I don't care if you are an NBA fan or not- these games are exciting!
I couldn't believe the finish to the Celtic and Bulls game. It was a double overtime thriller. I thought each team had the game in the bag several times and the other team would hit a remarkable shot. Which leads me to my post...
How many times have you been apart of a high school game where the final shot was going to determine the outcome of the game? I have been in many of them as a player, coach, and spectator. More than not- the final shot is a "brick." But yet at the NBA level these players make or come close nearly every time. Automatic! Automatic! Automatic!
When pressure is on and the shot to be taken is a long range jumper the players that have shot thousands of shots and have grooved the pattern are the ones hitting or nearly hitting the game winning shot.
In the final moments of an exciting barn burner the players get overtaken many times by emotions and don't think as clearly as they do in practice when there is little pressure to make the shot. But in games that are close and the crowd is going wild the only thing you have to rely on is the fact that your body has rehearsed the shot so many times it is basically on auto-pilot. These are why game winning shots occur at the highest level. The NBA guys shoot for a living. But can you imagine if you could get high school kids to practice each and every day for at least 100 shots. What a difference in their confidence level. One of my nephews hit over 250 3 pointers in high school. He practiced his shot all the time. It was common for him to hit 7 3 pointers in a game. As where many players hardly can hit one.
Now, lets take this same philosophy of grooving the shooting pattern with other areas such as footwork, dribbling, passing, and defense. If you practiced these skills over and over eventually they would become automatic patterns, or default patterns. Great low post players have rehearsed the footwork patterns so much they can take a low post defender to school almost at will. Great ball handlers can dribble through pressure in the final seconds just as easy as they can in practice or at the park. It is because they are automatic play. They don't think about it- they just do it. It is so natural and common.
The difficult part is finding that player that is willing to work at any skill long enough to become great at it. Putting the work in when they are not feeling up to it is a difficult task- but those who succeed know this and are willing to pay the price.
Our task as coaches is to create situations where players can get tons of repetitions and concentration during the session. The thing you don't want is sloppy reps where they don't practice the skill correctly. If you are creative you can use many different drills to accomplish virtually the same skill- but it looks and feels different to the player so they work hard at it.
I would love to hear some ideas you have on this subject.
Play Hard,
Lee
PS: We know that great players have to work hard at their skills but we also know that great coaches must do the same thing. Coaches that are willing to take the time to research, attend clinics, and invest in resources to help their skills are going to be successful. Basketball Speed is a resource dedicated to improving how coaches can teach on the court speed. If you want to become a top notch basketball speed coach you need to check out www.MyBasketballSpeed.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Getting On The Boards!
One of the most difficult skills to coach in basketball is rebounding. It is one of those skills taken over by attitude. Players with a "nose" for the ball and a willingness to battle are better rebounders than those who are less aggressive- even if they both have great box out technique.
Here is my thought on coaching rebounding.
You want to break down the fundamentals of boxing out. How to locate your man, how to make contact (go out and get your man), how to create a wide low body to have leverage, how to release and get the ball, then what to do with the ball once you've got it.
Every player can learn these skills and do them well during practice, but why don't they do it during games? I think it is because we don't have patients.
Boxing out takes discipline. Players have to be willing to take their eye off the shot when it is released, find the man, make contact and stay in contact until the ball is coming off the rim. All the while their natural instinct tells then to go get the ball- follow the ball. This is the way the rest of the game is played. Players move immediately on a pass, they move when their opponent dribbles, they cut to the hoop, the drive past defenders, and they dive for loose balls. But in boxing out you have to be patient and not move toward the play immediately. You actually move slightly away from the ball. This is takes training to be good at.
Here are some of my favorite drills I use to work on boxing out:
1. Shadow "Boxing"- Basically the rebounder slowly works on the techniques of boxing out with out a partner. The coach will point in the direction he or she wants the player to turn/step through and box out. This is how the player can get comfortable with the footwork.
2. Partner box out. Now add a partner and the rebounder must react to the direction the offensive player moves. Take it slow at first.
3. Live shot box out. Now the defender must rebound the ball off a live shot. The coach must stop the play every time the defender fails to do it correctly- even if they get the rebound. The reason for this is to get the players thinking about always doing it right to it becomes a habit.
4. 3 on 3 game- same as the live shot but now the they play a game. The offensive team gets 2 points for a rebound and the defense gets 1 point. The game goes to 5. This makes the defenders really focus and work.
5. Criss cross box out- Here you will teach your players to not chase but to protect their area. So the offensive players (start 3 on 3) will be bunched up and when the shot is taken they will attach the basket from different angles. The defenders must find the offensive player in their region and seal them off. This drill takes discipline. When I coaches high school boys basketball I use to have my players on foul shot call a play that meant the our closest rebounders to the board (this is when we were shooting) would cross hard. We were always good for a few cheap rebounds using this play. The reason is the inside rebounder always chases and doesn't defender their side.
