The fanatics of the game are usually left in great amazement as they see their favored players dunking the ball in the hoop. In most cases though, basketball dunking stirs the excitement of the crowd. When one of the players dunks the ball, the audience is left to nothing but roaring happily. There is no wonder that today’s best basketball players and other budding executioners of the game are into the thought of perfecting their basketball dunking. Basketball dunking is a skill that is worth showing off.

A slam dunk is nonetheless an awesome shot. To be able to deliver a spotless slam dunk means being capable of jumping higher into the air, releasing enough power to drive the ball with either one or both of the hands, and finally shooting it. Meanwhile while everything sounds pleasing, the road to basketball dunking perfection isn’t easy. It requires severe discipline on the part of the player. Basketball dunking not only uses the arms but the legs as well. In short, one has to work on the coordination of his leg muscles.

Here are some significant pointers to keep in mind as you attempt to work on your basketball dunking prowess:

Be proficient in jumping. While this may be a bit of an elementary basic, it necessarily means that with jumping comes strength and agility particularly with the leg muscles. Jumping is a skill or movement which obviously needs the application of force from the feet. If there is less force, the jump could be very low.

Attend to your leg exercises. You don’t have to keep yourself in the gym since leg exercises can be done outdoors. How do you do it then? First, firmly stand on the ground. Alternately stand putting your weight on your toes, putting them down, and then repeat the steps. The next procedure is for you to jump both up and down without going really high. You could jog around an area if your time allows you to as this will prompt an efficient cardiovascular activity. Then you could opt for jumping rope and always stretch the leg muscles. These activities will not only relax your legs but will also enhance the blood circulation in that area.

Use your best pair of shoes when playing. Always seek comfortable shoes since they boost your confidence, inspiration, performance, and agility.

Perfecting a basketball dunk also relies on your current mood. It is important that during the game, you instill happy thoughts in your mind. Now, are you ready to set the crowd in a heap of excitement with your basketball dunking exhibitions?

Now that the trades are done, who has the better chance at the chamionship, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers or Shaq of the Suns? The Lakers now have Pau Gasal and Kobe Bryant and the Suns have Shaq and Steve Nash.

With all the new talent, changing of the game, transformation of the play, there is still one vital aspect that most basketball players completely miss the boat on. Think to yourself what one of the most important aspects of the game is and how can you get better at it. What is one thing that you can do that will improve your defense, ball handling, shooting, rebounding and also improve injury prevention?

The answer, bending your knees!

That’s right, getting lower to the ground. If you do not believe me I want you to try a few things.

Right now I want you to stand up and put your feet together. Next I want you to try to jump with out bending your knees. Most likely you tried it but you still bent your knees. So this time I want you to really try and jump with out bending your knees. If you did it correctly you would find that it is nearly impossible to perform a jump without bending your knees. So what does this mean? Well I will get to that in a second. The next one I want you to try is a defensive slide. I want you to try to slide across your room or wherever you are without bending your knees. Again, if you performed it correctly you will find that it is impossible to do effectively. Now I want you to go back to the first one and bend your knees. So now I want you to bend your knees and jump. You will find that not only did you jump significantly higher but it was also a lot easier and more effective. Now try the same with the defensive slide. Again, you would have found that you can slide laterally a lot easier and effective with your knees bent!

So what’s the point?

The point is that almost every basketball player plays with their legs straight and knees not bent. This plays a major role in all aspects of the game. Because as you demonstrated that it is almost impossible to move and jump with your legs straight. So what does your body do? It does it for you. Let’s look at an example:

Let’s say that you are coming off a screen preparing to catch the ball and shoot but you are playing tall, and not bending your knees. When you catch the ball you will have to dip down (bend your knees) in order for you to jump and shoot the ball. This will take slightly longer that if you already had your knees bent and did not have to dip down to shoot the ball. It may not seem like a big difference, but in the game it could be the difference to someone blocking your shoot and you getting your shoot off faster.

Another great example would be rebounding.

