Basketball Training & Free Throw Tips

The free throw (n) – a rather unexciting part of the game of basketball, yet a very important one.

If you want to win close games, you’ve got to make free throws.  If you want to lose a close game, and subsequently wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it a year or two later, miss a late free throw.  There are so many reasons that free throws are important that I could write a book about it, but I want to skip that for now and give you some tips to aid you in converting your precious, valuable free throw opportunities.

Free Throw Routine

One thing that all players need is a free throw routine.  A free throw routine is something that you do every single time you take a free throw.  For me, its dribble the ball three times, spin the ball, and shoot.  It’s been that way since I was 12 years old.  Your routine eventually gets stored in your muscle memory, and helps tell your body “Oh okay, I’m shooting a free throw again.  I know how I’m supposed to do this”.  Your routine aids you in getting mentally and physically ready to shoot regardless of gym location, game situation or crowd noise.  This is a very important component of the free throw.  If you don’t have a routine, see if you can develop one that you’re comfortable with next time you go out to practice.

Relaxation and Visualization at the Free Throw Line

Good free throw shooters relax and visualize the “make” at the free throw line.  You can see relaxation when players take a huge breath before they get ready to shoot.  You always want to get into a relaxed state and start thinking about the shot you are about to make instead of the hard foul you just took, the shot you just missed or the game situation.  Some players really do a good job of visualizing by shooting an imaginary shot at the basket before they get the ball from the referee.  Sometimes it can look funny, but you shouldn’t laugh at these players.  Do you know why?  Steve Nash, who is #1 in NBA history in free throw percentage, makes a practice of this.  It’s a proven system that works.

Follow Through On Every Free Throw, Even An Air Ball

I ask my players all the time these two questions.  “Is anybody rushing you at the free throw line?”  “Is anybody trying to block your shot at the free throw line?”  The answer to both of these is no of course.  Then I ask, “Then why not follow through on your shot?”  Sometimes in a game you’re not able to fully follow through because of being off-balance while shooting, but at the free throw line there is no excuse.  You want to finish your shot by following through and giving yourself the best chance to make the shot.  You should hold your follow through until the ball hits or goes through the rim.  There’s no need to rush and truncate your trajectory by not following through at the free throw line.  The follow throw here can only help you, not hurt you.

We just gave you three great tips for the free throw line.  The best way to get better at free throws is to practice, practice, practice and to get with your basketball trainer to work out the kinks.  Good luck with your basketball training at the free throw line and happy shooting!

Basketball Trainer – Have You Found One Yet?

You’ve taken a big step as a basketball player once you decide you need personalized basketball instruction.  Many players don’t see the need, let alone possess the desire, to go and get another basketball coach.  As a player who is looking to work with or is already working with a trainer, you’ve shown a special level of love for the game, humility, passion and work ethic.  You’re on the right track.  But all basketball trainers are not created equal, and all of them are not worth your precious time as a basketball player.  How do you know when you’ve found a good trainer?

Basketball Trainer Experience

A good basketball trainer will have some experience playing high-level organized basketball.  They don’t have to be the greatest player in the world (many of the best trainers are not), but they should have at least played high school Varsity basketball, and preferably college basketball or some level of professional basketball.  If your trainer played college basketball, that probably puts them in the to 5% of all basketball players.  The reason for this is that they can offer you tips and expertise that quality high-level players are using, because they’ve been around them and played against them.  They have also been exposed to high-level basketball instruction from high-level coaches that help inform their training.  There is nothing wrong with an inexperienced trainer doing his or her best to help you, but be mindful that his or her ability to develop you into the player you want to be may be limited.

Trainer Knowledge and Basketball  Communication

It’s been proven that the best players don’t necessarily make the best coaches and trainers.  The reason for this is that as a player sometimes you can get away with natural talent, athleticism and instinct to guide you to success.  However a basketball trainer is responsible for transferring his knowledge and skills to you the trainee, so he must be knowledgeable and able to communicate.  You want a trainer who can break down important concepts to you, and communicate to you why critical adjustments need to be made.  Your trainer can’t give you his instinct and athleticism, but he can give you knowledge, tips and anecdotes from his basketball life to help you grow.  Don’t spend your precious time or resources with a trainer only because of his playing resume.  If he is not able to build your IQ and skills through effective communication of basketball knowledge, he is not worth your time.

