How to improve your basketball confidence

I mean.. You might think that Im D1 talent looking at me while im shooting around. I am dunking, I have super fancy handles, I can hit 10/10 from 3pt land, I can break my friend ankles going one on one, Im looking like hakeem with my footwork... but when game time happens...
I cant beat a center on a mismatch. I have 0 confidence in my handles. nada.
I am always ready to shoot, pass, score in the post, but I just cant dribble for shit.

Even tho I can make it work magic during simple pick ups with friends, but other then that I suck. Not that I have any confidence issues during socializing or anything.

Maybe I dribble to soft. I just have to know how to make me feel superior to my opponent. To make him feel like "oh shit".

I think you have a clear case of A. playing against friends who aren't that good, and B. being out of your comfort zone.

It's a young person thing it fades with time.

[QUOTE=CeltsGarlic]I mean.. You might think that Im D1 talent looking at me while im shooting around. I am dunking, I have super fancy handles, I can hit 10/10 from 3pt land, I can break my friend ankles going one on one, Im looking like hakeem with my footwork... but when game time happens...
I cant beat a center on a mismatch. I have 0 confidence in my handles. nada.
I am always ready to shoot, pass, score in the post, but I just cant dribble for shit.

Even tho I can make it work magic during simple pick ups with friends, but other then that I suck. Not that I have any confidence issues during socializing or anything.

Maybe I dribble to soft. I just have to know how to make me feel superior to my opponent. To make him feel like "oh shit".[/QUOTE]

practice in game situations

go hard and fast when you work on your handles, you want to pound that ball to the point you are going to lose it

build in hesitation, change of speed, change of direction into your game

when the opponets see you are scared or inconfident of handling the ball, that's when they will press the F out of you and even trap you to cause a turn over.

for now, you have two choice, pass the damn ball to someone that can handle the rock or work on your handles

Dont play scared. Like mr beast said, once people notice you aren't confident or scared to turn it over, they are gonna start trapping you ever time they can.

I hate when people play like they are scared to **** up. I see people pass up open shots because they are scared to miss. Just be confident and act like you are the best player on the court.

alright. I can do this.

and no, my friends doesnt suck.

I had this exact problem when younger. I would become clumsy and lock up when playing. I was afraid to make mistakes.

One day I just told myself not to give a f[COLOR="Black"]u[/COLOR]ck. Fixed. Now I go hard, and nobody likes playing against me.

i was like this when i played soccer, x10. i didn't even want the ball i was so nervous. i guess i just felt a lot more confident with basketball for some reason.

Alright, I have a month to get over myself. I promise myself to get over my handles! I NEED EM DAMMIT!
I play starting PG for my university and I cant fvcking fail!

Before I play a game ( real or pickup basketball). I visualize myself that I am going to have a good game. I am already an 18 yrs. veteran (Starting playing at age 8). and I still got nervous.

And don't drink coffee or soft drinks before you play a game.

First of all I think you have to embrace the challenge rather than fear it.

Secondly it can also be helpful to play against better players. You might suck in those games but once you play against your usual opponents again you will feel more confident because everything will be a lot easier for you. Maybe the other way around works too, building your confidence by dominating a game against poor players.

Thanks both of you. Im spending playing ball everyday now now for at least 3h. I think week like that and I might turn myself over the problem.

[QUOTE=CeltsGarlic]Thanks both of you. Im spending playing ball everyday now now for at least 3h. I think week like that and I might turn myself over the problem.[/QUOTE]


mind sharing what you are doing in that 3 hours?

if you are training, make sure you are going hard, do not just play pick up for 3 hrs straight every single day, it's rather useless because competition is not always good and you only get so much from it rather than working on your game.

Play with as many different dudes as you can, different parks, rec centres, ages, races, everything. You will improve.