If you are under the basket preparing to rebound a missed shot with your legs straight, you will again have to dip down and bend your knees in order to jump. But if you already had your knees bent you would just simply have to jump straight up while your opponent had to take the time to bend their knees and then jump. Again, this might only be half of a second, but that is all it takes to grab a rebound.

So do you see how important it is to bend your knees and stay low? That’s why almost all shorter players are faster than taller players. Their center of gravity is lower to the ground which provides them with an advantage.

So how do we correct this problem?

Well besides consciously trying to remind yourself to bend your knees all the time, it is all a form of muscle memory. You have to train your body and the muscles that are most used in this position (your gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves) I will tell you that this position hurts and most players are very uncomfortable in this position because it is painful. But if you are truly seeking ways to improve your game you should be willing to do whatever it takes to get better.

Here are two drills that I have found that are the most effective in training this position and the muscles that are used.

1. Two ball pounding

Start off with your legs wider than your shoulders. Squat down bending at your knees and not your back. Get two basketballs and try to dribble both of them in between your legs at the same time. Your focus should be at pounding the balls into the ground and staying low. After about 20 seconds this drill will start to hurt but push yourself as much as you.

Try to perform three to six sets of at least 45 seconds of duration.

2. Squat explosive lay ups

Start of right under the basket with a basketball, legs wider than your shoulders. Hold the basketball with your arms straight down by your knees. Squat down bending at the knees and not your back and touch the ball to the ground, as soon as the ball touches the ground explode up and lay the ball up. Perform ten lay-ups in a row and then switch sides. Your focus should be to explode up while keeping your back straight. Perform two to three sets on each side of 10 made lay-ups.

Staying low is one of the most important aspects of basketball and you should focus on bending your knees and keeping your back straight. If you can train your body to stay in this position you will have a huge advantage over your competition.

Yours in hoops,

Rali Todd

Basketball performance coach

http://www.gobasketballpro.com

Remember Training hurts…. Sitting on the bench hurts more!

Cristi asked:


Born on January 26, 1977, Vince Carter graduated from college in North Carolina and now plays the guard position for the New Jersey Nets. One of the most exciting players in the NBA, Carter was chosen in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. After suffering injuries, Vince Carter regained his momentum with the Nets as one of the leading players in the NBA.

Even before entering the NBA, Carter showed promise as an up-and-coming basketball star. While playing as part of the North Carolina Tar Heel team, he averaged 12.3 points per game. During his junior year, Vince Carter was named First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, Second Team All-America and became a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award, which is presented to the nation’s best player.

As he entered the NBA, Vince Carter amazed both teammates and opponents with his acrobatic moves on the court. That same year, he received the Schick Rookie of the Year recognition and became the first Toronto Raptors players to be recognized as an NBA Player of the Week. During the 1999-2000 season, Carter was named to the All-NBA Third Team and was again named the NBA Player of the Week. By 2000-2001, Vince Carter was becoming very popular with fans and was also becoming a well-known name in the NBA rankings. That season, he ranked among the NBA leaders in seven different categories.

When the 2001-2002 season rolled around, Carter was thriving. On March 22, however, he announced plans to undergo surgery on an injured left knee. This misfortune caused him to miss the final 14 games of the season. In the 2002-2003 season, Vince Carter averaged 20.6 points during his 43 games. It was this year that he missed a career-high 39 games due to several appearances on the injured list. The following season found Vince Carter receiving the most votes in the NBA All-Star balloting program for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game.

Vince Carter made his mark on the 2004-2005 NBA season, during which he averaged 24.5 points per game and ranked 1st on the team in points. In addition, he was awarded the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and Month and was voted as a starter for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game. Vince Carter has managed to find great success both on an off the court. This married father of one was named on of ‘Sporting News 2004 Good Guys’ in professional sports for his activities away from the court. In July 2003, Carter unveiled a professional-sized basketball court, which was funded by his foundation, in Toronto’s Dixon Park. The court is valued at $130,000 and officially opened with Carter sending the first ball through the hoop. In September 2002, he donated $2.5 million for financing the construction of a new gym at his former high school in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Fans who would like to request a signed photo or simply send Vince Carter their best wishes are urged to do so in care of his NBA franchise team. If you are requesting an autograph, be sure to include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) along with your request. Letters and requests should be mailed to:

Vince Carter

New Jersey Nets

390 Murray Hill Pkwy.

East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Gamal K asked:


How can I stop vomiting before every basketball game?
I am a college basketball player i have been getting sick and throwing up before every basketball game in the locker room. Hours before the game my stomache starts to hurts. I can’t really eat anything. I am a starter I have been like this since my senior year in high school i will be a junior in college next season what should I do. Do i need to see an psychiatrist? Is there medicine i can take I need help before next season because i can’t keep doing this before every game.

