Stay fit, but dont rely on fitness

Image via Wikipedia

You might of heard me say in one of my other blogs that fitness isn't the key to success. I still stand by that because skill is still(it rhymes!) the key to success. This doesn't mean you cant work out a little but remember, your not becoming a body builder, your becoming a better basketball player. Do some average exercises like push ups, pull ups, crunches, weights,sit ups, and work mainly on your legs and upper body strength. Basketball is a sport that requires you to take some pounding so make sure you have a little cushion if you have to take a fall.

Force the dribbler to make the first move

Your the defender and the ball handler is just toying with your head, waiting for you to go for the steal while he dribbles back and forth and back and forth right in front of your face(I do this a lot). Your first reaction is to play in to his trick and go for that quick steal while he goes around you for an easy layup. Do not let this happen to you, while he continuously dribbles just move your eyes where ever the ball goes(or at least make it look like your awake), the ball handler will get bored and ultimately try to make a move. That is what you want him to do. If you make the first move he can anticipate it and go right around you. If he makes the first move, you can anticipate where he is going with the ball and the result will probably be a missed shot, a steal, or a block. All the good NBA defenders use this technique. In fact I was actually taught this method by a former NBA player!

Look Up!.................(no, not for superman!)

Many handlers often make the mistake to dribble while looking down. Reason is: players are pretty conscious of losing the ball and by looking at where there dribbling they think that will help them keep control of the ball. Look up when your dribbling so that you have better court vision while dribbling. This allows you to make a quick pass, or even just rise up for a shot. Looking down while dribbling wont allow you to do that because of the fact that you have to look up before you pass or shoot. Dribbling with your head down is basketball's "Cardinal Sin".

Get flashy when you have to

A lot of times players will make it a point not to pull out the tricks in middle of a game. My advice is don't pull out the tricks when you don't need to. Many times a flashy move or two can put you in a great position, it's all about decision making. If your stuck on a fast break with two defenders in front of you, your not going to get by them by just running straight, do a spin move, hop step, or even a crossover. Although it may seem too flashy "you got to do what you got to do" in some situations. Just because they are classified as finesse moves it doesn't meant they are hard, just get creative and you may even get a nice crowd shocker.

Play some damn defense!!!!

Advice to anyone who is trying out for a basketball team, PLAY DEFENSE. A coach will not put you on a team if you slack off all the time, he wants to see that you give effort. Show that you add more to the team than scoring,(the first time I tried out I noticed that my coach picked the players that were less noticeable but did the little things right). Not only is this a tip that will help you make a team but it will help you in games also. Give yourself the motivation to be a better defender and you will succeed.

Shooting

Shooting comes with practice, practice, practice. You should always make sure your shot looks the same, keep using the same shot over and over again until it is second nature. It doesn't matter if your shooting for a game-winner at the buzzer or your taking a shot midway through the second quarter it should always have the same technique. The best way to get a fluid shot is to practice free throw shooting, take 50 to 100 shots in a row from the free throw line and I guarantee it will help your in game shooting.

Skills not Weights

ok, now you can see a picture(im on the left)

Often people think of basketball as a fitness based sport because of all the running up and down the court you need to do and resort to exercise to improve their game, WRONG. Although it is better to be fit or strong to be good it is also important to know that basketball is a skill based game, you could enter a game looking like a body builder but that wont get you anywhere. You should know your limitations when you play(If your a big guy, stay close to the rim. If your a small guy you often have to work for your shots). Work on your dribbling and shooting first, you can not get anywhere without them. Defense comes with practice so don't work too hard on it.

Get to Know Me!

no pictures!!!!!!!!

What's up guys, I'll use this paragraph for readers out there to be able to know who there getting there advice from. My name is David Berman, I am 15 and entering my sophomore year in high school. I started playing varsity(didn't get much playing time though.......the racism they had against middle schoolers those days...ugh) for my school in 8th grade(yes, I was the only middle schooler on my team ) and have been on my school's team every year. Many times I get recognized in school as the basketball fanatic. Its pretty weird, but I often find myself in a situation where a kid will come up to me with a question that has to do with basketball, and then I say to myself, I don't even know who this kid is. Since I usually take up my time either playing basketball or talking about basketball, I mine as well just make a blog for readers who are interested about my basketball knowledge. Not to sound too arrogant, but who better to get some advice from then someone who is actually good at the sport. For now on, no more talking about me, lets talk about some basketball.But here's a couple of videos I made last year just so you can see me.It's not so impressive but I think it's pretty good for a freshman, don't you think?