[QUOTE=mr beast]mind sharing what you are doing in that 3 hours?

if you are training, make sure you are going hard, do not just play pick up for 3 hrs straight every single day, it's rather useless because competition is not always good and you only get so much from it rather than working on your game.[/QUOTE]

Yep, mostly pick up. But if no one is there I just work on my handles trying to make all kinds of combos that are really tough, and just doing all this stuff while maintaining control of myself and the ball. I also like to create all crazy games , like Im dribbling doing all the stuff like I would if I were heavily defended and when car passes by (about every 15 secs) I pull up for a jumper. With the best foot placement possible tho, and not just jack up some fade away.

Or try to do moves from tutorials and shit Ive seen at home.

To improve basketball confidence:

Play against decent opposition that you are not familiar with.

Play with much better players than yourself -bit of a double edge sword here, as they can be so good it discourages you or it can make you better so when you play against your usual competition.

Practice, I mean do actual drills. Not playing pickup ball, over the years I found that pickup ball whilst fun doesn't do anything for my skill level. To actively improve, you have to practice.

I played against lower level competition tonight in the street court.
And while my handles were much better, couple of times I couldnt cross this guy who I should be beating without any problems...

But Im steadily improving. My athleticism is as good as ever been. It really helps with rebounding and finishing layups.

[QUOTE=CeltsGarlic]Yep, mostly pick up. But if no one is there I just work on my handles trying to make all kinds of combos that are really tough, and just doing all this stuff while maintaining control of myself and the ball. I also like to create all crazy games , like Im dribbling doing all the stuff like I would if I were heavily defended and when car passes by (about every 15 secs) I pull up for a jumper. With the best foot placement possible tho, and not just jack up some fade away.

Or try to do moves from tutorials and shit Ive seen at home.[/QUOTE]


make sure you are not doing them just stationary, you need to dribble hard and at a speed. go as fast and hard as you can on every dribble and while moving.this will build your handles for in game situations.

also, what the hell do you mean by taking a shot when car drives by, you playing in your drive way ?

[QUOTE=mr beast]make sure you are not doing them just stationary, you need to dribble hard and at a speed. go as fast and hard as you can on every dribble and while moving.this will build your handles for in game situations.

also, what the hell do you mean by taking a shot when car drives by, you playing in your drive way ?[/QUOTE]

U, no, but the park is really close to the road. :lol

Yeah, that in one place dribbling shit sucks.

[url]http://www.basketballhypnosis.com/[/url]

[QUOTE=Pushxx]One day I just told myself not to give a f[COLOR="Black"]u[/COLOR]ck. Fixed. Now I go hard, and nobody likes playing against me.[/QUOTE]That's actually exactly what I had to do. I still get nerves in certain basketball situations but in terms of coming to grips with playing in front of a crowd, my best solution was to not care, or more accurately, pretend and act like I didn't care. It was a "fake it 'til you make it" situation.

[QUOTE=stevieming]Practice, I mean do actual drills. Not playing pickup ball, over the years I found that pickup ball whilst fun doesn't do anything for my skill level. To actively improve, you have to practice.[/QUOTE]I'd qualify this quote a little bit. I think it all depends upon the content of these drills and games. For me, I feel like pickup games are a great opportunity to develop my game. If developing one's game is a puzzle, the drills might be creating the pieces, but actual games is where we put them all together, so I guess I find both aspects necessary to improving. And sometimes, finding how to utilize those pieces in-game can be just as difficult as drilling in those areas. So when done right, I'm a fan of using pickup as a tool for improvement.

[QUOTE=Rake2204]That's actually exactly what I had to do. I still get nerves in certain basketball situations but in terms of coming to grips with playing in front of a crowd, my best solution was to not care, or more accurately, pretend and act like I didn't care. It was a "fake it 'til you make it" situation.

