How to be Better at Basketball : Passing

How to be Better at Basketball 

Passing

"When passing you have to be fast,accurate and consistent"( James Wilson 34). It is important for players to analyze the situation and know what type of pass you should make to your teammate. The type of passes James Wilson covers in his book are :

Bounce Pass , Lob Pass , Chest Pass , Overhead Pass .

Seen here is myself passing the ball to Cerina , with a Overhead/Lob Pass. We use this type of pass during a play called "Line". Best used if the defender is shorter than Cerina. 

Questions ;
Are there any tips you for me on my passing
Are there any passes I missed you think I should Include ?

How to be Better at Basketball : Defense

How to be better at Basketball 

Defense
In the book James Wilson states that different people have different theories on defense so giving advice is limited. 

🏀Defensive Stance 🏀

The few tips he includes on defense is starting out in the defensive stance . 
" Your feet must be spread out wider than shoulder length ... will provide a firm base"
"Back should be straight as possible " 
" Knees should be bent slightly inwards and in half squat position "
" Torso should be leaning forward and arms wide "

The photo below shows me applying these steps to my defensive stance

🏀Boxing Out 🏀

In the book , James Wilson goes over Boxing out. He states that when someone shoots the ball you should not run and go get the ball but to Box Out . You do this by , " pivot around and jam your butt into their leg. This will stop them from getting the ball" (James Wilson 38)

As you can see here I am boxing out JD after Naya had shot the ball(not in the picture). Placing my back on her and having my arms wide so she can not get to the ball .


Questions;
Do you have any tips for my defense ?
What position do you play for your team or sport ?

How to be better at basketball : Shooting

Shooting

How to be better at basketball

Shooting isn't necessarily all about technique , if you look analyze some of the greatest shooters of all time ; Michael Jordan , Ray Allen Reggie Miller. You will notice all of them shoot differently yet they are all great shooters. " There are 3 qualities that will you instantly a great shooter"(Wilson 23).

1. Fast Release : when shooting more than likely someone will be guarding your shot so it is important to be able to shoot before there guard is up.

2. Accuracy : Being able to shoot with accuracy and bank it.

3.Consistency : Need to be able to use and do the same routine to make the shot

Using these 3 qualities will result in a better shot overall , it will not matter if the shot is ugly or not .

Here are the steps James Wilson includes on shooting :

1. Get into triple threat stance to shoot / Shooting Stance 
2. Hold the ball with fingertips with optimal control 
3. Have arms in 90 degree hooks 
4. Rising Up Stay in same position , and stay straight.

Here you can see me using proper form to shoot a free throw.

🏀Long Range Shots🏀

When doing Long Range Shots , like 3 pointers , elbow shots . You have to set up for the shot before you receive the ball . You can try standing in the triple threat stance with one foot back to step into the shot . Like above ^^

One tip James Wilson says in the book , is to always be ready to take the shot. If you are not ready it increases the chance of it being blocked by a defender .

Here we see Alexis not ready to take the shot.

This is a BAD HABIT , When shooting it is important to remember the three qualities

Questions : Are you a good shooter have you used any of these qualities while shooting ?

 

Basketball: Creating Your Own Shot

Some of the best basketball players in the world such as Kyrie Irving and John Wall are able to effectively score by using their handles and quickness to create a shot. To be a well rounded basketball player, it is important to only be able to shoot the basketball, but to get yourself in a situation where you will be able to get a good shot off

Here is a picture of John Wall getting into the paint and preforming a reverse layup under a defender



I am not a very good basketball player. But that is exactly why I am doing this blog. Before reading the techniques from basketball shooting, I had no good moves/skills to create my own shot. In the book, Hopla explains "The shot fake is a valuable weapon to add to your arsenal because every defender wants to block a shot... To execute a fake shot, start in a balanced, athletic stance with the knees bent. Lift the ball to you head while keeping your knees bent... This position allows you the option to either shoot the ball immediately if your defender doesn't react or to go to the hoop" (87). I have watched people like former NBA shooting guard Kobe Bryant pull off this move multiple times. I decided to learn how to do a shot fake. I practiced standing in front of my hoop and lifting the ball up to my head quickly. When I first practiced it, it felt slow and awkward but I kept working on the technique and it got quicker and more crisp. Hopla also says that jab stepping is a very effective move as well, as you can either shoot directly after or explode out of the move (97). I practiced this move as well until I could do it quickly and with good balance when exploding out of it. I attempted to use these moves a few times while playing a friend, and they were very effective, either giving me an open shot, or making my defender hesitate.

Here is a picture of me practicing a fake one handed layup



After learning these techniques to creating my own shot, I feel as if I compete at a much higher level when playing pickup games with people

What basketball moves do you recommended that I learn?

Hopla, Dave. Basketball Shooting. Human Kinetics, 2012.

