem to finish better with my left hand these days despite it not being my natural hand. Obviously there's exceptions to that like finger-rolls and stuff like that are easier with my right. I think another reason why i finish with my left a lot is because my euro step is much better when i go right then left because i'm a left foot jumper and so i'll end of to the left of the basket or moving towards the left and it doesn't feel comfortable using my right while moving left if you know what i mean.. Really depends on the situation though i guess:cheers:
Yeah, I believe it definitely varies from person to person. For instance, my 9th grade brother might be a better left hand, open court layup guy than I ever was. However, he is a much weaker left-foot "strong" jumper and finisher than I was at that age.

And regarding the Euro, out of curiosity, in your situation do you finish with a left hand layup off your left foot? I am also a left foot jumper (as previously mentioned) so like you, I step with my right first on my Euro then takeoff with my left. However, I still finish with my right hand in that situation. My feeling is, if I Euro'd correctly, I will have enough separation to cut in with the right hand finger roll. I think a left hand attempt after the semi-awkward feeling of a Euro would create a much lower percentage shot for me (coming further away from the rim). I'm speaking mostly of Euro's from the right wing here, as a Euro from the left wing should leave me with a right hand finish at the backboard. On the left wing I'd theoretically be near the front of the rim.

I do acknowledge that a Euro from the right wing will sometimes leave me with an awkward reverse type of finish with my right hand but again, I'm sort of counting on cancelling out the difficulty of the shot by being high enough in the air (close enough to the rim) that it remains high percentage. I'm definitely open to alternative approaches though. I'm weary of a left-foot, left-hand finish. Is it very truthworthy for you?

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[AJ2k8]

Yeah, I believe it definitely varies from person to person. For instance, my 9th grade brother might be a better left hand, open court layup guy than I ever was. However, he is a much weaker left-foot "strong" jumper and finisher than I was at that age.

And regarding the Euro, out of curiosity, in your situation do you finish with a left hand layup off your left foot? I am also a left foot jumper (as previously mentioned) so like you, I step with my right first on my Euro then takeoff with my left. However, I still finish with my right hand in that situation. My feeling is, if I Euro'd correctly, I will have enough separation to cut in with the right hand finger roll. I think a left hand attempt after the semi-awkward feeling of a Euro would create a much lower percentage shot for me (coming further away from the rim). I'm speaking mostly of Euro's from the right wing here, as a Euro from the left wing should leave me with a right hand finish at the backboard. On the left wing I'd theoretically be near the front of the rim.

I do acknowledge that a Euro from the right wing will sometimes leave me with an awkward reverse type of finish with my right hand but again, I'm sort of counting on cancelling out the difficulty of the shot by being high enough in the air (close enough to the rim) that it remains high percentage. I'm definitely open to alternative approaches though. I'm weary of a left-foot, left-hand finish. Is it very truthworthy for you?

Sorry for the long response time, didn't see that the thread had been bumped when you posted, good thing that ad spammer bumped this:lol

Anyway in regards to the eurostep, i'm pretty sure it was once awkward to finish off a left foot jump with my left hand but with all things related to finishing with my left i just worked on it to the point that now it feels normal.

I think even from the right wing when i finish at the front of the rim i'd use my left hand simply because using your right when facing left and in front of the ring would require a finger roll or something whereas i'm very comfortable with my left hook. I think that stems from how i learnt to use my left hand though, when i was younger i was happy to sit outside and practice my shimmy to right hook and when i decided that finishing with my left would be a good idea i just started doing the shimmy to left hook from right under the basket until i had a better feel for the ball and then moved out with time.

I guess it's hard to sum up how i move on the court when it varies from situation to situation but as i said my left foot left hand finish is completely comfortable for me so if i do find my self on the left side or running right to left i'll just do what is comfortable which is usually the hand relative to where i am.

The whole Left foot Right foot eurostep is certainly something i'll have to improve on to make my game more complete because i do find that having to take a right step first against an opponent in the paint when i want to finish right makes me much easier to guard whereas if i could fake them out with the left foot and go right i would be much harder to guard. So maybe if i remember next time i'm shooting around i'll put some time into it..

So in summary, yes it is trustworthy for me and it's something i'll go to in that situation but it does take a little bit of time to get used to. :cheers:

[ace23]

Your eyes and head are the two most important factors in determining the success of a crossover.

[Rake2204]

Sorry for the long response time, didn't see that the thread had been bumped when you posted, good thing that ad spammer bumped this:lol

Anyway in regards to the eurostep, i'm pretty sure it was once awkward to finish off a left foot jump with my left hand but with all things related to finishing with my left i just worked on it to the point that now it feels normal.

I think even from the right wing when i finish at the front of the rim i'd use my left hand simply because using your right when facing left and in front of the ring would require a finger roll or something whereas i'm very comfortable with my left hook. I think that stems from how i learnt to use my left hand though, when i was younger i was happy to sit outside and practice my shimmy to right hook and when i decided that finishing with my left would be a good idea i just started doing the shimmy to left hook from right under the basket until i had a better feel for the ball and then moved out with time.

I guess it's hard to sum up how i move on the court when it varies from situation to situation but as i said my left foot left hand finish is completely comfortable for me so if i do find my self on the left side or running right to left i'll just do what is comfortable which is usually the hand relative to where i am.

The whole Left foot Right foot eurostep is certainly something i'll have to improve on to make my game more complete because i do find that having to take a right step first against an opponent in the paint when i want to finish right makes me much easier to guard whereas if i could fake them out with the left foot and go right i would be much harder to guard. So maybe if i remember next time i'm shooting around i'll put some time into it..