During a basketball game, people commonly shout the word “DEFENSE!”. Come to think of it, do people in the stadium really know the meaning of the word? Does the basketball team, players and coaches, understand the meaning of the word? Is the value and importance of the word defense recognized? Sometimes basketball players themselves take it for granted. Everyone should remember that it is as important as scoring. A closer look at playing basketball defense is done in this article to clearly stress the meaning and importance of the word DEFENSE.

Defense is the team which doesn’t have the ball. Defense is also the act of protecting the basket and making it impossible for the offense, which is the team who has ball, to score. It can be considered as a state of mind which dictates the body to do measures to keep the other team from scoring. It is the “get the ball” attitude that fuels the defensive team along with the desire to win. Defensive skills can be taught and learned as long as the player puts his heart in it and realizes its importance in every basketball game.

Transition Play

Moving from offensive to defensive play should be done quickly. Defensive assignments should be set as soon as the basketball gets out of the team’s hands so the offensive team can’t get ahead. The mentality of the players at this point should be to get the ball back immediately. 

Purpose

Put the offensive team under a lot of pressure. Don’t let the other team peak through an open shot or an open man. Guard every player and every corner and be aware of the moves and observe the play of the offensive team. Distract the ball handler through noises and movements so the communication between the offensive players will be disturbed. Put those arms up and use the body to block the ball handler’s view. Decrease the chances of giving them opportunities to establish their team play. Keep your eyes open for rebounding and ball stealing opportunities and get the ball back! Stay between the basket and the offensive player.

Be Ready

Keep the lead hand close to the ball and wave the other hand to prevent a pass from taking place. The defense player’s opposite foot of the offense player’s dominant hand should always be kept forward with the same hand extended out with the palms up. This will allow an easy steal if an opportunity comes.

There are three types of defense: the man on man defense, the zone defense and the combination of the two, which is the Box 1 defense. Man to man defense is the simplest and most common among the defenses. One player is assigned to guard a specific player of the offensive team at all times. For example the point guard of the defense team guards the point guard of the offensive team. Match-ups are determined based from the player’s height, speed and athletic ability.

Man to man defense is an aggressive style that allows forced steals and puts every offensive player under a lot of pressure. The danger of this style of defense is that when the offense player outsmarts the defense player, there will be no defense player to help continue to screen the ball because everybody else is preoccupied with guarding their own man. These results in the outnumbering of offense players versus the defense players which can help make the offense score.

In zone defense, each player is assigned to cover a specific area or zone instead of one player. There are many kinds of zone defenses. These are usually listed with numbers wherein the numbers correspond to the number of players in a particular zone. A 2-3 zone defense for example indicates that there should be two players manning the area near the three point line and three players manning the baseline. More often than not, a zone defense is limited to the key or the painted area.

There are some instances when a man to man defense and a zone defense is simultaneously put into effect. A box-1 defense for example generally is a type of zone defense where four of the players man their respective areas around the key. The fifth player, usually a guard, is assigned to guard a specific player on the opposing team, playing him in a man to man type of defense.

i need GOOD warm up songs for our middle school basketball teams. they have to be clean, and should have an upbeat rhythm.

Dee asked:


I have a class and need to know how long the halftime is in NCAA basketball. Also how many timeouts does each team get and how long are those? Thanks so much!

balla_r31k asked:


i cut my hand on the rim and didnt notice it right away… now there is blood stains on my basketball, how can i get them off w/o ruining the ball?

Or would the Clippers go farther?