Motivation

A good basketball trainer cares about you improving as a basketball player.  He may care about building his training operation also, but that should never stop him from keeping first things first.  And that first thing is helping you to become a better player.  There are trainers out there who are more concerned about you being one of the foundations of their training business than them being one of the foundations of your basketball development.  If you are a good and well known player in your area, make sure that you are not being used as a promotional tool for a lackluster trainer.  There are a couple of ways you can tell if your trainer’s motivation is in the right place.  Is he giving you good feedback on a consistent basis?  Has he helped you add anything to your game recently?  Is he introducing new skills, drills or tactics to help you improve?  Is he tracking your development and communicating that to you?  Proper motivation is key in a trainer you are going to invest your precious time and resources in.

Is Your Basketball Trainer Invested In You Or Himself?

Your basketball trainer should be invested in your basketball journey.  If you have a trainer who is not, you are missing out on not only a great experience but a key part of the development process.  Invested trainers are committed to seeing you in game action with your school or club team or at least on tape if they are very busy trainers.  This is in part to see your hard work pay off but also to get gameplay feedback to help you improve further. An invested trainer will know when your school or club tryout date is and build a training plan designed to help you peak at the right time.  A trainer may send you written feedback or encouragement before that big day as well.  What you don’t want in your training experience is to just show up and go home, show up and go home once or twice a week.  If that’s all you are getting from your trainer, you may be getting the short end of the stick.  The best trainers we’ve seen attend games, provide constant feedback and encouragement, prepare players for tryouts and even connect players with club and college coaches.  Trainers like this understand that development is constant, and it is not just confined to the training gym.  This is the type of trainer you want.

You’ve made a quality decision to seek out a basketball trainer.  Now don’t short yourself in the execution – find yourself a good one.  Connect with a trainer in your area who is experienced, knowledgeable, properly motivated and invested, and you will be making one of the best decisions of your basketball life.  Here at www.basketballtrainer.com, we’re pleased to help you with that process.

College Basketball Decisons

Do you want to play college basketball? It’s okay to answer yes. Most people will tell you that it’s a long shot to make it to the college level, but it’s not up to most people whether you get there or not. It’s largely up to you. If you want to play college basketball in the near future, there are some questions you should be asking yourself now to get yourself ready. Here are a couple of questions to help get you started.

Do I love the game of basketball?

This is an important question because no matter what college you attend, you will be dedicating a lot of time to team practice, individual practice, film study and travel as a part of the basketball team. You don’t have to love the game of basketball to play at the college level (I knew guys who didn’t), but you have to be willing to commit the time to being what I like to call a “full time student athlete”. This means sacrificing some of the recreation time non-athlete students get and dedicating it to basketball. If you don’t love or at least really like the game of basketball, that time can quickly start to feel like a burden and college basketball may not be a fit for you.

Am I good enough to play college basketball?

It is important to gauge whether you have what it takes to seriously pursue playing college basketball. There are a couple of ways to determine this if you’re not sure. You can attend local college basketball games and look to see if you’d be able to play with the guys on the court. Be honest with yourself. Also, do a little research and identify the players being recruited by colleges in your area. Watch their games, and also see if you can go to open gyms where they are playing so you can compete against them. In so doing, you can determine where you’re at in relation to other college basketball prospects and players in your area.

What can I do to improve my chances of playing college basketball?

If you determine that you aren’t good enough to play college basketball, is there anything you can do to get good enough? Is there a skill you can develop into being “college level”? Maybe this is something like shooting, rebounding, or perimeter defense, three things that every college program needs.

How are my grades?

