Let Me Be Real For A Second
There is no such thing as sport-specific training.
What I mean is, there are not weight lifting exercises that are specific to any sport, including basketball. If you want sport-specific training you need to practice. But if you want to become a better athlete, functional movement training is the perfect path towards enhanced sports performance. I was named the Best Preps Trainer of 2017 in Vegas Seven Magazine not because I can help you with your ball handling, but because I train you to become a better athlete. I focus on functional movement to reduce your risk of injury and keep you on the court.
But Let’s Talk Practice
If you’re looking to improve your basketball skills, practice is key. One of the best things about sports is the more you work at it, the better you get.
Let’s take a look at five basketball drills that will gear you toward peak performance levels.
1. Two Ball Passing
If dribbling is the most important component of basketball, then passing is second in line. A basic bounce pass is going to get you out of tough situations on the court.
This drill requires two people. So, grab your friend after school and see if they’ll work with you for an hour.
In this drill, one player bounce passes while the other chest passes at the same time. Make sure you alternate hands as well as passes.
Keep repeating this as you increase the distance and speed between you and your friend.
2. The Mikan
George Mikan wrote the book on basketball. He developed one of the best warm-up drills ever.
In this drill, you shoot your layups off one foot. Set a goal of, say, ten for each foot on each side of the basket. Sounds easy, right?
There’s more to it. The goal here is to practice keeping the ball above your shoulders. This keeps the ball closer to the basket and allows you to get there faster.
Try it one afternoon. You’ll see that we want to bring the ball down as you jump.
This drill will fight against that natural inclination and build new muscle memory to help you land those layups.
3. Speed Shooting Basketball Drills
Taking those three-point shots from the top of the key is fun when no one’s around. You can dribble a little, line up the shot, and listen to it swish.
However, during game time, it’s nowhere near that easy.
In this drill, you’ll run at full speed from half-court to somewhere along the top of the key.
Stop and pop one round. Dribble pull up the next. Keep mixing up your technique as you go.
Once you shoot, grab the ball and run back to half court to repeat.
Set a goal for this drill, just like the Mikan. Start out by making sure you hit ten in a row. If you miss, start over.
Remember, practice builds new muscle memory, setting you on your path to becoming a pro.
4. Two-Ball Dribbling
Back to dribbling. There’s no doubt this is something every basketball player needs to be successful at.
Most of us have a tendency to dribble better with the ball in one hand or another. But, the real pros can dribble with both hands at fast speeds.
There are many ways to practice this drill. Start out with some stationary dribbling. Bounce both balls at the same height.
Then, start moving around. Once you feel comfortable there, start bouncing the balls at different heights.
The key to this drill is to keep your head up. That’s the entire goal of this drill. Become a master dribbler without ever having to put your eyes on the ball.
5. Muscle Memory Shooting
Muscle memory is the name of the game. In the heat of the moment, you want to be able to make any shot, from any position, under any level of stress.
In this drill, start out close to the basket. Keep making one-handed shots while slowly moving further and further back.
You want your mind to know exactly what to do as soon as your fingertips touch the ball.
You also want your mind to know what a perfect release feels like, so you can ensure you always make your shot.
This is a slower-paced drill and a nice way to cap off some of the more intense full-speed drills.
Practice, Repetition, and Muscle Memory
No matter which basketball drills you’re working on, practice, repetition, and the building of muscle memory are the name of the game.
Las Vegas Sports Performance is the best gym in Las Vegas for athletes who are serious about making big changes in their game. Our approach to functional movement will prepare you for court dominance and reduce your risk of injury.
We offer functional movement training programs that will take you to the top of your game and have you running circles around your competition on the court.
Contact us today! We can’t wait to see you take your dreams to the next level.
