basketball help

[lsuguy1]

does anyone have any tips on how to get faster on defense, like not getting beat by my man and such?

[cursor]

Play like your life depends on it. The more you do, the better you will become. Specifically, what problems are you having in your defensive play?

[lsuguy1]

i am slow at defensive sliding like. i can last all game b/c i run crosscountry but i can't play man to man well whenever we go to that.

[cursor]

Your mind and body will do better at whatever you train them to do. Are there drills that you do that directly address that skill? If so, how often might you do them?

[trainerty]

Originally Posted by lsuguy1

i am slow at defensive sliding like. i can last all game b/c i run crosscountry but i can't play man to man well whenever we go to that.

Sliding like.....

I am guessing you are talking about your ability to play man on man. So more specifcally your ability to quickly react to your opponents moves (stop, start, change directions etc.).

I agree you need to focus on drills for this. Also general drills such as ankle hops, jump to side steps, jump to foward sprint, jump to back peddle, etc.

Look into some drilling. If I have time I will help more. Also it is not practice that makes perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect

[lsuguy1]

that is exactly what i meant. thanks for the tips.

[The Flash]

I would incorporate a lot of plyo drills, lateral movements and shuttle runs/suicides. Your best option, of course, is continued practice. Don't be afraid to play different opponents and embrace playing people who are better, bigger and stronger than you because it will turn you into a better player. When I was a really into playing basketball I started heading to a new court where all the older guys would play. At first it's intimidating but playing against people who were so good and so big made me adapt my game for the better so when I went and started playing again with my age group it seemed easy.

[rangi500]

In pick up games where the stakes aren't too high, always try to gaurd the best player on the other team. Make it your mission to deny them the ball and frustrate them!

I definitely agree with the drills advice above too - the best way to get better at sport-specific movements is to do them a lot.

[lsuguy1]

thanks for all of the tips.

[cursor]

Would reference to a specific book help?

[lsuguy1]

maybe

[Ekmo]

Just get a friend who you think is good at 1 on 1 basketball and play him everyday until your confident with your abilities.

[86drop]

focus on how you react to the player as well. what i mean is this: if he/she tries to go left are you sliding directly left or are you sliding left and back in order to make sure you're always between them and the goal? quickness will definitely help, but also work on proper positioning. i was never the fastest guy on the court, but good luck trying to get by me. and make sure to pay attention to the other persons core. it doesn't matter how much they wave their hands and feet, they'll always go where their midsection is going.

[lsuguy1]

thanks 86 drop. makes sense.

[lsuguy1]

my quickness has improved slightly so far.