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 On Court Player Development® delivers 101 ways to get better in the off-season. Are you up for the challenge?
Compiled by Michael J. Pallerino
Ask any basketball coach and he’ll tell you that you don’t get better during the season, you get better in the off-season. The down time between seasons is the basketball player’s paradise – a time to work on your skills. To help you get ready for next season, On Court Player Development® is offering 101 ways to get better in the off-season. Are you up for the challenge?
1. Take some time off
After the grind of an intense basketball season, the best thing you can do for your body is take a little time off. Think of it as “active rest,” says Thomas Myers, MD, founder and managing partner of Myers Surgical Solutions and the Myers Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Atlanta. That means you can still train – just take a little break from basketball for a couple of weeks. Weightlifting. Swimming. Playing a different sport. The break is good from both a physical and psychological perspective.
2. The 45-minute plan
How much time do you have between now and next basketball season? Once you do the math, set the number of 45-minute basketball workouts you can do before next year. Remember, a workout is you (and/or a partner) working undisturbed for 45 minutes to an hour, says Coachingtoolbox.net founder and long-time basketball coach Brian Williams. He says your workout is the “time” you dedicate to improving your basketball skills. When you play some games, concentrate on implementing the shots and moves you’re developing into your workout.
3. Don’t sit down during a workout
The way to simulate the speed of a real game is by keeping it real. That means don’t sit down during your workout. If you need a break, practice free throws until you catch your breath. This will help you work on shooting free throws during a game when you’re winded. Even if you’re not tired, shoot a one-and-one free throw after each drill.
4. Always warm up
You think this would be a given, but many young players still don’t warm up properly prior to each workout. Try jogging while you dribble, jumping rope, and then stretching.
5. Keep a daily log
To maximize every minute of your workout, plan each session before you hit the court. Get a notebook to record how many shots you make for each drill, what drills you are doing and for how long. Keeping a daily log of your progress will enable you to keep track of personal bests. Improvement comes a little each day.
6. Pick a move – any move
Getting better means mentally and physically attacking your training program. Select a move that you want to improve, and focus on it a little each workout.
7. Go backward – really
Plan your daily workout by working backward. Coachingtoolbox.net founder Brian Williams recommends evaluating how much time you have for each workout and how many game-like shots can you shoot in that amount of time. Then, plan your drills for each workout.
8. Hit the pool – then shoot
On your next trip to the pool, take 30 minutes before you go and head down to a basketball court and shoot 50 free throws. Keep count throughout the summer and track your improvement.
9. Go to a summer camp
Take some time to attend a summer basketball camp. These are great ways to work on your skills and get some solid instruction. Contact On Court Player Development® today to see about getting an Skills2ScoreSM clinic in your community.
10. Find a mentor
Your basketball coach. A local basketball instructor. An older player in your neighborhood. If you want to get better, surround yourself with the best instruction possible. Find somebody who has already made the mistakes, had the successes and been down the same road you want to travel.
11. Grade the big boys (and girls)
Here’s an exercise that will enable you to watch your favorite players and do a little homework. During a game, count the number of turnovers and footwork mistakes (think catching the ball, not squaring up to the basket, allowing offensive rebounds, etc.). Make every mistake be five seconds. At the end of every quarter, tally up the totals. During the quarter commercial break, half-time and end of regulation, do dribbling drills in your driveway for the total amount of time compiled by watching the game. Their loss is your gain.
12. Sign up for our Virtual Trainer
It’s the new generation of basketball training. No books. No DVDs. Just our Virtual Trainer – a systemic approach to basketball excellence you can use 365 days a year. Click here to get started today.
13. Shoot like Price
Twelve years in the NBA. Four All-Star appearances. The NBA’s record holder for free-throw percentage. If you want to shoot lights out, do it the Mark Price way. His customized workouts can be downloaded to your portable media player. The four-part video series provide a different workout designed and instructed by the man himself. The workouts focus on footwork and simulate game-like situations. Click here for a preview.
14. Play mini games
Try to play as much 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 as possible, says Ross Alacqua, On Court’s online training coordinator and the first player to ever go through the On Court Player Development® program. The former Mercer University standout recommends not focusing too much on 5-on-5 games in the summer. Alacqua says that when playing 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3, work on your weakness, i.e., dribbling with your left hand the whole time or driving to the basket, etc.
15. Do the reps
Nothing beats repetition. Just make sure your technique is down. And finish every workout off by shooting free throws. It will force you to shoot when you’re tired.
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