Ray Allen and Gilbert Arenas are amazing shooters. They are by and far two of the best in all of basketball. If you want to see a glimpse into their lives, check out this video.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
How to Get to The Next Level
They say if you want to be good at any hobby or craft, that you need to master one aspect to the highest ability. So if you want to start a business, learn how to connect with customers at a high level. If you want to play tennis, learn how to perform the perfect backhand. If you want to find playing time in basketball, learn the jump shot.
For me this has been outstandingly true. I almost got cut from my freshman basketball team. I was tall for my age (at 6'1" I was one of the tallest kids) but slow and un-athletic, and I did not have great hands or post moves. From all accounts, I should have been cut then and drifted away from basketball.
I was lucky enough to be placed on the B team (the lowest of the two freshman squads) and gathered healthy motivation to work hard the next off-season where I worked endlessly on improving my jump shot and athleticism. My athleticism definitely improved but it was the learning the jump shot that kept me afloat. My defense was average at best but the scoring threat I posed made up for any inadequacies my defense had.
And so I was able to make it all the way til my second year in college as a bench player (better than nothin', right?), when I really should not have ever had a chance to put on a uniform, being that there were guys who are almost as literally twice as fast as me and who could jump over my head.
I truly believe that anyone can play basketball, no matter how tall or strong or quick you are. The masses would have you believe that you need to have certain abilities to be an elite player, but this not true. While it is helpful to be someone who can jump high or run like a lightning bolt, whether you are able to be successful in the game of basketball is dependent on your ability to learn the basics of the game.
Look at Michael Jordan. Everyone knows how great of an athlete he was, but his true greatness came when he understood how to share the basketball, utilize his talents and learn the game in and out.Larry Bird was never considered fast or quick by anyone's accord. He was one of the least athletic players you could imagine. Sure he had height (at 6'"9), but he knew how to play the game and he played every game like it was his last.
When it comes down to it, mastering one aspect of basketball, whether it be defense, dribbling or shooting, can open the door to mastering the game of basketball. It can make a bad player average, an average play great and a great player legendary. Don't believe the hype, because you don't have to dunk the basketball to be good.
When it really comes down to it, it depends on your ability to push yourself and deal with failure. If you have what it takes, you will be able to reap the rewards of all that hard work.
Good luck!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Myth of Long Workouts
Everybody knows that if you want to be successful at anything you need to "work hard". It's a general rule of success (Duh!).
Unfortunately, no one really explains that working hard doesn't mean long, boring hours spent doing the same repetitive activity. Most people believe "hard work" is usually difficult because of the fact that you have to waste precious time on improving your skills.
That thinking is utterly wrong
I'm assuming your reading this because you want to improve your jump shot so specifically I am speaking about the success principles of improving your jump shot.
So if you think you should spend 4 hours in a gym every day until you master the jump shot, you are likely to fail. The key word there is "likely".
In his autobiography, Larry Bird talks about spending 4-6 hours in a gym and mastering the jump shot that way. He loved being in the gym, it was his sanctuary. So it's safe to assume that one of the best jump shooters in history willed himself to success through endless hours in the gym.
But to think you can have a successful jump shot only if you spend this kind of time will send you in the wrong direction.
Believe it or not, and this may be shocking to most people, but you do not need to spend more one hour per day, six days a week, on shooting drills and jump shot related workouts to become a great shooter. PERIOD.
I can hear you disagreeing with me already but here's how you can implement this into your own workout program.
Working one hour per day on a regular basis is completely achievable, but the key is to working AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. This means getting in the gym, doing what your supposed to do, not waste time and ultimately get out of there and on with life.
This is not a blog post about specific drills you should be implementing (ultimately that is dependent on your current skill level), but be assured that if you are a beginner or an expert shooter, you need only spend an hour per day on specific jump shot drills. This means an hour of hard work. If anything you should challenge yourself both mentally and physically.
How do I know this?
I've been through it before. I've worked 4-6 hours in the gym and eventually disciplined myself to working one hour per day, six days a week and found the results were much quicker from the second option.
I definitely improved my skills when I was in the gym for 4-6 hours per day, but I was not being very efficient. Four hours of drawn out work is never as good as one hour of focused work.
So find a way to work as efficiently as you can for a one hour period every day, and stick to it! You can find yourself having more success and more time to focus on other things.
Good luck!
Unfortunately, no one really explains that working hard doesn't mean long, boring hours spent doing the same repetitive activity. Most people believe "hard work" is usually difficult because of the fact that you have to waste precious time on improving your skills.
That thinking is utterly wrong
I'm assuming your reading this because you want to improve your jump shot so specifically I am speaking about the success principles of improving your jump shot.
So if you think you should spend 4 hours in a gym every day until you master the jump shot, you are likely to fail. The key word there is "likely".