Basketball: Free Throw Shooting

In basketball, when a player is fouled while taking a shot, they get free uncontested shots from the free throw line. Some professional players, can easily knock down these shots. Its automatic for these players as they shoot over 90 percent from the line. Others however struggle to make free throw shots, and shoot around 50 percent. I will attempt to improve my free throw shooting using the instruction of the book Basketball Shooting by Dave Hopla.

Here is a picture of James Harden shooting a free throw



I feel like I am pretty decent at free shots already. When I play a pickup game of 21, I make most of them. Although I feel like I'm decent, there is always room to improve. Players like James Harden are very skilled at shooting free shots, and i'm going to use tips from Basketball Shooting try and imitate his technique and calmness. In the book, Hopla says "One the feet are set, bend at the hips and knees to generate power for the free shot. When bending at the hips, being the head and shoulders down or forward so that the shoulders are in front of the feet and the head is in front of the shoulders" (37). I never knew that having your shoulders and head forward could help you make a free throw. Hopla also says that you should hold the ball on your finger and not your palm, and have your wrist wrinkled and cocked back (39). I have always cocked back my wrist and held the ball correctly, but I tried shooting free throws with the stance that Hopla recommended. At first, I was terrible, missing most of most shots. But after a while of free throws with my shoulders forward, I started making my shots, and I felt more balanced as I shot them.

Here is a picture of me setting my feet before a shot



Even though before I started I felt confident in my free shot shooting ability, these really helped me feel even more confident and stable when shooting them.

Have you ever shot a free shot in basketball? Was it in a game?

Hopla, Dave. Basketball Shooting. Human Kinetics, 2012.

Basketball: Three Point Shooting

Basketball is a very popular sport. The players that play in the NBA are some of the most skilled athletes in the world. You see players like Stephen Curry and James Harden knocking down shots easily and consistently from 25+ feet. The key to shooting lights out from deep is practicing good form, repetition, and power. In this post I will use the tips i learned from the book Basketball Shooting by Dave Hopla to improve my shot.

Here is a picture of Stephen Curry shooting a deep three pointer



I am very bad at shooting three pointers. My goal after practicing three pointers was not to be able to shoot like Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter is NBA history, but I wanted to be able to shoot threes and make some without air balling them. In the book Basketball Shooting, Dave Hopla suggests that no matter how far away from the basket you are, never change your form just generate more power from your legs before you shoot (59). Before, when shooting a three pointer, I tried to get all the power from my arms, which would only mess up my shooting form. But when I practiced keeping my form the same but using more leg power, my shots went further and were much more accurate. Hopla also states in the book "By taking a long stride, you will remain low and eliminate any dip and negative motion in your shot, thus speeding up the shot. Remember, you always want to shoot the ball low to high" (60). I practiced staying low and receiving the ball lower so I wouldn't have to slow down my shot by dipping the ball. I practiced this multiple times with the other techniques I learned. Overall, my three point shot has gotten much quicker and more accurate than before.

Here is a picture of me receiving the ball low on a three point shoot



After learning how to shoot a three pointer, I am a much more well rounded player than I was before
What was the last skill that you learned?


Hopla, Dave. Basketball Shooting. Human Kinetics, 2012.

Basketball: Shooting Technique

Probably the most important aspect of shooting a basketball is the shooting form/technique used. The greatest shooters of all time had a good form that they mastered over thousands of shots. I will use the tips from Basketball Shooting by Dave Hopla to hopefully perfect my shot.

Here is a picture of Klay Thompson, who has a perfect textbook shooting form.

 

I used the hoop outside my house in the front yard to practice. It is not exactly 10 feet like standard hoops, but it is close enough. My goal was to have a better shooting form similar to Klay Thompson's. I warmed up by putting up a few shots before I started. In Basketball Shooting, Hopla says that you need to keep you elbow beneath the ball and don't let it stick out because it will make your shot much less accurate (23). I tried this technique, keeping my elbow tucked in as I raised the ball to shoot it. It felt uncomfortable at first because I was not used to it, but after shooting around like this for a while, It felt more natural and my shots were more centered on the hoop. Hopla also states in the book "Now bring the ball back toward the head to form the letter L with the shooting arm... This L-shaped positioning is key. If you bend the shooting elbow too much and distort the L, you will be slinging the ball... By maintaining the L-shape, you will properly lift the ball" (23). I kept shooting, making sure to pay close attention to me arm positioning as I shot. After a while, I developed muscle memory to this shot and it felt more natural.

A picture of me practicing my arm placement.

I feel as if my shooting technique has gotten much better after using the tips that I learned from Basketball Shooting, as my shots are going in much more often. Read my other blog posts for more on basketball.

Have you ever practiced using good technique on something?

Hopla, Dave. Basketball Shooting. Human Kinetics, 2012.