Increasing Speed in Basketball
In the game of basketball, athletic skills are just as valuable as talent and dribbling ability. They all complement each other. Having one without the other will severely diminish any hopes of having the upper hand in court. The athletic skills that we mean are particularly speed, response quickness, agility and also jumping ability.
When discussing speed, we should note that speed can be broken down into two components. These components are stride length and stride frequency. Stride length is defined as the amount of distance that can be covered in one step. Stride frequency on the other hand is the number of strides that one takes for a given time.
Building on from the definitions, we can deduce that in order to increase speed in basketball, we need to increase both stride length and stride frequency. The most fundamental aspect that athletes should look into when trying to increase speed is to increase muscular power. Next, an athlete should work hard to increase the flexibility of the body joints that are directly related to the movement. Thirdly, players should increase the mechanics of the movement.
In basketball, being able to make split second multi directional movement is pivotal. Often, players will have to move forwards, backwards and sideways fast. When trying to increase speed in basketball, one should focus on developing a powerful stride length. At the same time, one should also try to maintain ones’ stride frequency.
One should also realize that speed is also dependent on the maximum speed at which the muscle is able to contract. Also, when trying to increase speed, one should be sure that he is not overweight. Being overweight simply means that there is more mass that needs to be moved. This significantly reduces the potential to move fast. Therefore, if players are overweight, coaches should make sure that the player undergoes a realistic fat reduction program.
There are various activities that can be done in order to increase ones’ speed in basketball. Among them is jumping rope. Jump ropes are helpful in toning the leg muscles to be able to deliver bursts of power when sprinting up and down the court. While jumping rope, the muscles will have to rapidly contract.
Thus, with proper training, the maximum rate at which leg muscles will be able to contract will increase. This will definitely increase ones’ basketball speed. Also, consider doing speed jumps as well.
Power skips are also helpful in increasing speed in basketball. This drill increases the flexibility of muscle joints and muscle power as well. As mentioned earlier, longer strides mean better speed. Power skips train the body to be able to perform longer strides.
The traditional sprinting is also a great way to increase basketball speed. What sprinting really does is to make the related muscle stronger. This will result in a higher muscle contraction rate which means better speed.
These are just some from a huge number of drills that can increase basketball speed. Both Players and coaches should look into these drills and implement them on the team.
Photo credit: Tulane Public Relations
Read MoreHow to start playing Basketball
The wonderful thing about basketball is the fact that it can be shared and enjoyed by players on a wide range of skills level. It is a very simple game that can be understood immediately by just watching people play. Essentially, basketball can be made into a really simple game or it can be made into an extremely complicated game – you decide.
Its simplicity and beauty is one of the main reasons why it has become one of the most popular sports in the world. By learning three basic skills, one can begin to start playing the game – ‘hooping it’ is how they say it in basketball lingo.
The most basic skill that you need to master is dribbling the ball. Of course, you don’t need to dribble like a professional just yet. As long as you can do the basics, you would be able to play basketball as a beginner. Now, you might be wondering what in the world does dribbling mean.
Well, to put it simple, dribbling is basically walking or running with the ball.
You begin by bouncing the ball while standing still. Make sure that you do this back and forth between your two hands. Once you’ve got a hang of this, try walking while bouncing the ball on your side or in front of you. When you become comfortable with this, try to run with the ball. The key to this is practice, practice and more practice.
Next, you should proceed to learn correct passing techniques. Basketball is a team sport; therefore, you don’t want to keep the ball to yourself. If you play this way, you wouldn’t be making many friends on the court. Pass training is easier to do with a partner.
There are basically two common passing methods. These are the chest pass and the bounce pass. In chest pass, you position the ball at your chest level and aim to pass to your partners’ chest. Bounce pass on the other hand utilizes the bounce of the ball on the court. This is a great way to evade defenders and create some open spaces.
The third essential skill is shooting. You wouldn’t be having much fun on the court if you can’t shoot a basket. Shooting the basket becomes almost natural once you’ve mastered the form. Basically, when shooting, you should use both hands. Whereby, one hand acts as the shooting hand while the other acts as the guiding or support hand. The support hand should extend above the head and cup the ball. When shooting, extend your arm and flick the ball with your wrist. Remember; use your wrist and not your arm. It takes constant practice to be good at shooting the basket.
If you are really serious about basketball, you should learn more about the rules of the game. This can be done in many ways such as watching matches, reading books or just asking around. These days, it’s real easy to get information on any subject that you wish to.
Now that you’ve learnt about the basic skills that need to be covered, you are well prepared to start playing basketball. If you don’t succeed when you first start, don’t give up. After all, it takes practice to reach perfection. That’s how they coined the term ‘practice makes perfect’ anyways.
Let me know: What made you start playing basketball?
Photo credit: John-Morgan
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