In his autobiography, Larry Bird talks about spending 4-6 hours in a gym and mastering the jump shot that way. He loved being in the gym, it was his sanctuary. So it's safe to assume that one of the best jump shooters in history willed himself to success through endless hours in the gym.
But to think you can have a successful jump shot only if you spend this kind of time will send you in the wrong direction.
Believe it or not, and this may be shocking to most people, but you do not need to spend more one hour per day, six days a week, on shooting drills and jump shot related workouts to become a great shooter. PERIOD.
I can hear you disagreeing with me already but here's how you can implement this into your own workout program.
Working one hour per day on a regular basis is completely achievable, but the key is to working AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. This means getting in the gym, doing what your supposed to do, not waste time and ultimately get out of there and on with life.
This is not a blog post about specific drills you should be implementing (ultimately that is dependent on your current skill level), but be assured that if you are a beginner or an expert shooter, you need only spend an hour per day on specific jump shot drills. This means an hour of hard work. If anything you should challenge yourself both mentally and physically.
How do I know this?
I've been through it before. I've worked 4-6 hours in the gym and eventually disciplined myself to working one hour per day, six days a week and found the results were much quicker from the second option.
I definitely improved my skills when I was in the gym for 4-6 hours per day, but I was not being very efficient. Four hours of drawn out work is never as good as one hour of focused work.
So find a way to work as efficiently as you can for a one hour period every day, and stick to it! You can find yourself having more success and more time to focus on other things.
Good luck!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A Jump Shot Key: The Fingers
One of the most overlooked aspects of the jump shot is the fingers.
A player with perfect form and rhythm can be one correction away from really finding consistency and success with the jump shot.
Something I don't think is taught well or not taught at all when it comes to the jump-shot is keeping the ball on the pads of your fingers and most importantly OFF the palm of the hand. The picture on the left, of Ray Allen, is a perfect illustration of this. You could probably fit a pencil between the ball and his palm. This is ideal.
It's funny because when I was first taught this I really struggled to change my form. I was used to letting the basketball rest on the palm and it felt VERY uncomfortable to use only the fingers to support the ball. After a week of conscious focus on this, my jump shot was even more consistent.
So why are we taught to keep the palm of our hand off the ball? Why is it so important?
The problem with the palm is that, simply put, it messes up the rotation of the ball and decreases left to right accuracy. The pads of your fingers will provide enough power and enough rotation and the palm just interferes with consistency: the ball can come off of the palm a different way every time you shoot. Reduce the amount of surface area that touches the ball and the ball will fly out of the hand almost identical every time.
All the power and accuracy of your jump shot will always come from your fingers. ALWAYS!
The most POWERFUL fingers you have are your pointer and middle fingers (yup those two fingers on the right). So take advantage! When you snap your wrist towards the hoop, those two fingers should be going into the hoop.
Now you understand the fingers are really important when it comes to improving your jump shot. How do you work on your fingers?
All great shooters properly warm-up before practicing. Usually this means starting out right in front of the hoop and practicing the snapping of the wrist, the pointing of the fingers. I know I used to do this for ten minutes and it would be a great way to get my fingers to support the ball and stay off the palm.
Work on the fingers and you might find a bit more success and consistency. Good Luck!
As always I have to recommend a product for anybody looking to improve their jumping ability. I know I can recommend this product because I benefited so much and went from an big un-athletic kid to an powerful athlete with this program. Check it out Here
Monday, September 21, 2009
A Jump Shot Key: The Legs
The basketball jump shot: It's all about the JUMPING.
The SINGLE most important aspect of proper jump shot technique is BY FAR being able to use your legs to power your shot.
Does this sound obvious? Then why do MOST players use their arms?
We humans have AMAZINGLY strong legs when compared to our upper body. Just look at how much more you can squat compared to your bench press.
When performing a basketball jump shot, you need to maximize this "strength". The basic jump shot technique starts with a set shot. This is where you can learn how to power your legs through the shot. After mastering the set shot, you will be able to understand the timing and synchronization of how your body should be moving, and eventually you can start "jumping" and releasing the ball at the top of your jump.
If you have never read my blog, check out my article about rhythm, it talks about having your arms and legs be "in synch" to produce the most power. But what I'm talking about here is perfect jump shot technique, which involves generating power from your trunk and legs, as opposed to flinging your arms as hard as you can towards the hoop.
The basketball jump shot is performed the same way from 5 feet as it is from 25 feet, but if you watch younger players you will see they change their form depending on their distance. Again, if you're looking to achieve perfect jump shot technique, it is privy to understand this concept and adhere to it.
So a basketball jump shot requires use of the legs.......sounds obvious, right?
Here's the thing. Those who have mastered shooting, those whose jump shot technique is nearly perfect, use their hands "softly", meaning that they don't generating a lot of power from their arms. It is simply used to guide the ball.The proper jump shot technique is to "snap" the wrist lightly.
