QuestionHello, I am a 15 year old boy and I play on the basketball team here in Palm Bay Florida and I'm in this basketball class with everyone on the basketball team and I can jump pretty high but people always doubt me and now I really just want to surprise someone and come and just dunk on them. I'm a really good basketball player and I play with varsity everyday because they always pick me on there team when they run pickup games in school and I can hang with them and beat them and I am only a freshmen but they can all dunk and i feel left out and they are in 12 grade and 2 or 3 years older than I am and they always doubt me so now I really want to make the varsity team next year and my skills are there but if I can jump higher and dunk there will be no stopping me I think. I'm about 5'10 with my shoes on and can touch the rim barely I can grab it though sometimes and i can almost dunk on somedays when im in the mood i just cant hold on to the ball with one hand can you help me with how to palm the ball too? I can do pretty much everything on the court but im mostly a spot up 3 point shooter but sometimes i cant shoot and i will shoot differently then normal can you help me with this also? Sorry for asking so many questions but i really want to at least get a scholarship and play basketball on the varsity team next year.I used to be able to grab rim easily until i started this jumping program called air alert or it might be my knee injury and then I stopped doing it and now I lost two inches on my vertical. Can you please help me dunk if you know any jumping programs like if you think air alert will work for me or have any exercises of your own then i would really appreciate if you can help me. if you have any tips or anything can you please get back to me as soon as possible. oh and also i jump off two feet and i never try to jump off 1 leg do you think jumping off 1 will help me? my old basketball coach used to tell me that. well please write back to me as soon as possible i really need to impress these coaches and college scouts because i have a aau team coming up in two weeks so please write me back. My email is:
[email protected]
Thank you so much,
Jonathan
AnswerDear friend,
The following site includes more than 100 simple drills to improve your handles so that you are able to hold the ball with your palm. But you ll realise that what you use is only the tips of you finger that will get really strong through this exercises like "banana sqeeze".
http://www.degerstrom.com/basketball/drills/ballhandling
Shooting is a complex issue and i can't help you from distance. However i 'll give you some valuable advice.
Bringing the ball so up, that goes about behind your head is generally wrong. This gives you power, but reduces the possibility of a successful shot. You should not bring it to your right as well. You will try to turn your body and legs slightly to the left to achieve shooting the ball from in front of your head. The correct place putting the ball is where it is when your elbow is at 90o degrees angle, your wrist the same as well and the ball does not touch your palm. You should hold this hand position from the time that you receive a pass and get the ball, but of course keeping it low and protecting it. I mean, the good shooter is always ready to make the shot, so you have to hold the right grip from the moment that you get the ball. Shooting is a job done by elbow, wrist and finger's movement. Try to have your hand full-extended at the end of the shot in a greater angle, like trying to reach the rim. As you will need more power to give a greater arc, you will get that from the right position and use of your feet. Having a stable way to start shooting and transmitting power to the shooting hand from your hand is og high value.
This is advice of high value. If you honour them, they will one day give you the honour of being a part of a pro team. This is one address that i highly recommend for some more info about making the perfect shot.
1)http://www.basketball-plays-and-tips.com/basketball-shooting.html (proper technique)
2)http://www.basketball-drills-and-plays.com/shooting-drills.html (shooting drills)
The right technique is having the ball up and slighly in front of your head(not above your head). Getting used to that is not a matter of weeks.
Rome was not built in a day. Dimitris Diamadidis(Panathinaikos) and Vasilis Spanoulis(Houston Rockets), (some of the best shooters in Greece team), did not get this shooting ability in a month or two. But after years of hard training and detication to their coaches. I know that cause it happens to know them personally.
I 've sent to you an e-mail with issues of a magazine called "Verticalogy". That will help you with your jump. Remember that what you need in a complete jumping program is apart from the explosive plyometric drills, some drills that will strengthen the hamstrings and glutes for the balance that you'll read in the issues.
Yours,
Coach B.Anagnostou
Olympiacos Pireaus (HEBA, Euroleague)
basketball coaching stuff