So try these 5 drills out. Really the drill doesn't matter as much a the focus on discipline and technique. The one thing you don't want to discourage though is a players will and aggressiveness to go get the ball. So you as the coach have to balance the two.
Let me know what you think.
Play Hard,
Lee
PS: A great set of drills to improve athletic footwork to help boxing out are in my newest DVD set called Ground Breaking 2. Check it out at www.GroundBreaking2.com
Here is my thought on coaching rebounding.
You want to break down the fundamentals of boxing out. How to locate your man, how to make contact (go out and get your man), how to create a wide low body to have leverage, how to release and get the ball, then what to do with the ball once you've got it.
Every player can learn these skills and do them well during practice, but why don't they do it during games? I think it is because we don't have patients.
Boxing out takes discipline. Players have to be willing to take their eye off the shot when it is released, find the man, make contact and stay in contact until the ball is coming off the rim. All the while their natural instinct tells then to go get the ball- follow the ball. This is the way the rest of the game is played. Players move immediately on a pass, they move when their opponent dribbles, they cut to the hoop, the drive past defenders, and they dive for loose balls. But in boxing out you have to be patient and not move toward the play immediately. You actually move slightly away from the ball. This is takes training to be good at.
Here are some of my favorite drills I use to work on boxing out:
1. Shadow "Boxing"- Basically the rebounder slowly works on the techniques of boxing out with out a partner. The coach will point in the direction he or she wants the player to turn/step through and box out. This is how the player can get comfortable with the footwork.
2. Partner box out. Now add a partner and the rebounder must react to the direction the offensive player moves. Take it slow at first.
3. Live shot box out. Now the defender must rebound the ball off a live shot. The coach must stop the play every time the defender fails to do it correctly- even if they get the rebound. The reason for this is to get the players thinking about always doing it right to it becomes a habit.
4. 3 on 3 game- same as the live shot but now the they play a game. The offensive team gets 2 points for a rebound and the defense gets 1 point. The game goes to 5. This makes the defenders really focus and work.
5. Criss cross box out- Here you will teach your players to not chase but to protect their area. So the offensive players (start 3 on 3) will be bunched up and when the shot is taken they will attach the basket from different angles. The defenders must find the offensive player in their region and seal them off. This drill takes discipline. When I coaches high school boys basketball I use to have my players on foul shot call a play that meant the our closest rebounders to the board (this is when we were shooting) would cross hard. We were always good for a few cheap rebounds using this play. The reason is the inside rebounder always chases and doesn't defender their side.
So try these 5 drills out. Really the drill doesn't matter as much a the focus on discipline and technique. The one thing you don't want to discourage though is a players will and aggressiveness to go get the ball. So you as the coach have to balance the two.
Let me know what you think.
Play Hard,
Lee
PS: A great set of drills to improve athletic footwork to help boxing out are in my newest DVD set called Ground Breaking 2. Check it out at www.GroundBreaking2.com
Monday, April 13, 2009
Improve Your Shooting With....
I hope you are off to a good week. Here in Indiana the weather is ever changing. It is 38 and rainy one morning and 65 and sunny the next. I guess that is spring weather.
One thing that never changes is you have to put the ball in the hoop to get points. How you go about putting it in the hoop is another story.
There are many different shooting programs and coaches out there. All of them have the goal of improving the consistent nature of the shot. The funny thing is if you look at some of the best shooters we have in the game they all have a little different technique- but they all are consistent with their own technique.
Steve Nash shoots from off his shoulder- so did Larry Bird. Reggie Miller released in line with his head plus had a crossing follow through. You can list all the great shooters, and they all had different set-ups and follow-throughs, but they all grooved a pattern that worked for them.
Personally, I shoot and teach shooting more like the way Steve Nash shoots. I want the ball to be over my shooting elbow. I don't want the ball passing my eyes- I keep the window open by having the ball travel up the side of my face and in front of my shoulder. My release is at the hoop every time. When I position the ball in front of my face or in front of my shooting eye my wrist is not comfortable, and I normally shoot off target to the left. BUT THIS IS ME! I am comfortable in the pattern of shooting, because I grooved the pattern for many years.
When I am teaching young kids to shoot, I want them to balance the ball in their shooting hand as if they are going to shoot one handed. I then have them put the guide hand on the ball. Normally, this positions them so the ball is in-line with the shooting shoulder. Now as they grow and if I see them drift the ball inward toward the shooting eye but they keep shooting well, I know this is more comfortable for them. The key is I want the ball being shot straight at the hoop. When the shooter missed to the right or left consistently then I need to get them back into grooving a straight pattern.
