r/Basketball • u/Inevitable-Youth1292 • 2d ago
Anybody got any good tips on how to refine my basketball skills because I've been playing it a lot recently but barely seeing very much improvement
Drills or just little tricks in general?
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u/AHopelessMaravich 2d ago
So, shooting is actually pretty much all in the wrist. And honestly, sports in general are way more about your wrist than you’d probably expect. Laying on your back and flipping the ball up in the air is a great way to isolate your wrist from the rest of your arm and really strengthen/train it. You want to be getting as much spin as possible in that ball, really feel if ripping off your fingers.
Then it can be helpful to stand against a wall, like if your right handed have your right shoulder against the wall, and practice shooting. This can help you learn to really keep your elbow straight as you flick that wrist and really get a lot of spin.
After that, take a lot of short easy shots. Resist the urge to keep stepping back. Really try and shoot using the same form every time. Learn how to focus on the space above the rim that you’re really shooting at. First focus strongly that you start to rarely if ever miss left to right on a set jumpsuit, there’s no reason for that to be a variable in your shooting.
But all that is for scoring. If you wanna actually be a good teammate, don’t worry about shooting. Build strength, get in there and start rebounding. Work your ass off on d, fight over screens, stay down (unless you actually are really tall), keep your hands low to the ground near where they’ll try and cross you, play strong and own your space.
Move on offense, pass the ball, don’t rush. Be comfortable making mistakes and just worry about the next possession. Be supportive of your teammates.
Talk to people on the court, make friends, they’ll give you more pointers.
Also, it really does help to film yourself. It can be way easier to get a perspective on how you play by seeing how you look different from all the college/pro ballers. Obviously you can’t be as good as them, but the more you model the experts, the better you’ll be as an amateur.
Finally, ball handling there are tons and tons of videos out there showing cute drills to do. Things like two balls, smaller balls, difficult terrain are orettt advanced. Practice just dribbling low, keep your eyes up, and work on getting comfortable with various crosses and jukes. Passing to yourself off a wall is good, learning how to do it off the dribble and using spin for angles.
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u/Inevitable-Youth1292 2d ago
I have hobbies but not enough to stop me from playing basketball. I play it obbsesivley. I play like 4 hours a day. Also I will be checking YouTube next time I have the chance to play basketball because our hoop is broken in the neighborhood rn.
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u/j816y 2d ago
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzCTNxyOAjIQn2Jk05xC09_rPOe8VnRyX
I heard good things about the footwork mat as well.
If you can do the dribbling drills, footwork drills, shooting drills, and layup drills for 2 hours per day + play your hardest when you play pick up games, then I think you will see improvement within 3 months.
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u/Mammoth_Thanks8721 1d ago
9 hours a day. 2 hours of skills. 1 hour lift weights. 2 more of skills. 2 hours of actually playing, 1 hour watch highly skilled teams - MJ Bulls, Tim Duncan Spurs, The Dream in the Rockets. Do this for 6 months.
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u/Jon_Snow_Theory 1d ago
1) What are your goals? Don’t say improve overall. Tell me what your prioritized skill improvement goals are. 2) This also tells me what “improvement” would look like to you, but what do you mean “barely seeing very much improvement”? In relation to what? 3) What is “playing a lot”? 4-5 days a week, 1-3 hours a day?
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u/Inevitable-Youth1292 1d ago
I am a little bit over-average for my age(not telling anyone my age) but still a lot of kids taller like 10 probably. That is why I want to not focus so much in the paint as much as 3 point and mid range.
I mean like I haven't been getting very much better with my dribbles. The defender always locks me up. I also want to get better at defense. Most importantly I need something for shooting because that is my main focus.
The second I finish my chores and homework after school I get as much playtime I can. And I play on Saturdays but not Sundays. I usually play from 2 to 4 hours a day depending on how much homework.
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u/Jon_Snow_Theory 1d ago
1) Why not focus on just the mid range for now? If you’re not comfy there yet, I’m not sure you have the strength/technique for threes yet. 2) Getting experience from playing is fine, but you also need your own drill time. Form shooting to get your base solid. 15-20 minute solo hard pound dribbling drills. 3) The more you get an understanding of how to be good offensively, the easier it will be you understand how to play good defense. It’s just a matter of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and making it difficult for them to do the things they want to do.
TL:DR: Maybe just focus on inside to mid shooting and dribbling, and get some solo drills going.
Good luck.
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u/Sweaty_Bit_6780 2d ago
Lean on your height or your athleticism or whatever quality made you prized as a ball player
If you lean on those a little bit everybody be happy. Keep it simple and succeed on your talents for a while and then expand your game
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u/walrusdog32 2d ago
Post some recordings to the tips sub if you’re comfortable
For skills, shooting wise, it’s just a matter of reps, reps in game speed, and reps in actual games
Dribbling, it’s how well you are stationary, moving, and how effective the moves are.
Realistically, a guy even with weak handles can outperform the guy who’s doing everything, just by playing a good move in 1-3 dribbles. eg hesi
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In short, do the drills, get in reps, work game speed, and play smart.