So in summary, yes it is trustworthy for me and it's something i'll go to in that situation but it does take a little bit of time to get used to. :cheers:

I should take a closer look, do you think NBA players Euro beginning with either foot? Or do they typically always Euro starting with the same foot?

[AJ2k8]

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

This video shows a few of Dwyane Wade's eurostep's and when he talks about he it says that he goes right and then left, everything i've seen in the first minute or so is right to left and either hand finish.

The way he gets his eurosteps are very similar to myself, coming from the top with the big man alone in the middle.

Edit: every single time it shows him do it he goes Right then Left :cheers:

[KokoWarzone]

i realize that their is more room for improvement. and i can use my left hand/weak hand in shooting a layup, i just need to practice it more and do lefth and /weak hand drills. it motivate me more and more to practice, practice, practice:rockon:

[bobbyflay]

Wel it's been a long time since updating. It was true that I couldn't practice like 5 hours a day during school year(so much tests. it's about to get ALOT harder sophomore year. once I transform myself once again this summer, I'll be looking forward to finishing the school year and transforming myself again. What I mean by transformation is that in 8th grade, I could barely dribble with my left hand and could barely layup. I also couldn't do figure 8/bounce with two balls/let alone do a spider. Now I'm confident with my left hand. I'm working on doing bullet passes with it though.)

[bobbyflay]

I've been training this summer. I'm going to have these next 3 weeks basically off. I develeoped my shot pretty well. It's just that I need about 50-100 before I'm automatic.

My game is basically floaters/pull up jumpers/slashing right now. I want to be able to shoot deep 3's so I'm working on my range. I also want to be very crafty under the rim so I'm working on that too.

I can touch a 9'11 rim now. I have a feeling in about 2-3 I'll be able to touch a 10'0 rim(30 inch vertical right now). I got 5 and a half inches over the course of 4 months(3 month program but some stuff happened).

I'm still working. I didn't update because I was just too busy. I hope this inspires other people like when a other thread inspired me but that person stopped posting.

[No Name]

Wel it's been a long time since updating. It was true that I couldn't practice like 5 hours a day during school year(so much tests. it's about to get ALOT harder sophomore year. once I transform myself once again this summer, I'll be looking forward to finishing the school year and transforming myself again. What I mean by transformation is that in 8th grade, I could barely dribble with my left hand and could barely layup. I also couldn't do figure 8/bounce with two balls/let alone do a spider. Now I'm confident with my left hand. I'm working on doing bullet passes with it though.)

this may sound stupid bu what is a bullet pass?

[theydidntnameme]

bullet passes are just throwing a really hard rocket propelled pass. so it gets from point A to point B in the blink of an eye

[Marv_Albert]

bullet passes are just throwing a really hard rocket propelled pass. so it gets from point A to point B in the blink of an eye

And hurt if they hit you square in the face

[Stuckey]

this is probably super basic

but if u are worried about a guy who is quick as fvck but weak shot, just make a low wide stance with one arm stretched to his strong side dribble, dont shift body too much and over commit to either side

practice using jab steps, if the guy doesnt flinch and there's space, pop that shit

learn how to do that spin move but look for the assist, if nothing happens and the defender is right on u, put the ball low and throw it off the back of his leg back to yourself and try drawing an and1 or look for assist, works only once in a while, if he fell for it, he'll give u space and u got a short distance shot, if u get good at this quick, learn to do a floater at the end of the spin
- you're playing against trees, i find it works well against them

dribble between the legs, then dribble behind + all the variations on these fake dribbling moves, when playing pick up, practice these and find some good shots off these

a mid range fadeaway is an underrated shot when your body is in control

if u can master the jordan quick two dribble pull up, u are god of shooting guards

try a fake pick then roll

use a lot of shot fakes (before your dribble), either defender jumps and u blow by or he's too tight with hands straight up, roll the ball off his ass and proceed to dunk

if the defender only plays tight when you are dribbling low, then dribble upright till u are in your sweet spot, pop that shit

LET IT RAIN!!!

[bobbyflay]

^hah awesome.

Well, it seems that bball training is starting to alienate me. I only talk to a few people now because of most of the bball players are eh.. and my "friends" who I played pick up with last year don't give a shit about bball and are now becoming what the bball players are that made them disgusted of last years players and quit, players that don't give a shit about basketball lol.

I'm getting frustuated due to my hard practice but not catching up to the bball players yet(they practiced 6 more months than me before) so I'm practicing consistently 6 days a week and weight lifting like crazy.

I know I'll be successful as long as I'm on this path!

[Kato]

everytime i "eurostep" people call it traveling so i took that out my game. and incorporated the allen iverson back up dribble move. It helps so much against pesky defenders..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDLnZ01CDvo&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLA18FCD0DAE21E62E

[Rake2204]

everytime i "eurostep" people call it traveling so i took that out my game. and incorporated the allen iverson back up dribble move. It helps so much against pesky defenders..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDLnZ01CDvo&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLA18FCD0DAE21E62E
The Euro is now being accepted by most people throughout basketball culture. I know nothing about your game, but I think it'd be worth double checking with a reliable friend/coach/official to see whether you're Euro-stepping in a correct fashion. Sometimes what we feel we're doing is different from what we're actually pulling off. In my experience, I've been able to Euro without repercussion and my younger, high school-aged brother also utilizes the move. I've seen him whistled for a Euro-walk once in recent memory.

I'd encourage you to maintain your Ivo-step back while re-implementing your Euro-step. I