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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Basketball Tips – How to taste success on the court?

In each and every kind of things that we do some positives are there and negatives are there. It is not possible for us to predict what will happen in future. The only thing that we can do is we should be well prepared to meet the challenges that we face and to taste the success. But the success won’t come simply, in order to achieve it we should work hard and smart by following some tips and techniques in the place where we are implementing it. Likewise while playing the basketball too; if we want to taste the success on the court, then we should follow some tips. So in this article we will see about some of the tips about how to taste success on the court and so on.

Talk on Defense

The best defensive teams have players that continually talk on defense. There is always action on the court that requires communication between teammates. Specific terms should be developed so that players can communicate without any misunderstanding. Always communicate with teammates when playing defense, use a common language of terms or short phrases.

Pass the Ball Inside

Team success depends on scoring from inside the lane. These are often called "paint points" because the area inside the free throw lane is referred to as the paint. One way to generate points in the paint is to pass the ball inside to post players. Every point in the paint makes your opponent less aggressive and creates free throw shooting opportunities for your team.

Stop Dribble Penetration

Nothing hurts a team defense more than dribble penetration because it forces inside players to help and recover. To stop dribble penetration, a defender must maintain the proper spacing. The thing to remember when stopping dribble penetration is to contain the dribbler. Good defensive players can defend one dribble. Great defensive players can defend two dribbles.

Create Deflections

Deflections reflect defensive intensity. Whenever a defender touches the ball, there is a chance a teammate might steal it. Deflections create easy scoring opportunities and give the defense a psychological edge over the offense. Keys to creating deflections are to keep the hands and feet active, mirror the ball constantly with one hand, swarm the ball handler after the dribble is picked up and see the ball and overplay the next penetrating pass if you are defending a player off the ball.

Get to the Freethrow Line

Personal fouls play a significant role in determining the winning and losing teams in basketball. Winning teams generally shoot more free throws. They shoot more free throws because they are committed to inside play, dribble penetration, offensive rebounding and transition basketball.

Thus these tips will help you a lot to taste the success in a much easier way. Because tasting the success is not an easier one, but at the same time it is not impossible too.

Basketball Tips – Be mentally strong

While playing any games or doing any kind of work we have to be mentally strong as well as physically strong. Otherwise it is not possible to finish that thing successfully and on a high note. Especially in playing real games all the players in the team should be mentally prepared to face any challenges from the opponent team. During the progress of the game we may face some critical situations, so by that time we should be well prepared to come out of it. In this article we will how the players can get mentally stronger to play the game in a perfect way? Here I will list out some of the tips to be followed by the players to make themselves mentally stronger and fitter.

Believe

Always believe in yourself. If you think you can`t do it, you aren`t going to. When shooting, believe it’s going in and it will have a better a chance.

Nervousness

The main reason that players don´t perform well in games is nervousness and the main cause of nervousness is lack of self confidence. You have to believe that you can play with the people on the court and not get intimidated. Have a good attitude. Believe in yourself.

Confidence in Shooting

A shooter needs to have confidence. One good way to give yourself confidence is to remember that two balls will fit through the hoop at a time. This gives you a large margin of error to work with.

Proper Preparation

Pay attention to how you prepare for each game, especially when you play well. Follow the same pre-game routines, think about the same type of things, relax but focus on the game at hand. Most importantly, learn to visualize what you are going to do in the game, always seeing yourself being successful.

Mental Imagery

This is almost as important as practicing the action itself. The brain patterns during mental rehearsal of an action are the same as those when preparing for the action before the motor skill is selected, so the more you mentally rehearse a shot, the quicker and easier it will be to prepare to carry out the shot.

Advice

Please don´t shout advice to your player during the game. Shout encouragement? You bet. A steady stream of technique suggestions might have no value. Your insightful tips may conflict with the coach´s instruction.

Support the Coach

Please don´t talk bad about the coach at any place and at any cost. The worst thing is taking shots at the coach, criticizing decisions, and complaining about his leadership. Support the coach and stand behind his decisions. Instead of complaining about coach, take his points, understand it and implement it in the ground. Then surely you will get the benefits for it.

So irrespective of having very good match results, records, physically strong and so on. We should be mentally strong enough to face the future challenges in the match, otherwise no use of all these positives that we have. Self Confidence is far most important than anything else to achieve our goal. So before entering into anything try to be mentally strong, then you see the difference!!!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Basketball Tips – Better Ball Passing

While playing each and every kind of team games, there should more cooperation among all the players. Then only it will be possible to get better results. Likewise in the basketball game there should be balanced passing among all the players in their corresponding positions. So if the ball passing is good means, then the goal of shooting the ball would be much easier for other players. For this the cooperation from each and every player is needed. At the same time ball passing itself is not enough, then after that better shootout is needed to finish it successfully. Now in this article we will see about some of the cool ball passing tips and techniques.

