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How to Become Skilled at Basketball for Beginners
- In this blog, I will be covering the keys to having success in basketball for individuals of any age. I have been playing basketball for seventeen years and I have learned incredible knowledge that I wish to share with you.
- The first step to becoming a skilled basketball player is to simply get comfortable with a ball in your hand. You must regularly put yourself out on a court for at least thirty minutes a day. This will build up your endurance so that you will be at your top level during a game.
- Avoid making the mistake of starting out by shooting extremely far out. Although players like Steph Curry regularly shoot from over 30 feet out; you might be a beginner. NBA players have shot millions of shots throughout their lifetime.
- On the contrary, you should start by shooting from three feet behind the hoop. The reason you should be starting so close is so that you can become comfortable around the hoop. I recommend beginners to start this close for the first week of their training.
- The next step is to develop your dribbling skills. The key here is to not be afraid of making mistakes. It’s alright to be losing control of the ball. Do not get discouraged if it’s difficult at first. It’s hard for everybody when they first start out. You have to keep trying and never give up! Remember, everybody was just starting out at some point. All you have to do is stay consistent and keep getting better each and every day.
- Next it’s extremely helpful to learn from those ahead of you. You can learn by watching the professionals play on television and adopting their playstyle. You will be surprised by how much you can learn from the players in the NBA.
- You must take care of your body. Basketball is a highly demanding sport that takes a toll on your stature. Find a local weight room and start working out regularly. You must stay active on the speed and agility side as well. Next, I will go over the jumping aspect:
- When you jump, you should not think, “I’m gonna push as hard as I can to jump high.” Instead, you should think, “I’m going to get off the ground as quickly as I can.” Of course you’re still putting effort into the jump, but just make it quick and springy. The best jumpers are seemingly effortless.
- Stretches: toe touches, pigeon stretch, calf stretch, walking lunges (can also be an exercise if holding weights in both hands), high knees, butt kickers, frankensteins, etc. Calf raises: do on steps, slow and controlled, 15 reps each leg, 4 sets (u can do these everyday).
- Jumprope, 3-5 minutes (can do everyday).
- Exercises: to perform 2-3x per week:
- Box jumps, (height of the box may vary depending on the person) do 10 reps 3 sets with two feet.
- Box jumps single foot - 10 reps 3 sets.
- Depth jump: 6 reps 3 sets.
- Lateral bounds: 8 reps 3 sets.
- Weighted squats 8 reps 3 sets.
- Standing in place finishing under the basket putting spin on the ball, finishing from different angles our ability. It’s also important to be smooth and fluent with your motions. Doing the exercise correctly should be your first priority. Then you can really see the results Now that you have all the basics down you should be ready to start training as a professional. You should always go into a workout with a plan of what you will accomplish during the workout. My workouts adjust depending on the day but here’s an example of what one of my workouts might look like:
- Form shooting (2 feet from the basket, focusing on perfect form and getting swishes).
- Stationary ball handling.
- Light warm up (get the body loose).
- Standing in place finishing under the basket putting spin on the ball, finishing from different angles.
- Floaters off a 1 dribble move.
- 15 midrange shots made , 5 spots (75 total).
- 15 midrange pull up shots made, 5 spots (75 total).
- 20 three pointers made, 5 spots
- Ball screen principals and reads
- Shift defender then do different finishes at the rim
- Off the triple threat, jab step drive from the wing and finish strong
- triple threat on the wing// corner rip through and pull up off 1-2 dribbles.
- Pull up three’s- 5 makes each spot
- Deep three’s - 10 makes each spot You will start seeing immediate results only one week after training. Remember to stay consistent. I’m confident that if you implemen t my advice into your training you will become a skilled player very fast. I wish you the best of luck on your basketball journey!