Here are some shooting drill I like to use with young players:
1. Line shooting- The player sets up on a gym floor line and shoots the ball up and out like a real shot and tries to hit the line on the landing. This is a great visual drill to test how accurate they are and how straight the release is.
2. Wall shooting- Now the player gets more legs involved and tries to get the ball up on the wall with some arc. The ball should hit a target that is in-line with the correct shooting motion. Normally gym walls have bricks- I want the player to aim for the center of the brick.
3. Touch shooting- The player is now going to shoot at the hoop, but they have to be within 5-8 feet. I want soft shots and with the same action on every shot. I normally use the low blocks, short corner, short wing, center of lane. This allows the player to not have to push too hard to make the distance and allows for a consistent action.
4. Touch shooting off the catch- This drill forces the player to be aligned to the basket and bring the ball to the shot pocket quickly. I want legs knees and hips bent, feet squared to the hoop, and hands ready.
5. Touch shooting off the dribble- The player in this drill must be able to take the ball off the last dribble (which should be a hard dribble) and go up through the shot pocket and into the release in a smooth motion.
All of these drills should emphasize a great follow through and soft touch.
Give them a shot and let me know what you think.
Play Hard
Lee
One thing that never changes is you have to put the ball in the hoop to get points. How you go about putting it in the hoop is another story.
There are many different shooting programs and coaches out there. All of them have the goal of improving the consistent nature of the shot. The funny thing is if you look at some of the best shooters we have in the game they all have a little different technique- but they all are consistent with their own technique.
Steve Nash shoots from off his shoulder- so did Larry Bird. Reggie Miller released in line with his head plus had a crossing follow through. You can list all the great shooters, and they all had different set-ups and follow-throughs, but they all grooved a pattern that worked for them.
Personally, I shoot and teach shooting more like the way Steve Nash shoots. I want the ball to be over my shooting elbow. I don't want the ball passing my eyes- I keep the window open by having the ball travel up the side of my face and in front of my shoulder. My release is at the hoop every time. When I position the ball in front of my face or in front of my shooting eye my wrist is not comfortable, and I normally shoot off target to the left. BUT THIS IS ME! I am comfortable in the pattern of shooting, because I grooved the pattern for many years.
When I am teaching young kids to shoot, I want them to balance the ball in their shooting hand as if they are going to shoot one handed. I then have them put the guide hand on the ball. Normally, this positions them so the ball is in-line with the shooting shoulder. Now as they grow and if I see them drift the ball inward toward the shooting eye but they keep shooting well, I know this is more comfortable for them. The key is I want the ball being shot straight at the hoop. When the shooter missed to the right or left consistently then I need to get them back into grooving a straight pattern.
Here are some shooting drill I like to use with young players:
1. Line shooting- The player sets up on a gym floor line and shoots the ball up and out like a real shot and tries to hit the line on the landing. This is a great visual drill to test how accurate they are and how straight the release is.
2. Wall shooting- Now the player gets more legs involved and tries to get the ball up on the wall with some arc. The ball should hit a target that is in-line with the correct shooting motion. Normally gym walls have bricks- I want the player to aim for the center of the brick.
3. Touch shooting- The player is now going to shoot at the hoop, but they have to be within 5-8 feet. I want soft shots and with the same action on every shot. I normally use the low blocks, short corner, short wing, center of lane. This allows the player to not have to push too hard to make the distance and allows for a consistent action.
4. Touch shooting off the catch- This drill forces the player to be aligned to the basket and bring the ball to the shot pocket quickly. I want legs knees and hips bent, feet squared to the hoop, and hands ready.
5. Touch shooting off the dribble- The player in this drill must be able to take the ball off the last dribble (which should be a hard dribble) and go up through the shot pocket and into the release in a smooth motion.
All of these drills should emphasize a great follow through and soft touch.
Give them a shot and let me know what you think.
Play Hard
Lee
Monday, April 6, 2009
Don't Put Winning Over Learning at This....
Recently the travel team that my daughters are on (4th grade and 5th grade team) played in a tournament. It was their first one. They did an outstanding job for the first go around. Previous to this, we played in a scrimmage against one other team. It was great for my kids to get more exposure to the game and against other teams. But there is something bothering me...
Last night I did an interview for the Basketball Speed Insiders ( http://www.basketballspeedinsiders.com/) with my brother Jim Taft. He was the first interview I did for the Basketball Speed Insiders and members loved it so I did another one with him. While we were talking about youth basketball programs, I brought up my displeasure with youth coaches (basically 13 and under teams) using a zone defense at this level. I believe the only reason you would do this is to win, but I think you can still encourage winning and not jeopardize the integrity of the game. I believe zones hurt the game at this age level. I don't know too many kids that can shoot a quality jumper from the range you need to be effective versus a zone. Plus I feel zones teach players the wrong concept of defense. They need to learn to cover their man and how to help and recover and switch if needed. But not get lazy by playing in a zone. I asked my brother Jim about his feelings and he totally agreed. He actually felt the commissioners of the youth leagues need to make it a rule that zones are not allowed. I totally agree.
