Each week in The Hoop Doctors “Skool for Ballers” we will bring you tips, analysis, or drills on various aspects of the game to help guide your training to be the best damn baller you can be! Don’t forget, being a GREAT baller takes as much work off the court as it does on!
Every basketball player has run into confidence issues from time to time–even the professionals. While there is no one sure fire way to increase your confidence on the basketball court overnight, there are a number of things that you can do that will help prepare you for the stressful situations of a game, and ensure that your are able to approach them with a greater measure of confidence in your abilities.
It is important to keep in mind that basketball is just as much a mental activity as it is a physical one. In terms of building confidence therefore, developing the mental aspect is just as important as training in the physical aspects of the sport. One visualization technique that helps many players in this regard is visualizing that the basketball rim or hoop is actually twice the diameter as a regulation sized basketball. This may seem like a surprising fact indeed, but it is true and it may just make a difference the next time you are expected to put the ball through the ring in a pressure cooker situation. You often hear professional players talk after a great shooting night about how the rim just seemed ‘huge’ to them that night…or “it was like throwing the ball into the ocean, the hoop seemed so big!”
You may also find it beneficial to adopt the techniques, practices, and habits of a player that is accustomed to sinking the ball into the ring with regularity. You can do while practicing to strive to follow through on your shot as often as possible until the ball hits the rim. Doing so has the benefit of not only being the proper way to shoot the ball, but will also make you feel and act more like a confident shooter.
As far as mental discipline goes, try to develop a positive feeling that you will make the goal each time you launch the ball. As most professional shooters do, you must strive to remain confident even if you inevitably miss a few shots. Many shooters have been known to mentally correct a missed shot right after the fact, and doing so allows them to visualize what they have to do the next time they are called upon to take another shot. You may also find it useful to practice positive affirmation techniques such as saying and thinking to yourself such phrases as “I WILL make this shot!” It may seem strange or even funny to you, but it may just make a difference the next time you are out in the court and the shot clock is ticking away.
Of course the physical aspect plays a large role in building confidence as well, which is why you should aim to develop a smooth, free flowing, and rhythmic shooting style. While mechanics are of course important skills to develop in basketball, it is possible to have good mechanics without necessarily being mechanical in your execution. Once you have developed the flow of shooting, you are that much closer to being more confident on the court.
To check out The Hoop Doctors other ‘Skool for Ballers’ posts click here. For more great basketball tips and drills information visit 43drills.com today!
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