Basketball Training - 4 Important Rules of Passing

Rule #1 - Look for the Open Player Nobody enjoys playing basketball with someone who doesn't pass the ball to open teammates. We all know that on every team there are a few players that are usually more talented than others. Just because player A is more talented than player B does not mean the shot should always be taken by player A. A few years ago I was playing in a city league and we were in the championship game. The game was tied and I was determined to beat my man and get a basket to win the game. As I drove to the basket I saw an open teammate and out of instinct I passed him the ball. It caught him off-guard and he missed the shot. Before overtime he came up to me and was upset at me because I didn't shoot the ball. He said that me shooting the ball with 3 defenders in my face was better than him shooting with nobody on him. I got his point, but as a teammate it was my job to get the best shot possible and I'd do the same thing today. Nobody likes to play with a ball hog.

Rule #2 - Trust Your Teammates I knew the guy I was passing to might not make the shot, but I wanted him to feel like I trusted him. It paid off later in the game as we went on to win in overtime. I know it is city league, but it is still an illustration of how to execute in the great game of basketball. Trust the players you are playing with and build that up. Don't tear it down because nobody will want to play with you. If you are more talented than most of your teammates realize that it is a guaranteed fact that somewhere on another court there are players twice as good as you and hopefully you'll have the chance to play at their level. When you reach that level you have got to know how to play team basketball and execute.

Rule #3 - Learn and then Practice Solid Fundamentals When you pass, take a strong step toward the player you are passing to. Don't throw it flat footed. Throw the ball with a purpose and learn to snap it to the wing or throw a solid entry pass to the post. Try to avoid slow soft passes as they turn out bad. All these fundamentals can be practiced. I had a toss back that I used in high school that was my best friend. It was my only friend that stayed after practice with me and I would throw pass after pass into the net until my arms hurt. Every school should have one for practices. I loved the toss back. The other night I was watching some old high school tapes of mine. Yes, I still like to live in the glory days. I was watching games when I was a sophomore, playing varsity and I was sickened. It was my first real year playing point guard and I threw change ups to the wing players. Terrible, slow passes that the defense would miss by inches each time. But as the year progressed you could see my progression as a player and I was proud of that. I was proud that a coach taught me the simple fundamental of throwing a crisp pass. It makes so much of a difference. You'll be amazed.

Rule #4 - Work Hard It doesn't come easy but is something that can be improved with hard work. You won't wake up and be a good passer. It will only come through work and study. I made it a point to really have a grasp of my offense because if I knew where my teammates would be and where they liked to get the ball then we would have a great chance of winning the game. Watch game tapes when possible. Watch how the defense reacts to certain plays. Watch to see where your teammates like to shoot from on the floor. Watch for areas of obvious improvement like passing angles and spacing. Those things are so easily corrected that a small adjustment will make you better for it. Remember that coaches look at assist to turnover ratio and they really monitor point guards with that. They look at a 3:1 ratio as being solid. The higher the better as that means that you would have 3 assists for every turnover. If you are 1:3 then you have problems and you'll soon be sitting on the bench if you aren't already

Thoughts on Effective Rebounding - A Basketball Training

It's a proven fact that basketball teams that rebound well usually win more games. This article covers fundamental advice on how to make basketball teams more effective when it comes to rebounding.

Boxing Out The first thing to understand about boxing out is that it is the best way to create space for yourself so you can get the ball. It isn't just to keep your man from getting it necessarily, but also a way to make it easier for you to get it. You must make contact first to square up the player you are boxing out. The contact should be to stop him before turning and getting your rear into him. Stay low and get into his legs. If you are in his legs, he will be unable to really jump or move. By getting in the opposing player's legs you make it difficult for him to be in an athletic position. Players sometimes ask me why they seem to get pushed out of position sometimes. I tell them that it is usually because they don't have a solid enough base position. Get low and if you find yourself getting pushed around then get into the weight room and build up those legs. Make sure that you aren't under the basket when boxing out or too far away from the basket either. Both positions make it difficult to actually get the ball, which is the entire purpose. Remember that boxing out isn't just to keep your man from getting it it's also about making it easier for you to get it.

Offensive Rebounding This is something that is more about desire and instinct than anything else. Good offensive rebounders have desire to get the ball and don't give up. They go just as hard for these rebounds as they do for defensive rebounds. I teach them to take advantage of how the defense is playing them. What I mean is that I teach defenders to front post players with the drawback being that they give up position for offensive rebounds. Even if the defense is playing 3 quarters on a man, it makes it very easy to obtain offensive position on the glass. Tonight I watched Florida beat Ohio St. in the national championship and hopefully you watched Greg Oden and how they defended him. Florida decided to match up with Oden man-to-man and hope for the best. They didn't front him, in fact they let him catch it. Watching that game made me realize how good Oden really is in that he made Noah and Horford look human. Noah and Horford are both solid first-round picks and Oden had his way with them. The point is that Billy Donovan was willing to play behind Oden and hope for the best over giving up offensive rebounding position. Ohio St. missed most of their 3's in the game and Oden wasn't in offensive rebounding position because his man was constantly behind him. Great coaching move by Billy Donovan. Let me add this...the best way to get an offensive rebound is to not let the defender engage you in the first place. When he goes to establish contact, try to maintain space so that you can get around him and to the ball. Don't try to go over the player's back if he boxed you out correctly. It is just a good way to get wasteful fouls and get you on the bench.

Rebound Drill Some of the more successful rebounding coaches that I've worked with have done a drill that describes the ideal scenario for a rebound. It happens maybe once a game, but it is when the ball actually bounces in the middle of the floor after a missed shot. To practice this drill, have the offense form a shell 15 feet away from the basket. Don't extend it to the 3 point line because that is unreasonable. Have a coach shoot a shot toward the basket and have the defense box-out by making contact with the player first and then turning and getting their butts into the defenders before going for the ball. You will have some players who don't do a very good job at this and this drill requires a lot of repetitions, but it is very worth it. Ideally, you want the ball to miss and bounce in the middle of the floor before a defender grabs the rebound.

Quick Running Tips - 5 Ideas to Improve Your Running Experience

Without further ado: here are five tips that will increase your running experience!

Know your motivation!
Before you start your running routine, ask yourself what you expect from running. Maybe you just want to keep yourself fit and healthy. Maybe you want to lose your love handles. Or maybe you run to relieve stress. Whatever it is for you, make sure you know why. This will be your motivation in the times you just don't feel like running.

Do not forget to do a cool down after your exercise.
To cool down after an intensive exercise is almost as important as to warm up before you start. Stretch yourself and keep on walking for a couple of minutes. Cooling down will decrease injuries as well as keep you from getting sore muscles.

Take it slow when you are just starting out on a running routine.

Beginners often make the mistakes of running distances that are too long for the level of fitness, or are simply running too fast. Don't make these newbie mistakes! Rather set more reasonable goals. This way you keep yourself from burning out quickly.

Take your iPod with you.
We all know that music can be a great source of motivation. Turn up the volume and let your favorite songs accompany you while you are running. Choose music that pumps you up for good.

Don't run alone!
Another great tip that will increase your motivation is to run with somebody. Whether it is your neighbor, a friend or your special one: You can cheer each other on. And running with another person just makes it so much easier easier to hang in there on a cold day.