I'm going to take the time to show you some jumping techniques for jumping higher. By practicing these methods, you can greatly improve your basketball game or any other sport that requires a lot of jumping. Not only will you be able to dunk the ball with ease, but you'll become a better defender, a better rebounder and an overall better shooter. If you look at all the professionals in the NBA, you have to understand that most of them had to work at jumping that high. They spent a lot of time with specialized trainers that worked specifically on jumping. I'm going to show you some jumping techniques, that if used, will result in you jumping higher.
It is extremely important for you to strengthen those muscles involved with jumping. I found the best method for this is squats, even though a lot of people neglect it because they view it as an upper leg exercise. If you look at a squat, it looks like a slow motion jump. It's weight and it has been shown to increase strength. You need to have some power when you push yourself off the ground or you won't get anywhere.
Another part of the equation is my jumping techniques for remaining springy and elastic. Pushing yourself on the ground with power is important, but springing off the ground helps too. I suggest walking around on the tips of your toes for half an hour. It seems easy, but after about 5 minutes of it, you'll start to feel the burn.
Learn the exercises used by top athletes. Check out the Jump Higher Exercises.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Friday, October 31, 2008
Screw Size - The Greatest Really Small Players in Basketball History
Size has always been one of the biggest concerns in a lot of professional sports. It's always expected that football players are supposed to be brawny and bulky, marathon runners should have lean bodies built for endurance, and basketball players should be, well, very tall and extremely athletic. When it comes to stereotyping athletes, the first qualification is more often than not what what is associated with the sport. And a lot of shorter athletes are told to choose other sports like wrestling, weight lifting or competitive dance. But has this stopped the most determined and talented of players from ever trying their luck in the most prestigious basketball league in the world? Of course not!
Some of the most talented basketball players on the planet were under six feet tall. And instead of being shadowed by their gigantic teammates, they showed the world that enough talent, dedication and desire can more than make up for a little deficiency in height. Here are a few examples of their rare breed:
- Spud Webb: Standing at a humble 5'7, nobody thought Spud Webb would amount to anything early on in his career (he was drafted in the 4th round). But he would soon prove everyone wrong by averaging in double digits in five of his seasons. But his claim to fame would be beating the great Dominique Wilkins in the 1986 Slam Dunk Competition. After skying to perform some of the most gravity-defying dunks ever, Spud Webb would sky to the pantheon of NBA legends by proving little guys can beat big guys at their own game.
- Avery Johnson: You may know him these days as the coach of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, but Avery Johnson was once the championship-winning point guard for one fo the latter-day NBA dynasties: the San Antonio Spurs. As a point guard, Avery was known for his leadership, consistency and grace under fire. When in 1999 he hit the shot that eventually would clinch the title for the Spurs, we all knew that there was something special about this intelligent and talented young man that was born to win.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Otto_Kreistler
Some of the most talented basketball players on the planet were under six feet tall. And instead of being shadowed by their gigantic teammates, they showed the world that enough talent, dedication and desire can more than make up for a little deficiency in height. Here are a few examples of their rare breed:
- Spud Webb: Standing at a humble 5'7, nobody thought Spud Webb would amount to anything early on in his career (he was drafted in the 4th round). But he would soon prove everyone wrong by averaging in double digits in five of his seasons. But his claim to fame would be beating the great Dominique Wilkins in the 1986 Slam Dunk Competition. After skying to perform some of the most gravity-defying dunks ever, Spud Webb would sky to the pantheon of NBA legends by proving little guys can beat big guys at their own game.