I'd qualify this quote a little bit. I think it all depends upon the content of these drills and games. For me, I feel like pickup games are a great opportunity to develop my game. If developing one's game is a puzzle, the drills might be creating the pieces, but actual games is where we put them all together, so I guess I find both aspects necessary to improving. And sometimes, finding how to utilize those pieces in-game can be just as difficult as drilling in those areas. So when done right, I'm a fan of using pickup as a tool for improvement.[/QUOTE]


yep but the problem is that most people just play pick up only, they never ever work on their game. you wont really get any better by only playing pick up. you should use pick up ball as an evaluation to what is lacking in your game then work on improving that aspect of your game.

even with the above, i do not recommend doing the assessment through pick up. if you are playing organized ball, it's a much better assessment for the two reasons. 1. Referee will likely catch any of your bad habits as a violation 2. Your competition is generally better in a reffed game than a random pick up

[QUOTE=mr beast]yep but the problem is that most people just play pick up only, they never ever work on their game. you wont really get any better by only playing pick up. you should use pick up ball as an evaluation to what is lacking in your game then work on improving that aspect of your game.

even with the above, i do not recommend doing the assessment through pick up. if you are playing organized ball, it's a much better assessment for the two reasons. 1. Referee will likely catch any of your bad habits as a violation 2. Your competition is generally better in a reffed game than a random pick up[/QUOTE]I agree with you on just about all fronts. I don't think folks should [i]just[/i] play pickup ball if they're looking to improve. Drilling is a huge part of improving. Also, if it's an organized ballplayer, clearly that's the level they should be aiming for and playing as much as possible within such a setting (scrimmages, summer leagues, actual games, etc.)

I was merely debating the point as to whether pickup ball could actually help improve one's skill level. I feel, when done right, pickup basketball can be an effective supplement to one's skill as opposed to being a detriment. In fact, I developed a lot of my on-court mentality and feel from pickup games and open gyms throughout my life. This allowed me an elevated level of comfort and ability when I actually [i]did[/i] play in organized games and contests (in conjunction with the drill and conditioning prep).

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I agree with you on just about all fronts. I don't think folks should [i]just[/i] play pickup ball if they're looking to improve. Drilling is a huge part of improving. Also, if it's an organized ballplayer, clearly that's the level they should be aiming for and playing as much as possible within such a setting (scrimmages, summer leagues, actual games, etc.)

I was merely debating the point as to whether pickup ball could actually help improve one's skill level. I feel, when done right, pickup basketball can be an effective supplement to one's skill as opposed to being a detriment. In fact, I developed a lot of my on-court mentality and feel from pickup games and open gyms throughout my life. This allowed me an elevated level of comfort and ability when I actually [i]did[/i] play in organized games and contests (in conjunction with the drill and conditioning prep).[/QUOTE]

yes sir and agreed. i just dont want someone to take it the wrong way and go out and play 2~3 hours of pick up every single day and wonder why they never improved after 6 months.
Edit: 90% of the people i see only plays pick up or organized game, they completely ignore working on their game individually to improve which is why i want to stress it.

i do that sometimes too, basketball is very much a mental games . playing pick up can be a great way to boost confidence and get you ready for the real stuff.

You see, for me its completely different. Basically I spent like every summer for 12 years in a row, playing ball by myself at grandpas place in a small village.I played for like 5h a day :lol. I did have like one or two games a month at most. So while playing alone I did all kinds of drills, and I really have good base, my left hand is automatic on lay ups and passing, I have a wet jump shot and all that stuff and great handles without pressure. So the problem is that I have no experience, and those pick ups like I played today are really helping me. Amazingly. From jumpshooter what I was, today I was the guy who takes the ball up court (we ran full court), and I did 95% of the ballhandling, because I was in the zone. Competition was tight, really good and I was playing game of my life.

My whole career in highschool ball, pick ups, leagues, I was just a spot up guy, but I think I finally becoming a legit ball handler. Feels great.

Thanks to you guys, I picked up a lot of good stuff.



What helped me to get it going, while I was bringing the ball up court the first time, is I banged the ball super hard few times to look scary and to feel good :lol worked like magic

I never was so hyped about basketball tho... Its crazy...