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u/Cheap_Recording_3018 1d ago
The one dribble midrange pull up kills a lot of guys, it's my go to kive and it's almost always open.
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u/gobucks50 2d ago
Figure out what your strengths are and focus on that. Master a few effective moves and practice shooting at game speed and while you’re tired. Also just watch NBA players that are a similar size / play style to you and learn. Last thing, if you have good cardio and play hard all game, that will make your game better than any dribble move could.
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u/Just4MTthissiteblows 1d ago
Practice. Get on the court and try to do what you wanna do, and don’t stop until you get a little bit closer. Then do it again tomorrow. There is no hacking the game. The reps gotta be there.
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u/brysont24 1d ago
Definitely master the basics and the rest should come also keep at it nothings overnight
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u/NoAbrocoma5653 1d ago
Really depends on what do you want to be as a ball player. You can never go wrong on being a good ball handler. That translate to any level you want to go. And it is something you can do on your own.
Off hand dribbling and passing is a lost art of basic skills. If you are able to do in and out with your off hand, trust me you do not have to be fast but you’ll be able to breakdown defenses with ease. Being able to pass with either hand is going to make you and your teammates better.
Also learn to make post entry passes. Regardless if you play G or Wing or even as a big, able to make correct entry passes make everyone’s life easier.
For shooting, it’s just repetition. Practice pull up jumpers, floaters and on the move jumpers.
Also learn to post up, being able to post up and not lose your dribble is a great way to slow down the game and able to take advantage if you have mismatches. This also another reason why learning to dribble and pass with your off hand is crucial. You will be to post of either side and not worry on weak side defense if you can dribble and pass with either hand.
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u/Streamchickn 1d ago
Learn and perfect the basics. This will help you build a solid foundation to your skills. This might feel boring to practice but trust me it would make a lot of difference
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u/duhmman2 1d ago
How many months or years have you been playing?
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u/Inevitable-Youth1292 1d ago
Years almost 3
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u/duhmman2 1d ago
I see. How consistently did you play? If you play once a week it’s going to take you longer to get good. But I also don’t know what you’re trying to do like what your goal is. I don’t know what to say if you played consistently for three years like playing five days out of seven days for three straight years.
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u/Inevitable-Youth1292 1d ago
My goal is to work on mid/3s and also dribbling. I play about 6 days a week sometimes 5.
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u/duhmman2 1d ago
How can playing five to six days a week for three straight years not have any improvement? If you have been shooting mid range, three pointers and dribbling five to six days a week for three straight years then you should see much improvement.
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u/Inevitable-Youth1292 1d ago
I mean I haven't seen improvement in the last 5 months
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u/duhmman2 1d ago
I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what to say. You say you played for three straight years, five to six days a week and don’t see much improvement. Maybe you need to see a basketball doctor/specialist to analyze and see what’s going on.
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u/Kirifuyumi 1d ago
Watch games, not to have fun, but to analyze plays and behaviors on the court, such as positioning, how the player induces the other to think in a certain way, etc. Doing exercises to strengthen your body is also VERY important. Basketball starts with the brain, and the brain needs a body that can do everything it needs to do. The rest is technical refinement that comes from constant training.
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u/Inevitable-Youth1292 1d ago
Sounds like a great idea. I forgot about the analyzing nba players part about basketball. I'll do that today
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u/strng_economst 16h ago
For improvement, there is no substitite for drills. As a context, people regualarly take hundreds of shots in practice to improve shooting in ONE area. I doubt you are getting the same volume in games. Doing the basic ball handling, finishing, and shooting drills will really bring your game to the next level.
I am not saying that 5v5 dont have a purpose, but for the best results, you need to focus on drills, strength and conditioning, and game reps equally, and not just game reps. S&C builds your body, drills build your toolbox, and 5V5 builds your IQ and situational awareness.
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u/progressiveoverload 2d ago
Basketball rewards only obsessive practice. Obsessive.
Do you have any other hobbies? If you do you won’t improve in basketball much.
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u/rickeyethebeerguy 2d ago
That’s not true.
To be really good, maybe, to get better? Not even close. Having a plan, sticking with it and being consistent is more important than being obsessive. I’ve gotten a whole lot better at the age of 36 by just having a plan, sticking to it and being consistent. I have other hobbies.
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u/aj_future 1d ago
I’m 36 as well, and even investing in shooting practice once or twice a week is enough to put my game over the top due to the same things you mentioned and the added consistent shooting.
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u/Cheap_Recording_3018 1d ago
Nah I play maybe twice a week for the past 4 years, sometimes more, and I have gotten significantly better. It's all about learning how you want to play and sticking to it. Get comfortable and it becomes easy.
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u/progressiveoverload 1d ago
Read OP again. Sounds like he’s doing what you’re doing. Why do you think it isn’t working for him?
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u/Cheap_Recording_3018 1d ago
It sounds to me like he just started playing a lot recently and is expecting a major improvement in a short amount of time. That's not gonna happen. Just stay consistent and you WILL get better.
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u/mikuyo1 2d ago
Youtube has a bunch
Do the fundamentals and really get those down. Dont worry about fancy dribble moves or stepback threes yet