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!
Just like many other skills in basketball, good rebounding relies just as much on your mind as it does your physical talents. An athlete who is interested in developing his or her rebounding skills should strive to develop both their physical skills, and the mental aspects of the game. Theory, determination, drive, and the will to succeed are just as important as physical training and warm up.
That being said there is no doubt that physical training is essential in developing effective offensive rebounding. It is therefore important to work on your training for overall strength, jumping, power, stamina, and timing, as well as your block-out technique. But what we will go over in this post is some of the other more intangible aspects to think about in putting yourself in a position to be a great rebounder.
It is important to develop the mental aspects of rebounding such as knowing when to go for a rebound, anticipating where the ball is headed, predicting the movement of the other players (both of your teammates and your opponents), and staying focused throughout every play.
In terms of offensive rebounding, you have to realize that you will typically be in a less advantageous position than the defender of the opposing team. It is up to you then to neutralize that disadvantage, and make a move to get in front of the defender quickly. Even if the defender attempts to block your move, you must do what it takes to get that rebound, whether it means continuing on in your present path or spinning away to an alternate direction. What is important is that you never give up. Far too often offensive players make it too easy for the defender who is boxing out by just standing immobile while he solidifies his position and box out. As you will all recognize from attempting to box out the opposition yourself, you know that the more your man is moving around the harder it is to pull off an effective box out. One of the greatest rebounders on both ends of the floor, Dennis Rodman, was an excellent offensive rebounder because of how much he moved around when attacking the glass. He never just stood still waiting to be boxed out. A modern day example of the type of activity and movement necessary to be an effective offensive rebounder is Anderson Varajao of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just watch his hair if you don’t believe me. He’s bouncing around like a ball of energy when he is attempting an offensive rebound.
Another good idea to make a habit of on every shot (offensive and defensive rebounding) is to look at how far away the shooter is when he takes the shot. More often than not a 3 point shot will have a long rebound, and a shorter shot will have a very small rebound off the rim for quick tip-ins. This strategy is often to the advantage of the offensive rebounder as the defender is too often solely focused on finding and putting a body on his man through a box out that he loses track of the ball and shooter to gauge how long the rebound will be.
What this all boils down to is that you have to be quite aggressive and tenacious in order to become an effective offensive rebounder. If your efforts to get that rebound are thwarted, you must be prepared to react and counter-react for as long as the ball is in play. If you really want to get that rebound, giving up is simply not an option. The ability to do that will require a lot of hard work and determination on your part, even before you hit the court. We mentioned briefly the importance of developing your physical skills as they relate to rebounding, but it is just as crucial to condition yourself mentally to being in the best position possible to secure that rebound.
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