Here's the thing; I am not opposed to zones at the upper levels- I think they are useful and a great strategy at times. But at the youth level you are basically saying "I don't care about the development of the player I just don't want to lose this game." In my opinion that is a poor decision.
The goal of the youth game is to teach the kids to develop their most fundamental skills and then gradually expose them to more strategies and tactics. Playing a zone is saying the heck with fundamentals I am going to use this strategy. Come on! Let the kids learn how to dribble versus man-to-man. Let them learn how to make a back door cut and a pick and roll. Teach them to set up a defender and penetrate. These are the parts of the game the kids need to learn.
In this tournament my 4th grade team which is mainly comprised of 3rd graders with a few 4th graders, had to play against a zone. I had to call a time out and walk out on the floor and place the kids in the correct spots- even then they were trying to dribble into the zone. I talked to them about passing the ball and reversing, but they are 3rd graders who have never played the game before. When the team played us man-to-man we could make some things happen. The game should be man-to-man. Coaches should teach their players how to play help defense, denial defense and anything in between but keep it man-to-man.
Well, I have had some people say, "Well they have to learn it sometime" or "Why don't you teach them how to play versus a zone?" I don't have one 3rd or 4th grader that has the strength to shoot the ball from outside 10-11 feet with correct form. I don't want them to have to chuck the ball up just because the other coach doesn't see the importance of proper coaching and plays us in a zone. The bottom line is I could waste a lot of practice time teaching the kids how to beat a zone and all that it would do is take away from coaching time on important fundamentals.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Play Hard,
Lee
PS: Hey, Now is the time you should be focusing on developing your players. The season are pretty much over. Basketball Speed Insiders is a great resource for you to do just that. Go To http://www.basketballspeedinsiders.com/
Last night I did an interview for the Basketball Speed Insiders ( http://www.basketballspeedinsiders.com/) with my brother Jim Taft. He was the first interview I did for the Basketball Speed Insiders and members loved it so I did another one with him. While we were talking about youth basketball programs, I brought up my displeasure with youth coaches (basically 13 and under teams) using a zone defense at this level. I believe the only reason you would do this is to win, but I think you can still encourage winning and not jeopardize the integrity of the game. I believe zones hurt the game at this age level. I don't know too many kids that can shoot a quality jumper from the range you need to be effective versus a zone. Plus I feel zones teach players the wrong concept of defense. They need to learn to cover their man and how to help and recover and switch if needed. But not get lazy by playing in a zone. I asked my brother Jim about his feelings and he totally agreed. He actually felt the commissioners of the youth leagues need to make it a rule that zones are not allowed. I totally agree.
Here's the thing; I am not opposed to zones at the upper levels- I think they are useful and a great strategy at times. But at the youth level you are basically saying "I don't care about the development of the player I just don't want to lose this game." In my opinion that is a poor decision.
The goal of the youth game is to teach the kids to develop their most fundamental skills and then gradually expose them to more strategies and tactics. Playing a zone is saying the heck with fundamentals I am going to use this strategy. Come on! Let the kids learn how to dribble versus man-to-man. Let them learn how to make a back door cut and a pick and roll. Teach them to set up a defender and penetrate. These are the parts of the game the kids need to learn.
In this tournament my 4th grade team which is mainly comprised of 3rd graders with a few 4th graders, had to play against a zone. I had to call a time out and walk out on the floor and place the kids in the correct spots- even then they were trying to dribble into the zone. I talked to them about passing the ball and reversing, but they are 3rd graders who have never played the game before. When the team played us man-to-man we could make some things happen. The game should be man-to-man. Coaches should teach their players how to play help defense, denial defense and anything in between but keep it man-to-man.
Well, I have had some people say, "Well they have to learn it sometime" or "Why don't you teach them how to play versus a zone?" I don't have one 3rd or 4th grader that has the strength to shoot the ball from outside 10-11 feet with correct form. I don't want them to have to chuck the ball up just because the other coach doesn't see the importance of proper coaching and plays us in a zone. The bottom line is I could waste a lot of practice time teaching the kids how to beat a zone and all that it would do is take away from coaching time on important fundamentals.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Play Hard,
Lee
PS: Hey, Now is the time you should be focusing on developing your players. The season are pretty much over. Basketball Speed Insiders is a great resource for you to do just that. Go To http://www.basketballspeedinsiders.com/
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