- Avery Johnson: You may know him these days as the coach of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, but Avery Johnson was once the championship-winning point guard for one fo the latter-day NBA dynasties: the San Antonio Spurs. As a point guard, Avery was known for his leadership, consistency and grace under fire. When in 1999 he hit the shot that eventually would clinch the title for the Spurs, we all knew that there was something special about this intelligent and talented young man that was born to win.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Otto_Kreistler
Basketball Camps in the Philadelphia Area
The city of Philadelphia, home to the NBA's first franchise, the 76ers, has been a basketball town for generations. The 76ers have hosted such stars as Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley, and have inspired hundreds of Philly kids to take up the game. Boys and girls interested in improving their skills have a number of Philadelphia basketball camps to choose from:
Sixers Camps
Operating for over thirty years, the Sixers Camps are the most well known of the Philadelphia basketball camps. 76ers players and former players regularly visit the camp, and participating youngsters learn from the pros as well as take part in traditional camp activities at their overnight facility in the Poconos. Sixers camps are open to boys and girls. Campers can also enjoy boating, swimming, batting cages, volleyball, and other fun activities.
Phil Martelli's Basketball Camp
Phil Martelli was named Associated Press coach of the year for 2004 when his Saint Joseph's Hawks went undefeated for the NCAA's regular season, the most recent team to do so. Now Martelli offers boys aged 8-17 the opportunity to stay at the University and hone their skills. Camp features guest lectures as well as individual and team competition, with campers staying on campus in air-conditioned dormitories under supervision.
Future Stars Camps
Future Stars is another organization specializing in Philadelphia basketball camps, offering a special overnight camp just for girls. As head coach at Immaculata College, Cathy Rush, founder of Future Stars, led her teams to five national championships. The camp staff includes many top basketball players at the women's college level.
Herb Magee's Basketball Camps
One of the best coaches in the country, Herb Magee has racked up 41 seasons as coach at Philadelphia University and offers a one week camp each summer for boys and girls in the Philadelphia area who would like to improve their shooting skills. The camp focuses on small group instruction, with a high instructor to camper ratio.
City of Philadelphia Day Camps
Many Philadelphia basketball camps are overnight programs. For those looking for a day camp experience, the City of Philadelphia offers basketball camps Monday through Friday during the summer. The city's basketball camp provides lunch and snacks for campers, as well as a report on each individual's progress as an athlete.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a basketball camp. Be sure to look into the reputation of the camp and the staff, as well as the camp's goals and itinerary. The cost, location, and duration of the program may also play into making the right decision. Don't be afraid to contact staff to ask detailed questions, or ask for a tour of an overnight camp's facilities. A good basketball camp provides the tools to improve your game as well as an exciting week.
Matthew Finn is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Finn
Sixers Camps
Operating for over thirty years, the Sixers Camps are the most well known of the Philadelphia basketball camps. 76ers players and former players regularly visit the camp, and participating youngsters learn from the pros as well as take part in traditional camp activities at their overnight facility in the Poconos. Sixers camps are open to boys and girls. Campers can also enjoy boating, swimming, batting cages, volleyball, and other fun activities.
Phil Martelli's Basketball Camp
Phil Martelli was named Associated Press coach of the year for 2004 when his Saint Joseph's Hawks went undefeated for the NCAA's regular season, the most recent team to do so. Now Martelli offers boys aged 8-17 the opportunity to stay at the University and hone their skills. Camp features guest lectures as well as individual and team competition, with campers staying on campus in air-conditioned dormitories under supervision.
Future Stars Camps
Future Stars is another organization specializing in Philadelphia basketball camps, offering a special overnight camp just for girls. As head coach at Immaculata College, Cathy Rush, founder of Future Stars, led her teams to five national championships. The camp staff includes many top basketball players at the women's college level.
Herb Magee's Basketball Camps
One of the best coaches in the country, Herb Magee has racked up 41 seasons as coach at Philadelphia University and offers a one week camp each summer for boys and girls in the Philadelphia area who would like to improve their shooting skills. The camp focuses on small group instruction, with a high instructor to camper ratio.
