basketball - tips for shooting guard/small forward?

Question

my freshman basketball has ended this week, and i was hoping for some stuff to work on during offseason. three of the things that i definitely need to work on is my ball handling, crossovers ,and attacking the basket( things such as ball fakes, jumpstops, triple threat). i need tips/drills/ on improving on these things. i am a guard/forward( not a post man) , 5'8, 15 years old. i would really appreciate your help. thanks.

Answer 1

Your ball handling needs to be crisp to have any kind of perimeter game and attack the basket so make sure you keep the speed up

Most of the top ball handlers practice with a tennis ball to keep control because after that a basketball is easy. You might want to work that into your ritual

Here are the basic moves for guards: (let me know if you don't know what something is)

There's the basic cross over (you should throw a head fake to sell this move as well)

the in and out dribble (basically a fake cross over but you keep the ball in one hand instead of switching hands)

the stutter step where you attack your defender and then slow down while shuffling your feet (keep the dribble) then speed up and go to the rim

The spin move where you attack your defender and then spin away from them quickly after contact

and the basic quick attack for a couple dribbles and then the step back jumper

if you get these down you should be good to go

you need to sell your fakes if you are going to make them. A ball fake should be going through your normal motion just not releasing the ball. your head fakes should be quick and to the point. No one is buying a slow head fake and if someone bites on one of your fakes make sure you do something with it.

Practice all moves with both hands

No need to take a break if you are serious the quicker you start the better

Answer 2

For a Shooting Guard, you must be a able to shoot off curls and take shots off the dribble as well as a set shot. You also must be able to drive to the hoop. Work on ur stamina because u'll be running a lot as a SG trying to get open shots. A good thing for any player is to be a great defender. The coaches loves to players who hustle and play good D. I'm a freshman this yr too and all my friends sophmore year told me to work on Defense b/c coaches love hustle. You can be a bad basketbally player but as long you do the little things liek gettin boards, putting a hand up on defense, and running down the court even tho its a fast break. You dont need any DVDs such as better basketball because i have them and they're boring and at the end of the day u dont' learn much from them. The best thing to do is to get a trainer or to play with the best kids in ur grade and see what they do. Also watch basketball games and learn from them, not just for entertainment value.
If you want to be a great ball handler, never look down while dribbling and work on ur weaker hand. Its going to piss you off but trust me its worth it. Also drive with ur weaker hand too. Most of all be a smart basketball player and hustle.

Answer 3

Work on a good head fake. Get a guy off his feet 15 feet or more out (assuming you're a decent shooter) and work on really selling it so you can drive to the basket after. If someone helps on defense, that means someone on your team should be open, so work on more than scoring when you drive to the basket!

Answer 4

Go fishing, on a vacation with your family, and chill for a while. Pracice a bit, but like you say, it is the "offseason". Build strength, some skill, but enjoy other aspects of life. Your writing sucks, so you may wish to work on that a bit. Trust me young fella, you do not want to be a postman. Too many snap from their stressful job of delivering letters.

Answer 5

The better basketball videos will help you a lot more than most people think

Answer 6

for ball handles, Carry the ball around the house whenever you can but makesure its only with the tips of your fingers.