Making the Short Side Pass

In order to make the short side pass, have two players face each other. They should be three to five feet apart. Begin with your left foot as the pivot foot. Position your arms to the right side, keeping your elbows straight. Bend your legs slightly, keeping your back almost straight. This position can be more challenging from the opposite side, the left side for right handers or the right side for left handers.

Making the Overhead Pass

To make the overhead pass, begin by having two players face each other. They should be approximately three to five feet away from each other. Start with the ball overhead and your elbows straight. Only your fingertips should be touching the ball as your hands are curved around the ball. Bend your wrists back as far as possible. As a fake, flick your wrists without passing the ball. Now pass the ball by flicking the wrists without using the arms. As the players continue to do this drill, they should change pivot feet.

Passing the Ball and Making a Pivot

For the drill on passing the ball and making a pivot, begin by having two players face each other three to five yards apart. Start with the ball overhead. Keep your elbows straight and the wrists bent back as far as you can.. Start out with the left foot as the pivot foot. The passer passes the ball with the flicking motion over his head. The receiver catches the ball using their left foot as their pivot foot. The receiver pivots around once with the ball overhead before passing. After each catch and pass, alternate your pivot foot. Move from the overhead pass, to the side pass and finally to the bounce pass.

Making the Bounce Pass

To make the bounce pass, begin by having two players face each other. They should be three to five feet apart. The elbows should stay straight with the knees slightly bent so that the ball can be released closer to the floor. Flick with your wrists making sure that the ball bounces two thirds of the way to the receiver of the ball.

Fake a pass - throw a pass

When you are prepared to pass the ball while being pressured by a defender, pass fake (which is a fake throwing the ball in one direction) then pass the ball other way. Fake a bounce pass and throw overhead. This will usually make the defender go for the first pass and clear some lane for a pass in the opposite direction.

Chest Pass

The chest pass should go from your chest to receiver´s chest you should step into the pass with your knees bent and follow through, with the ball coming off of your fingertips and your thumbs down. This creates good backspin and makes the pass easier to catch.

So follow all these tips and lot more than this, practice it for some time. Then surely it will help you all a lot while playing the actual game. The reason is passing is that much important in the basketball game. Try it and improve you game.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Basketball Tips – How to have a better shoot?

If the audience wants to see a good basketball game means, then the game should have balanced fight from both the sides. In order to have a better fight in the basket ball game, each team should follow some techniques to shoot nice shots at the basket. But shooting is not that much easy one, at the same time if we follow some tips it is not that much tough. So in this article we will see some shooting tips and based on it how we can score more points?

Proper Body Position and Setting of the Ball

When players receive the ball they should start in the position known as the Triple Threat Position. This position is called the Triple Threat Position because out of this position, you can shoot, pass, or dribble the basketball. In this position, your legs should be slightly bent. Your dominant leg should be slightly in front of you. Your back leg should be about 3 to 6 inches behind your front leg. Your hands should be chest high and ready to receive the ball. Your body should feel relaxed and balanced. As you receive the ball, you want your stance to be open with your shoulders and feet turned facing the basket. When you combine this stance with the Triple Threat Position, it will allow you to make your shot more of a one handed motion and make it more natural for you to reach forward as you shoot.

Learning to Shoot With a Higher Arch

Here we will see about the mail key to learn how to shoot with a higher arch? It is to use your legs and not your arms to add height to the ball, as you flick your wrists. Flick the ball two to five feet high. The player can catch the ball with two hands as it comes down. After you practice this for two minutes, shoot the ball four to 10 feet straight up using the wrists and legs.

Proper Ball Flight Control

While shooting the balls we need to have a better flight control, in order to keep the ball on the right track. You want to hold the release an extra half second to a second to increase your accuracy and provide a little more power to the shot. An automatic and predictable release and follow through makes all shots easier and gives you more control of your shot.

Shooting Range

Shooting range is the one which determining factors such as whether a shot is a good one or not is. A good way to determine your shooting range is to take ten jump shots from the foul line. After completing this, run two or three hard wind sprints. Then move your jump shooting back a foot or two. Continue shooting and running until you feel yourself struggling to shoot the ball. At this point, you are outside your range. This is a good way to determine your range because during a game, you have to shoot while tired. So this will help us to have a better shoot at the basket.

Shooting Pocket

To solve the problem of arm position on your shot, learn where your shooting pocket is. Let your shooting arm hang down at your side and swing it back and forth and several times. Swing it up toward your shoulder and hold it when it stops. This position is your shooting pocket and is the position that the ball should be in when you begin your jump shot.

I hope that these tips will help you all a lot to have a better shoot at the basket and at the same time to help in predicting the better shots. Try it out and make use of it..