City of Philadelphia Day Camps
Many Philadelphia basketball camps are overnight programs. For those looking for a day camp experience, the City of Philadelphia offers basketball camps Monday through Friday during the summer. The city's basketball camp provides lunch and snacks for campers, as well as a report on each individual's progress as an athlete.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a basketball camp. Be sure to look into the reputation of the camp and the staff, as well as the camp's goals and itinerary. The cost, location, and duration of the program may also play into making the right decision. Don't be afraid to contact staff to ask detailed questions, or ask for a tour of an overnight camp's facilities. A good basketball camp provides the tools to improve your game as well as an exciting week.
Matthew Finn is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Finn
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Amazing Jumping Exercises to Increase Vertical Jumping
I'm going to show you the correct jumping exercises so you can increase vertical jumping on the basketball court. A lot of people assume that star athletes in the NBA can just naturally jump high. That they just have the right genetics, while you don't have them. The fact is that many of them had to work with specialized trainers for years to get to where they are today. The average person doesn't have the money to pay for a trainer to achieve this. Luckily, all they do is tell you to do specific exercises that will help you. I'm going to show you the exact jumping exercises that will increase vertical jumping.
The first one is doing seated calf raises. It is important to focus on weight because you want to strengthen those muscles. The one thing you want to avoid is doing the exercise slow. As you increase the weight, it gets harder to do fast, but you have to always be pushing off with intensity. This is how you'll properly simulate an actual jump.
Another exercise is walking around on the balls of your feet for half an hour. This forces your leg muscles to adapt to this position of a jump. Out of all the jumping exercises, I think this one works best to increase vertical jumping. If you find that this is easy, try doing it while walking around backwards. It puts a much higher strain on the muscles, they'll grow, but they'll also remain very springy.
Rule the court with dunking skills with these Jump Higher Exercises.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
The first one is doing seated calf raises. It is important to focus on weight because you want to strengthen those muscles. The one thing you want to avoid is doing the exercise slow. As you increase the weight, it gets harder to do fast, but you have to always be pushing off with intensity. This is how you'll properly simulate an actual jump.
Another exercise is walking around on the balls of your feet for half an hour. This forces your leg muscles to adapt to this position of a jump. Out of all the jumping exercises, I think this one works best to increase vertical jumping. If you find that this is easy, try doing it while walking around backwards. It puts a much higher strain on the muscles, they'll grow, but they'll also remain very springy.
Rule the court with dunking skills with these Jump Higher Exercises.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Teaching Team Defense With Whole Part Whole Concept
Introducing a team concept like man to man defense takes preparation and planning. By using the whole-part-whole concept, players can see the entire defense first to grasp the main idea. Once this has been accomplished the parts can be introduced one at a time. By putting the team defense back together all parts begin to make sense. I highly recommend the whole-part-whole style of teaching basketball.
Man to man defense is an excellent way to using the whole concept of teaching. Here are the steps to follow with your team;
1. Show the whole concept first on the floor with just 5 players so they can seen firsthand how a 5 players look as a defensive unit.
2. Carefully and slowly have players walk through all of the slides and situations that can occur in the half court.
3. Have the defense defend some half speed offensive possessions. Go slow enough to coach them through each pass and movement.
4. Break the defense down into individual parts and drill each of these.
5. Put the parts back together and play full speed in the half court.
As soon as you play it live, you will scurry back to #1 or #2. Defensive slippage is huge at all levels, but even more at the elementary and junior high levels. An example of teaching a part of man to man defense is the flat triangle concept. The flat triangle is a term to describe the shape formed between the defender, his man, and the ball.
The best way to teach this concept is to take string and have the player with the ball and your man hold it...this represents the "line of the ball." By the way, just another term we use loosely that we expect our players to instantly grasp!!! Wrong, they are thinking about playing X Box in an hour when practice is over.
Extend the string to allow the defender to hold the string also. If he is one step off the line of the ball, the shape the string takes will be a flat triangle.
I've done this with many college teams to drive home the terminology and the idea of how this works into team defense.
