Author: Grant Riley

So you have a son or daughter who got a taste of basketball at summer camp or saw a really exciting clip on YouTube and now they want to play. That’s great! Call us at the Basketball Goal Store and since we are the No. 1 online retailer, we can set you up with the best premium, in-ground Goalrilla Goal Basketball System for your own home basketball installation. (If you didn’t already know, a Goalrilla Goal purchase will get you a lifetime of fun and health benefits and we have great prices and quick delivery!) Anyway, we also like to help parents teach these… Read more »

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When you dribble a basketball, there’s a lot going on: fingertip control, dexterity, hand and wrist strength and proficient ball handling. Add defensive players applying pressure on the court and an intense game, and it’s evident who’s mastered the fundamentals. I was talking to Bobby Plump (remember the winning shot when the small town won the Indiana state championship in the movie, Hoosiers? The real person on the actual Milan team who made that shot was Bobby Plump) – anyway, Bobby commented that moving with a basketball in his hands was a natural feeling – second nature. I think that’s… Read more »

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  Two minutes of your time on your Goalrilla Goal Basketball home basketball court – repeated – can improve the quality of your basketball handling and dribble skills. Dexterity plays a big part in ball handling proficiency and one of the ways to improve that is to practice with dual ball drills. Two Ball Dribble Drill Depending on the level of the player, intensity of this drill should start low with beginners up to game-like intensity for advanced players. The drill is one set of 2 minutes, which is repeated. The player begins with a ball in each hand, standing in an athletic stance with feet… Read more »

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Capitalize on all that energy kids have by challenging them to learn and develop new basketball skills on your home court. Kids think it’s fun to try to do something new and get faster and better at it while being encouraged and guided by someone like mom, dad, uncle, aunt or coach. Do that with a modified 55-second garden gloves dribbling drill. There are a few things you won’t need for the beginner’s drill: the Goalrilla Basketball Goal (at least not until you’re done with the practice to shoot for fun!) the garden gloves just 55 seconds The 55 Second… Read more »

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Got a minute for a drill on your home basketball court? You won’t need to adjust the height of the Goalrilla Basketball Goal for this drill, because it’s all about dribbling – there isn’t a shot in it. (Although when you’re done, you can make all the baskets you want!) The 55 Second Garden Gloves Dribbling Drill Grab a pair of mom or dad’s garden gloves for this drill. (Just remember to put them back when you’re finished!) The idea behind the garden gloves is to create an obstacle and challenge you to improve ball handling and hand agility. When… Read more »

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There are lots of flashy moves with a basketball – you’ve seen them through the years. The driving speed dribble and on-the-move dribbling of some of the greatest players ever to grace the court are amazing to watch – but it all begins with the fundamentals of ball handling. No one will ever be great – or even adequate – on the boards without a firm mastery of how to dominate the ball in the face of defenders. I never get tired of saying it: practice, practice, practice! (Although I’m sure they’re probably tired of hearing it here at the Basketball Goal… Read more »

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How can you become a master of free throw shooting? Learn the fundamentals and practice, practice, practice! Whatever your skill level – beginner, intermediate or advanced – use this drill to help you boost your confidence and become a free throw pro as you rack up the points as you practice on your Goalrilla Basketball Goal system at home. The challenge Using the fundamentals of free throw shooting, the player: 1.       Takes position at the free throw line with basketball in hand 2.       Shoots 25 free throws 3.       Throughout the drill, “reads” his/her shots and makes adjustments as needed to… Read more »

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There are days when something significant happens and it’s either exciting and happy news, or devastating news. However, sometimes, it’s both. A recent announcement is news that conjures those mixed emotions. Yao Ming has announced he is retiring from the Houston Rockets. He made the announcement from his homeland, China, but the impact reaches far across the oceans and continents touching the basketball world globally. Dennis Passa, AP sports writer, summed up the contributions to the sport made by Yao as well as the personal achievements and tribulations due to injuries over the last couple of years in an article. At 7-foot-6-inches, Yao Ming grabbed attention everywhere… Read more »

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You’re at the free throw line, your body is lined up, and you’re flexed and focused on your Goalrilla Basketball Goal. It’s time to shoot that ball and put a point on the scoreboard. Follow through with the release shooting position and you’ll soon be a free throw scoring machine! Free Throw Shooting Fundamentals: Part 3 There are three phases of shooting free throws: 1.       The Shot Prep Position 2.       The Cocked and Flexed Shooting Position 3.       The Release Shooting Position Each phase of shooting requires the proper technique including the position of key body components: Footwork Lower body Upper… Read more »