In one week I improved more then in 2 years I think.. All psychologically.

anyone know some good drills?

have a glass of wine before tip off

Psych yourself up. Its all mental. Think of something emotional that happened to you in the past, like maybe how much you hate a certain person, then pretend the person guarding you is that person.

[QUOTE=inclinerator]have a glass of wine before tip off[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the info. I actually played against 6'8" and above players, and former pros/current PBA D-league players. They were much better than me, But I learned a lot. I think I scored 16 points in 1 game. When I play in pick up game I am much better than my peers.

gets old... but preparation = confidence

if i get some good warmups, dribbles and jumpers in before a game , i do 10x better then if i just show up and play.

Just play basketball thrice a week.

I always pump up my confidence by reminding myself even the best players in the world only makes half their shots.

As for dribbling, just try to dribble less. Don't start dribbling right when you receive a pass. When you do dribble, dribble with intent. It shouldn't take you more than 3 dribbles to get your shot from anywhere on the (half) court.

Play basketball often.

Watch Michael Jordan highlights on YouTube.

[QUOTE=bdreason]I always pump up my confidence by reminding myself even the best players in the world only makes half their shots.

As for dribbling, just try to dribble less. [B]Don't start dribbling right when you receive a pass[/B]. When you do dribble, dribble with intent. It shouldn't take you more than 3 dribbles to get your shot from anywhere on the (half) court.[/QUOTE]

So many ballers don't know this, they rush and dribble straight away like they have to be somewhere. I think the triple threat is a dying art.

I score most of my points out of the triple threat. Pump fake, jab, drive, pass or shoot. So many weapons at your disposal long before you've even put the ball on the floor.

[QUOTE=bdreason]I always pump up my confidence by reminding myself even the best players in the world only makes half their shots.

As for dribbling, just try to dribble less. Don't start dribbling right when you receive a pass. When you do dribble, dribble with intent. It shouldn't take you more than 3 dribbles to get your shot from anywhere on the (half) court.[/QUOTE]

Yep, my game totally changed after the first time I was put into a drill where it is a half court scrimmage where you can't take more than 3 dribbles. It really teaches you the importance of the triple threat and angles when attacking the hoop. To this day I doubt I ever take more than 5 dribbles without a pass or shot.

It is especially important for a young player's confidence because nothing is as demoralizing as getting your cookies taken.

This is one problem I've never had. I always believe that Im the best (more often than not I am). Act like Kobe.

Just continue practicing. And pick the most hardworking teammates in the Street.

[QUOTE=TylerOO]Dont play scared. Like mr beast said, once people notice you aren't confident or scared to turn it over, they are gonna start trapping you ever time they can.

I hate when people play like they are scared to **** up. I see people pass up open shots because they are scared to miss. Just be confident and act like you are the best player on the court.[/QUOTE]


What if you KNOW you're the worst player on the court. I'm not proud of it but 8/10 times that's the case. I got fcuked in terms of height genetics which is a major factor, but I mean there is no way for me to truly believe I'm the best or even top 3 in any game

[QUOTE=oarabbus]What if you KNOW you're the worst player on the court. I'm not proud of it but 8/10 times that's the case. I got fcuked in terms of height genetics which is a major factor, but I mean there is no way for me to truly believe I'm the best or even top 3 in any game[/QUOTE]In that case, I'd recommend knowing your limits and working to establish a few areas where you may be able to fill some holes for your team and provide a needed contribution. Ask yourself, what do I bring to the basketball court?

There's a lot of areas that go well beyond offensive skill and height. Getting back on defense, locking down on defense. Hustling toward loose balls. Pursuing rebounds even when it seems like they'll probably be out of reach. Cutting as a means of drawing defensive attention. Boxing out. Running the floor and filling lanes (even if you're not a good finisher, filling the lane will at least make the defender recognize you, which may open something up for someone else).

If you can establish what you're good at and what you're not good at, I think that's a good base for establishing confidence. You don't have to think you're the best player out there in order to be confident. But taking pride in one's role can go a long way.