Moving too fast with your team is a characteristic of poor coaching. Pieces of basketball must be broken down, explained and practiced. A coach cannot afford to assume their players know how to execute the many parts of the game. By using the Whole-Part-Whole method you will help your players see the game in a different, less confusing way. In the end, execution on the floor will be the by product of teaching basketball in this organized manner.
I encourage you to take the big teaching concepts and breaking them down into their smallest form. Perfecting the part will make your team tough to beat on both ends of the floor. Take this concept and apply it this season to with your team for excellent results.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
Man to man defense is an excellent way to using the whole concept of teaching. Here are the steps to follow with your team;
1. Show the whole concept first on the floor with just 5 players so they can seen firsthand how a 5 players look as a defensive unit.
2. Carefully and slowly have players walk through all of the slides and situations that can occur in the half court.
3. Have the defense defend some half speed offensive possessions. Go slow enough to coach them through each pass and movement.
4. Break the defense down into individual parts and drill each of these.
5. Put the parts back together and play full speed in the half court.
As soon as you play it live, you will scurry back to #1 or #2. Defensive slippage is huge at all levels, but even more at the elementary and junior high levels. An example of teaching a part of man to man defense is the flat triangle concept. The flat triangle is a term to describe the shape formed between the defender, his man, and the ball.
The best way to teach this concept is to take string and have the player with the ball and your man hold it...this represents the "line of the ball." By the way, just another term we use loosely that we expect our players to instantly grasp!!! Wrong, they are thinking about playing X Box in an hour when practice is over.
Extend the string to allow the defender to hold the string also. If he is one step off the line of the ball, the shape the string takes will be a flat triangle.
I've done this with many college teams to drive home the terminology and the idea of how this works into team defense.
Moving too fast with your team is a characteristic of poor coaching. Pieces of basketball must be broken down, explained and practiced. A coach cannot afford to assume their players know how to execute the many parts of the game. By using the Whole-Part-Whole method you will help your players see the game in a different, less confusing way. In the end, execution on the floor will be the by product of teaching basketball in this organized manner.
I encourage you to take the big teaching concepts and breaking them down into their smallest form. Perfecting the part will make your team tough to beat on both ends of the floor. Take this concept and apply it this season to with your team for excellent results.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Brown
How to Increase Basketball Speed and Power
A strong with the ball player is one that is responsible with the basketball. At no point in time is that player going to have the ball taken from them, which is the most embarrassing thing that could happen on a basketball court bar none. I call this particular occurrence, "my ball" and I tally them for every team I coach. If you coach, maybe you should too! It opens up a door that is often ignored and will give you the ball for three to five extra possessions a game. Think about how valuable that is in a close game!
Being strong on the feet simply means that a player understands his body awareness, has coordination, and can move strong at will. A lot of this confidence is developed over a series of years and within specific athletic movement.
Hey, what about clumsy, heavy footed players? They dont have years of practice because the season is right around the corner?
Well, that is an obvious factor that warrants a specific solution. I know you have read it before but I have to reiterate it; swamp lunges. This movement builds coordination, joint integrity, muscular endurance, and bodily stability at the same time within anything dangerous getting in the way. Another huge advantage of this exercise and they way I designed it is that the participant begins by mastering his or her own bodyweight with it. This means that absolutely no resistance is added until certain prerequisite levels are achieved.
These reasons alone will keep dynamic movement training will stay on top of the athletic training world because its safe methods as opposed to the ones you can see inside some popular fitness magazines. An example would be the Bosu, which is a jelly-like structure that athletes are asked to balance and exercise on. At some point, things needs to be simplified and people should be able to balance themselves before embarking into advanced challenges.
Now correct if I am wrong but why would anyone ask an athlete to train motor movement using a jelly-like surface that will never be played on?
Why would a trainer ask an athlete to work on a synthetically developed surface where only the high level stable athletes can succeed?