Friday, December 26, 2008

Lakers Stop Celtics

Welcome to the new basketball news. In the Christmas day, finally, the Celtic's winning streak ended. In the last NBA basketball games, it is LA Lakers who beat Celtic's 92-83 in the Staples Center, Los Angeles. However, Lakers win is not that easy. Until the last 4 minutes, Celtic lead lakers by 81-79. But, superb play from Lakers players has able to ended Celtic's 19 winning streaks with scoring 13-2 in the last 4 minutes.

Kobe Bryant plays superb with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists while Pau Gasol added 20 points for Lakers. Kobe Bryant hope he will be able to continue this success to make revans for the last NBA finals when Celtics beat Lakers 4-2.

The LA Lakers win yesterday also become the victory number 1000 from the legendary coach, Phil Jackson. Now, the 63 years old coach has able to score 1000-423. He is the fastest coach to get 1000 wins. The old fastest coach is Pat Riley who reach 1000-434. Doc Rivers, the Celtics coach, stated that Phil Jackson is amazing and can be said as the best coach in the whole history.

Defense - Press or Not?

Sometimes players confuse whether they have to press or have a space with their opponent when doing defense. However, this basketball tips will make you know more about basketball defense. Well, the answer is NO ANSWER. It just about when and where. The coach philosophy also decide whether you need to press or not in the basketball defense.

Well, the only basketball tips for the basketball defense is about the timing and player you have to defend on. Let says you need to mark shooter, the key is press him anywhere. Never let him get some space to do some shoot. Marking a shooter need great stamina and intention. Always mark and press anytime.

However, when you need to mark player with a good dribble but mediocre shooter. You should have some distances. Give one hand distance to the player like this. If you press him too close, he will past you with the dribble. In short, this basketball tips teach you to read the timing of the basketball defense.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

How to do Better Jump Shoot


Basketball is a game of mistake. The player's job is how to minimize that mistake. Even for an easy job like a jump shoot. Miss a shoot is not a big thing. But if you often miss your shoot, it is definitely you will sit in the bench. Then, how to do better jump shoot to increase your shoot percentage? Below are basketball tips to do better jump shoot.

1. Balance.
Try to train your body balance. The biggest percentage of miss shoot is because your body is not balance enough to shoot. Losing a balance is vital reason why most players are missing their shoot. Try to launch shoot when you have enough balance to do that or you will find out that your shoot is missing.

2. Eye.
Keep focus is the main reason why most of the best shooters are really great on their shoot. Watching the rim with carefully and full concentration will increase your shoot percentage. Your eye is vital. When the defender is able to block your eye, it means you will miss your shoot.

3. Elbow.
Elbow position is one of the most important basketball tips. Make sure that your elbow is straight away with the rim. If you miss your elbow posision, there is no hope that you shoot will give you a point.

4. Follow Through.
Train your follow through by train your shoot with correct method every day. Good follow through also one of the most important basketball tips to ensure you can increase your shoot percentage.

LeBron James is not Alone


Previous year, the biggest future star of NBA, LeBron James always forced to play more than 40 minutes. It is because Cleveland Cavaliers always depends on James. No doubt, LeBron James is the biggest star in the Cavaliers. He is the biggest assets in the nowadays NBA basketball. He brings cavaliers go to the top level by himself. It comes to the one question, is that true?

The answer is NO! Yes, it is big no for that question. Basketball is a team game. You will never win without team play. Yes, LeBron is the main key. But, he cannot play by himself. Let say Zidrunas Iglauskas who leads rebounds percentage on the Cavaliers. This year, Cavaliers get Mo Williams, who able to control Cavaliers gameplan.

Do you know Cavaliers record now? It is 24-4. The second highest in the NBA after Boston Celtics. Lead by LeBron James, added with Zidrunas Iglauskas and Mo Williams, Cavaliers are definitely become Celtic's main competitor.

In short, LeBron James is not alone. Cavaliers will be great for the NBA basketball.

Celtic is Flying


Boston Celtic with the big three, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen once again prove that they are the best in the NBA. After beat Philadelphia 76ers by 110-91, now Celtic is winning 19 in a row. It is their best record ever in the NBA, beat the previous record created by Larry Bird and Kevin Mc.Hale.

However, Celtic will face their biggest rival, LA Lakers at the Christmas day. It is the big challenge for them. The longest winning streak in the NBA still in the LA Lakers hand when they able to make 33 win in a row at 1971 and followed by last season superb performance by Houston Rockets who able to get 22 winning streak.

The Celtic captain, Paul Pierce said that the winning streak is nothing. The 19 winning streak is sweet, but he ever get 19 losing streak before Garnett and Allen come to the city. He remind the team to keep focus and get a win againts Lakers. In the other side, Kevin Garnett also stated that 19 winning streak is nothing if Celtic failed to win the NBA championship.

Well, let see Celtic this year. Are they able to beat Jordan's record of 72-10 winning record in NBA? What a season by Celtic!