Day 11: Practice matters
September 11, 2010 in 30 Days
This article is part of the series “30 days to being a better basketball player“.
"Practice" by m for matthijs, via flickr
You’ve heard the saying “Practice makes perfect”.
In basketball there’s no such thing as perfect, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.
Bringing structure and discipline to your practice routine is important for making it effective, and mixing it up now and then as well as throwing in something different will help keep your practice fresh, your mind active and your body asking for more.
Formal practice sessions
These are scheduled practice times either for yourself alone, or for the team – or ideally a combination of the two.
Have a practice routine that you go through and stick to it as far as possible. You’ll be amazed what habit can do for discipline, as your mind and body get used to following the routine.
Whatever plan you use, make sure that you cover all fundamental areas regularly, including shooting, passing, rebounding, defense and moving without the ball, in order to ensure that you become a well-rounded player.
Mixing it up
While having a plan is good, you must also “plan” to regularly include some fun time in your practice sessions, as this is important so you and your team don’t get bored.
As a team, this means scrimmages, mini-competitions and even some off-time. As an individual, it’s up to you to decide what will make the biggest difference to you. This could be anything from practicing things you usually don’t (eg. difficult shots), practicing with your weak hand only or maybe even practicing shooting with a blind-fold on.
Practice, practice, practice
Don’t understimate the importance of practice. Regular and consistent practice is one thing that all the great players have in common.
"5D_2229A" by RobHelfman, via flickr