I dont have those answers but I believe it may be due to a lack of safer options for the same desired result. Trust me; I have worked with countless athletes that were heavy footed and needed work on coming strong on the feet. The last thing I would ever do is put them on a Bosu and it's because it would be a recipe for disaster. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but why even take the chance?
The best way to develop strength on the feet is to train on the feet. You need that physiological connection with the ground through specific movement patterns in order to build adequate muscle memory. That muscle memory demonstrates itself outside of training and during competition in a short period of time when using the swamp lunges and their progressions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
Being strong on the feet simply means that a player understands his body awareness, has coordination, and can move strong at will. A lot of this confidence is developed over a series of years and within specific athletic movement.
Hey, what about clumsy, heavy footed players? They dont have years of practice because the season is right around the corner?
Well, that is an obvious factor that warrants a specific solution. I know you have read it before but I have to reiterate it; swamp lunges. This movement builds coordination, joint integrity, muscular endurance, and bodily stability at the same time within anything dangerous getting in the way. Another huge advantage of this exercise and they way I designed it is that the participant begins by mastering his or her own bodyweight with it. This means that absolutely no resistance is added until certain prerequisite levels are achieved.
These reasons alone will keep dynamic movement training will stay on top of the athletic training world because its safe methods as opposed to the ones you can see inside some popular fitness magazines. An example would be the Bosu, which is a jelly-like structure that athletes are asked to balance and exercise on. At some point, things needs to be simplified and people should be able to balance themselves before embarking into advanced challenges.
Now correct if I am wrong but why would anyone ask an athlete to train motor movement using a jelly-like surface that will never be played on?
Why would a trainer ask an athlete to work on a synthetically developed surface where only the high level stable athletes can succeed?
I dont have those answers but I believe it may be due to a lack of safer options for the same desired result. Trust me; I have worked with countless athletes that were heavy footed and needed work on coming strong on the feet. The last thing I would ever do is put them on a Bosu and it's because it would be a recipe for disaster. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but why even take the chance?
The best way to develop strength on the feet is to train on the feet. You need that physiological connection with the ground through specific movement patterns in order to build adequate muscle memory. That muscle memory demonstrates itself outside of training and during competition in a short period of time when using the swamp lunges and their progressions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Lemanczyk
Monday, October 20, 2008
Remarkable Exercises For Jumping
I'm going to show you some great exercises for jumping that can help you improve your abilities in basketball. Being able to jump higher is an important aspect of this sport. Most people are led to believe that the athletes you see on television naturally jump like that. The fact is that most of them had to train extremely hard with a personal trainer for years to achieve what they can. The fact is if you want to achieve the same thing, you can, as long as you're willing to put the necessary work in with the proper exercises for jumping. I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to need to do.
Squats are probably one of the most underrated exercises you can do. The reason people neglect it is that they think it focuses on the upper legs. It's true, it does, but it works the entire leg. Most importantly, it works the primary muscles of jumping. If you watch a squat, it looks like jumping in slow motion. This exercise will help your jumping muscles to get strong.
Strong isn't always the best thing to have. You need a balance between strength and that springy, explosive push off. The best exercise for jumping in that regard is walking around on the balls of your feet. This keeps you in a consistent state of pouncing. You're right in the middle of a jump basically. You should try to do this for 30 minutes. It's a lot harder than most people anticipate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
Squats are probably one of the most underrated exercises you can do. The reason people neglect it is that they think it focuses on the upper legs. It's true, it does, but it works the entire leg. Most importantly, it works the primary muscles of jumping. If you watch a squat, it looks like jumping in slow motion. This exercise will help your jumping muscles to get strong.
Strong isn't always the best thing to have. You need a balance between strength and that springy, explosive push off. The best exercise for jumping in that regard is walking around on the balls of your feet. This keeps you in a consistent state of pouncing. You're right in the middle of a jump basically. You should try to do this for 30 minutes. It's a lot harder than most people anticipate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash
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