If you are really looking for more information on the basketball jump shot or jump shot technique, it is worthwhile to buy a DVD. I'm not pushing anyone to buy any specific product but it can be a good idea to purchase something to teach you the basics, which is something I cannot do on the writing medium. IT IS TOO DIFFICULT.
If you want to have a killer basketball jump shot you need to master producing power from your legs. It's proper jump shot technique!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Does your jump shot have RHYTHM?
Do you have rhythm? I could never dance but I always rhythm with my jump shot. And just how important is your rhythm? Well, when I finally understood what it meant, I went from an average jump shooter to a player who could hit from almost anywhere. So it is VERY important.
The definition of rhythm is "any measured flow or movement, symmetry", which in short means timing. And when it comes to shooting a basketball, having your legs be in sync with your arms, you can get every ounce of power that your body is capable of.
Now listen, I assume that the audience reading this is smart and is beyond the basics and the "how to's" of a jump shot. So you should understand just how important it is that if your going to master the "jump" part of the jump shot, you have to release the ball at the very top of your jump. Even if your vertical leap is not 40 inches, you can still get an advantage with your 10 inch vertical.
The worst thing that a player can do, and that I did for a long time, is release the ball at any point where you are coming down. I thought that I was releasing it at the top for a long time but eventually came to realize I wasn't and that I needed to find out how to do it.
How I did it
Well it took a long time, but after about a month of spending the first 10-20 minutes of my workout doing this one drill, I was able to REALLY improve my shooting.
The drill was simple. Standing five feet in front of the hoop, I simply bent my knees in shooting form and learned to move my legs in synchronization with my hands.
Hard to visualize? Think of it like this: your legs will bend downward and as you move them to spring towards the hoop, your hands should be moving at the same point.
For this drill you are NOT jumping, so when your legs get to the top of the extension, your hand should be snapping and releasing the basketball.
It sounds so SIMPLE, so basic, that most players will scoff and think that it is the most pointless drill ever devised. Here's why it's not. When I first added this to my shooting warm-ups I didn't see much results. When your body is so used to doing things a certain way it takes a lonnnnng time for it to change, and you have to FORCE it there. But like I said, after a month I noticed that during pick up games and real games that my legs were giving me more and more power to shoot from the three point line and anywhere else. And after two months I could start full out jumping on my shot. From there it was just a matter of working on my foot work and my shot went through the roof.
For us human beings, our legs are SUPER strong in comparison to the rest of our bodies. Let them do the work for shooting the basketball and stop trying to use your arms to power it all the way there.
And please, for god's sake, try adding this drill to your warm up, and stick with it. You never know how it might help you.
Good Luck!
As always I have to recommend a product for anybody looking to improve their jumping ability. I know I can recommend this product because I benefited so much and went from an big un-athletic kid to an powerful athlete with this program. Check it out Here
The definition of rhythm is "any measured flow or movement, symmetry", which in short means timing. And when it comes to shooting a basketball, having your legs be in sync with your arms, you can get every ounce of power that your body is capable of.
Now listen, I assume that the audience reading this is smart and is beyond the basics and the "how to's" of a jump shot. So you should understand just how important it is that if your going to master the "jump" part of the jump shot, you have to release the ball at the very top of your jump. Even if your vertical leap is not 40 inches, you can still get an advantage with your 10 inch vertical.
The worst thing that a player can do, and that I did for a long time, is release the ball at any point where you are coming down. I thought that I was releasing it at the top for a long time but eventually came to realize I wasn't and that I needed to find out how to do it.How I did it
Well it took a long time, but after about a month of spending the first 10-20 minutes of my workout doing this one drill, I was able to REALLY improve my shooting.
The drill was simple. Standing five feet in front of the hoop, I simply bent my knees in shooting form and learned to move my legs in synchronization with my hands.
Hard to visualize? Think of it like this: your legs will bend downward and as you move them to spring towards the hoop, your hands should be moving at the same point.
For this drill you are NOT jumping, so when your legs get to the top of the extension, your hand should be snapping and releasing the basketball.
It sounds so SIMPLE, so basic, that most players will scoff and think that it is the most pointless drill ever devised. Here's why it's not. When I first added this to my shooting warm-ups I didn't see much results. When your body is so used to doing things a certain way it takes a lonnnnng time for it to change, and you have to FORCE it there. But like I said, after a month I noticed that during pick up games and real games that my legs were giving me more and more power to shoot from the three point line and anywhere else. And after two months I could start full out jumping on my shot. From there it was just a matter of working on my foot work and my shot went through the roof.
For us human beings, our legs are SUPER strong in comparison to the rest of our bodies. Let them do the work for shooting the basketball and stop trying to use your arms to power it all the way there.
And please, for god's sake, try adding this drill to your warm up, and stick with it. You never know how it might help you.
Good Luck!
As always I have to recommend a product for anybody looking to improve their jumping ability. I know I can recommend this product because I benefited so much and went from an big un-athletic kid to an powerful athlete with this program. Check it out Here
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