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Shooting the basketball (and more importantly, scoring!) requires consistency. It’s true for all types of basketball shots, and especially true for free throw shooting. Putting the fundamentals in motion time after time will boost your scoring and make you a player to watch. The Basketball Goal Store wants you to be the best player you can be. That’s why we created this blog, so you can find – and use to your advantage – these and other tips that can help you become a prime time player. Subscribe to this blog to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Then,… Read more »

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Do you know what blinders are? They are flaps put on horses so they don’t get startled by things around them so they keep moving forward. Blinders keep you from seeing everything that’s going on around you. Just for fun – make yourself some blinders: You can get two file folders and hold one on ech side of your head. (Or you can get a box big enough to fit your head in and cut out the top and a notch in one side so it will sit on your shoulders and you look out the open top. The back… Read more »

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Free throw shooting always takes place from the same place on the basketball court (and without a defender challenging your shot). Because of this, free throws can be your big chance to put points on the scoreboard. All you need to do is master the fundamentals, tune out distractions, take careful aim at your Goalrilla Basketball Goal, and follow through. As you practice your free throw shooting, refer often to this Basketball Goal Store blog (or better yet, subscribe!) so you can be among the first to master these and other basketball skills. Free Throw Shooting Fundamentals: Part 1 There… Read more »

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Basketball backboards are not created equal – and the disparity is important when choosing one for your family. 1. Get a strong frame Even though some basketball goals may have the desirable ½-inch glass backboard, it is supported sandwiched in an aluminum frame. Aluminum is weak with a lot of flex in it. Therefore, rebound characteristics during play are inconsistent over the surface of the backboard. Three (3) Goalrilla Basketball Goal systems have a ½-inch glass backboard that is fully supported by a welded tube steel frame. Steel is strong and has little flex in it. The welded wide span… Read more »

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Well the 2011 NBA championship has been decided – and I would think that Mike Bibby is one really disappointed guy. As you might recall, Bibby gave up a $6.2 million dollar paycheck to play for free agent wages with the Miami Heat. General consensus was that this player was on the backside of his career and wanted to “win the big one.” Well, sometimes you take a chance and it works out just how you hope it would. Other times, well, not so much – like for Bibby and the Heat this year. It really isn’t worth the chance… Read more »

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“How should I know? You didn’t tell me!” If you have children, a spouse, or any people around you, you know how effective communication gets things done or greases the wheel to get along!! Without communication, people assume that someone else will do something and then no one does it. Like when parents don’t communicate and no one goes to pick up Johnny from practice. It happens when the garden doesn’t get watered or the car isn’t gassed up. The same is true on the basketball court. It’s just another way the game of basketball can be a place to… Read more »

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Playing basketball takes a lot of energy and focused thought. You want to contain the opposition in a way where you conserve energy and prevent them from moving the ball forward and scoring. Mastering the defensive slide means controlled movement of the feet and arms and resisting the impulse to gallop. Galloping happens when players stand upright and click the feet together when they move. A good way to stay in check is to watch that your head stays in a level plane. If you find your head bobbing up and down, refocus on staying down in your defensive stance… Read more »

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Shooting baskets and scoring points is a thrill – But a winning record requires a good defense, too. And a good defense begins with the most important aspect of playing defense – a proper defensive stance. That being said, a good fundamental defensive stance position does not take into account a player’s position on the floor, ball position on the floor or one-on-one defensive movement required by the player. That takes engaging the brain and knowledge of the game and – you’ve heard it before: P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E!!! Practicing is easy when you have a Goalrilla Basketball Goal system at home. With… Read more »

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It takes two, baby — Really, it takes more than two on the basketball court, but it’s the idea that a team is more than one player and a good team moves the ball between players to win games – and that requires passing. Developing a strong, fundamentally sound stationary two-handed chest pass is a key building block to moving the basketball from one player to another – and puts the team into teamwork. Teamwork on the court means players are familiar with how each other play and they work together to move the ball and score. That familiarity comes… Read more »

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It’s getting close to THAT time of year – you know – summer – when the kids are out of school. Are you ready for it?? Are you looking forward to: –          I’m boooorrrrrreeeeed. There’s nothing to do….  (week 2) –          Continual biinggg bonng Clunk!! of games and game systems on the TV  (weeks 3 – 4) –          I wanna —- (go to) — (rent) — (watch) — (get) — (buy) — you fill in the blank (weeks 5 – 7) The answer from most parents out there is, “No. I’m not ready. I thought this year might be different.”… Read more »

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Having spent several decades on this earth (OK, a couple more than just several), I have discovered that there is more than one “clumsy age” in life. Didn’t like it the first time in those pubescent years (remember tripping over your own feet in class??) and I certainly don’t like it now when it’s mis-judging the stairs or doorframes because of bifocals or expanded hips. Use basketball to improve balance and coordination I’ve heard that as humans age, their balance and coordination suffers. I’ve also heard that exercise helps – and basketball is one sport that can really benefit the… Read more »

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