Think
back over some of the greatest shooting guards in recent basketball
history: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Dwyane Wade, Reggie
Miller, Ray Allen.
In addition to being physically gifted and coordinated, each of those
players possessed a desire to improve their game throughout their
careers. At first glance, many people will focus on the scoring ability
that each player brought to the court each night. However, they also
combined their shooting skills with defense, rebounding, and passing
ability.
In order to improve as a shooting guard, you should focus on
strengthening your entire game. Although you may not become an NBA star,
with time, effort, and lots of practice you could still become an
accomplished player in your own right. Work on the skill areas below,
and watch your game start to blossom.
Increase Your Speed and Strength
The
game of basketball is becoming faster and more physical than it has
ever been in the past. In order to become a better player, you need to
condition your body to be able to keep up with the competition. The best
players are the ones that are able to perform at a high level during
the course of a whole game. In order to do this, you must make sure that
you are as strong in the fourth quarter as you were during the first
quarter.
In order to improve physical strength, find a way to incorporate some
weight training into your workouts. Adding muscle will not only help
you run faster and jump higher, but it will also allow you to absorb
more impact as you take fouls in the lane.
Do not just stop at the weight room though. Combine weightlifting
with other conditioning drills to make sure that your cardiovascular
strength is also up to par. The goal is to be the player on the court
with the most stamina at the end of the game. When other players are
worn out, you will be just getting started.
Practice on Your Shot
The
keys to having a great shot in basketball are good form and repetition.
Once you have established the correct way to shoot the ball, you have
to continue practicing it so that it becomes a habit each time you go up
for a shot. If you study the greatest shooters in the game, you'll
notice their shot motion rarely changes no matter what part of the court
they are on.
In practicing your shots, make sure that you do not just take all of
them from a set spot on the court. Try to simulate game action if
possible. Take some shots off the dribble. Work with a partner and work
on taking shots coming off of screens on the baseline.
To increase your range, you should definitely try to work on some
three-point shooting. However, do not neglect your mid-range game.
Shooting within the key and just inside the three-point line is a dying
art, and you can produce a ton of points with a reliable mid-range
jumper.
Last but not least, work on your free throws. As a shooting guard,
you will be counted upon to drive into the lane as well as shoot jump
shots. With this in mind, you are guaranteed to be fouled quite a bit
during the course of the game. Hitting a high percentage of your free
throws will give your time a great chance to win games.
Work on Ball-Handling
Although
many people consider the point guard to be the primary ball-handler on
the basketball court, more and more shooting guards are also sharing
ball-handling duties. A shooting guard needs to be able to dribble
strongly with both hands while still be able to look up court to
identify open teammates.
Improved ball-handling skills will also enable you to create your own
shot off the dribble. A reliable jump shot is a great quality, but it
is even more dangerous when combined with the ability to drive to the
hoop.
Become a Better Defender
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In
addition to having to produce points for your team, the shooting guard
is also counted upon to defend the opposing team's scorer. It is
important to improve your defensive skill set in order to lock down the
other team's scoring threats.
When working on defense, focus on conditioning and footwork. So much
of playing great defense is the ability to beat the other player to a
certain spot on the floor. It is also important to have stamina to
prevent wearing down over the course of four quarters.
A strong defender is valuable even when having a bad shooting night, so focus on defense every time you step on the court.
Help Out With Rebounding
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Shooting
guards are often the shorter players on the court, but they have a lot
to offer when it comes to rebounding. When the shooting goes in for
rebounds, it provides extra assistance for the center and forwards.
Increased rebounds give your team a shot at second-chance shot
opportunities as well. Throughout the game, these second chances could
be the difference in winning and losing.
When you have the opportunity, work on perfecting your rebounding
technique. Practice on boxing out other players so they cannot get to
the rebound before you do. Work on being explosive to the ball so that
when it misses you are the first person there to corral it.
Study Tape of Other Guards
One
thing a lot of basketball players take for granted is studying tape of
themselves and other players. By reviewing videotape on a consistent
basis, you can identify areas of your game that need work. Whether it be
correcting your shooting motion or learning how to defend against a
certain offense, you can learn a lot from a good film session.
Studying video of other players can also be beneficial. If you have
access to the tape of a successful shooting guard, you can use it to see
which one of his moves are the most effective during a game. You can
also see how that player reacts during certain situations in a game.
Watching tape of opponents can identify player trends as well as team
tendencies. Spending a little bit of extra time in film study can pay
big dividends when you finally step back onto the court.
Become a Better Leader
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Many
people often assume that the point guard is the leader of the team
because he usually has play-calling responsibilities. While this may be
true on many teams, it does not mean that other positions cannot be
leaders on their teams.
A good shooting guard should work on strengthening communication
skills with the coach as well as his fellow teammates. Doing so will
decrease the chance for in-game confusion, as well as make the unit more
cohesive.
Being a leader takes place on both the offensive and defensive ends
of the court. In order to prevent the other team from scoring, a good
shooting guard must work on communicating with his teammates, so
everyone knows what is happening on the floor.
Continue to Practice
As
mentioned at the beginning of the hub, true success comes to those that
are willing to put in the time and effort to be better. Practicing
every aspect of your game will only make you a more well-rounded player,
but also a leader on the court. That drive could one day lead you to
heights you never even dreamed of achieving.
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