It is a common misconception that it is all about skills and not about the total student athlete at the college level. If you are a high school All-American player, it may not matter if you barely do enough to get by in the classroom. That may be good enough. For everybody else, grades can be a bigger factor. At smaller colleges and universities if you are a good student you may be eligible to receive financial assistance based on your grades. If you don’t need financial assistance, good grades can still be a draw for a college coach. Schools that are members of the NCAA, for instance, are required for their teams to achieve certain academic standards. If the highly recruited players on the team are not contributing positively to holding those standards, the rest of the team can pick up the slack. An opportunity to join a quality team as a good student and a decent basketball player could be your ticket in. Conversely, being a poor student may keep certain doors closed to you.

What college do I want to attend?

A lot of kids don’t think about this question, and they should. Every college or university may not be a fit for you, and you might want to think specifically about it. Is there a school in the city or state I’d like to be in? Is there a school that offers a perfect degree program for me? Will I have a chance to get playing time at this school? Does the team play a style that I can be successful in? Thinking more specifically can help you to make not only a good basketball decision, but also a good life decision. Also, the benefit of identifying the school you want to play at is that you can make a concentrated effort of getting into that school and onto that team. Making contact with the head or assistant coaches, researching the roster and seeing where you fit in, and training with a more specific purpose are all things you can do once you identify what school or schools you’d like to attend.

These are just a couple of questions you should be asking yourself if you are thinking about playing college basketball. Get with your local basketball trainer, who should have experience playing at the college level, to help you answer these and other important college basketball-related questions.

Your College Basketball Season is Over – Now What?

Get Better

Somebody out there is working harder than you to take your spot.  It is your coaches’ job to replace you and your job not to be replaced

Meet with your Head Coach

The first step to getting better is finding out what your coach believes are your weaknesses and how you can address these weaknesses.  If you coach is meeting with your 1-on-1 following the season, seek him or her out and ask what you can do to get better.

Individual basketball workout plan

Develop a daily plan that includes on-court skill work as well as strength and conditioning.  One of the most common things that a player says they need to address in the off-season is to become bigger, faster and stronger.  The best way to do this is to make a plan and hold yourself accountable.  Chart your makes and misses in your individual workouts.  Time your sprints.  Chart you bench press totals.  Once you start doing this, you now have numbers to beat each day, week and month.  This is a great time to find a basketball trainer. 

Competitive Leagues

Be careful here … pick-up basketball can often be a waste of time and a place to practice bad habits.  Sometimes, a game of 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 can be more beneficial than 5-vs-5 with no defense, around the back passes off the backboard and fast break lay-up after fast break lay-up.  Nobody gets better.  If you are going to play 5-vs-5 the best thing to do is to get into a well-organized structured league with officials and players that are BETTER THAN YOU.

Stay in contact with your teammates

Just because the season is over doesn’t mean you should stop communicating with your teammates.  With social media it doesn’t matter if your worlds apart.  Make it a point to drop a teammate an e-mail, text, tweet, etc… to stay in touch and keep communication lines open year round.  Everybody loves a great teammate.

Reach out to new recruits

Shunning new recruits is a sign of weakness and jealousy.  Welcome the new guys with open arms no matter how you feel about them.  Trust your coach and use the new guys as motivation while helping them at the same time.

Give back

The summer is a great opportunity for you to not only work on your game but also to give back to younger players.  Working at a summer camp can afford you to do both.  During the camp session you can teach skills to young hungry players, referee their games and maybe even get the opportunity to coach a team for a week.  During your “down-time” you can work out with a teammate or by yourself, play competitive pick-up at night, go for a run, hit the weight room, talk to a College of High School Head Coach and just spend a week around the great game of basketball in a different environment.  Anohter great way to give back is to visit with your old high school program.  Most if not all programs no-a-days runs a summer program.  Contact your old high school coach and ask him or her if you can come help out, work out with the team or simply visit with them get better.

Don’t Wait

The video games, movies, malls, theme parks, oceans, lakes, and all those fun things will be there once your college career is done.  You only get once chance to play and that window closes very fast.  Your playing days will be over before you know it and you don’t want to regret the fact that you didn’t constantly try to better yourself.

 BasketballTrainer.com would like to thank Coach Eric Werntgen of UMFK for this insightful contribution.