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If you’ve been following our series on Fundamentals of Shooting (Perimeter) you’ve read the instructions and watched the video. There are a few extra little tidbits to add that might help you understand why these three phases, and mastering the fundamentals are important in developing that “shooter’s touch.” As I said before, everyone here at the Basketball Goal Store knows equipment is important which is why we offer the best (and, I might add, the original) premium, in-ground Goalrilla Goal Basketball system. We also know mastering the basic techniques and mechanics of the game are important too, which is why… Read more »
In my walks around the subdivision I live in, I happen to notice a lot of the basketball goals. In several of the blog posts I have talked about the economy portable basketball goals that are available just about everywhere (I even saw them for sale in a drugstore!!). Parents have told me they buy them because they’re cheap – and they can keep them in the garage when not in use. But we all know where they stay – outside. Portable basketball hoops go through several stages When they first arrive, the base is filled with water to weigh… Read more »
It seems every day that you’re having to tell your kids to take the bucket off the dresser and bouncing the basketball off the walls. (One kid I know actually put a trashcan in the top drawer of a chest of drawers and used duct tape (!) to tape the drawer tight so the can would stay put …) It’s time to get the fledgling basketball star out of the house and onto a home court. But you have to be careful – there’s nothing that will squash the enthusiasm of a youngster faster than trying to make a basket… Read more »
Slam dunks and the sound of swisssshhhh is great, but bank shots are money in the bank! John Wooden was a big fan of bank shots – he made it the focus of many practice sessions. UCLA’s undefeated 1972 – 73 team, including the legendary Bill Walton, racked up points using the bank shot. Richard “Digger” Phelps (before ESPN fame, he was the winningest Notre Dame basketball coach ever) suggests playing an entire game using nothing but bank shots. (Whew!) Bank shots aren’t glamorous, but do teach good form – and that’s what’s needed to excel at the game. See,… Read more »
One of the greatest basketball players who ever graced the courts was Jerry West. He played for 14 years – and he was consistently in the top for 12 of those 14 years – without the three-point line, the lack of All-Defense teams (that didn’t start until 1969) and the lack of recording steals (which started happening in the 1973 – 74 season). West finished in the top 10 in nine major categories (not even MJ did that!!). The Lakers knew they could count on West to deliver whatever the team needed at the time. Injuries didn’t even put him… Read more »
In basketball, a rim is a rim is a rim – right? No, big guy – that’s not right – in fact it is a serious wrong. Let’s get technical here for a minute and talk some physics. Let me set the stage for you – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said that if his team out rebounded the other team, his team would come out with a win. We’re talking rebounding here and rims are an integral part of that. Rims can be hard or soft. No, not the rims themselves; it has to do with how tightly the rim is… Read more »
Look at most every group – sports team, social organization even a political organization – and you’ll be able to sort out the Alpha Dog – the top dog that everyone follows. Sometimes in very talented groups the Alpha Dog isn’t evident right away, but then something happens and bingo – there he (or she) is! They seem to fall into two categories: Those who inspire others to follow and support them Those who are awed and feared by those around them For instance, Bill Russell inspired his teammates. Bills Simmons relates this story in The Book of Basketball, which… Read more »
A little confidence goes a long way. Yeah, right – but on the basketball court? Yes, especially on the basketball court. Coaches can help most players improve shooting form to improve their shooting percentage, but that doesn’t mean those shots will score. Some players just don’t have the touch – or the confidence. There’s a difference between a shooter and a scorer. Take Elgin Baylor – if you don’t know, he is considered the progenitor of Michael Jordan – he could shoot and he could score. Known as a player whose bottom half might be off balance, the top half… Read more »
Something really interesting happens when a group of avid basketball fans watch a game – and it doesn’t matter when, what level or even what gender is being watched. I call it “remember when …” because those are the words that start sentences in those conversations. Dedicated fans remember specific shots or fouls or events like shattering backboards like they happened last night. But it’s not just the fans – listen to players. They all have someone whose career they’ve followed – someone they admire and aspire to be like (at least on the court). And that’s a good thing.… Read more »
Let’s talk about legs. Of course, with all the action on a basketball court, leg strength and endurance is important – but let’s focus on using legs for jumping. Do you get as amazed as me at the jumping – no, the springing, abilities that basketball athletes possess today? It is truly an awe-inspiring moment when you see Blake Griffin jump high enough that his KNEES are level with another player’s HEAD – I mean, it’s hard to believe – I suppose I’d say, “Yeah, right” if someone told me about it – but seein’ is believin’. In fact, there’s… Read more »
There’s nothing sweeter than the “swish” of nothing but net – Those shots are special for a reason – they’re tough to make. Players are more likely to make the basket when they concentrate on the sweet spot on the goal – the shooting square. The shooting square is, according to the official NBA Rules under Section II – Equipment: A transparent backboard shall be marked with a 2” white rectangle centered behind the ring. This rectangle shall have outside dimensions of 24” horizontally and 18” vertically. With good form and aiming for the shooting square, scoring becomes an expected… Read more »
It may not seem like it, but often there are connections, threads that tie people and events together. Take this for instance: James Naismith invented the game basketball in Massachsetts in 1891. Later, at the University of Kansas, he coached Phog Allen Phog Allen ended up coaching Dean Smith Dean Smith coached one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan Just like these links through the sport, people have been led there by fate; including Eddie Einhorn (who is debatably one of the architects of March Madness) and Ray Meyer. Both ended up deeply embedded in basketball… Read more »
Way, way back in December of 1891, physical education teacher James Naismith introduced his class to two peach baskets he had nailed to the lower rail of the balcony at both ends of the gym, 13 rules for a new game, and using a soccer ball, basketball was born. It’s said Naismith wrote those 13 rules in about an hour – which is pretty unbelievable considering how long it takes the committees to make changes to the rules these days. There have been changes; the original rules did not account for dribbling – can you imagine that? Another difference: his… Read more »
Growing up, there wasn’t a street in town that didn’t have some garages with basketball hoops. They were those white fan-shaped backboards attached with a web of 2×4 planks (which caught every wayward ball). Most had the shooting square outlined with bright orange tape – that is, if the elements hadn’t deteriorated the tape or faded it so badly you couldn’t really see it. Those basketball hoops were for the casual players – the groups of kids in pick-up games. The kids who were really serious about basketball were seldom seen playing – maybe practicing a few free throws. I… Read more »
Triple doubles may sound like something decadent at the local ice cream store, but in basketball a triple double or a greater quadruple double signifies something much more lasting. A triple double is common in today’s basketball-speak, but if you can remember back to the late ‘70’s you know that wasn’t always the case. Whether you want to accept or not, the triple double was initially created by a PR man – the Los Angeles Lakers PR man, Bruce Joelsch. You see, Joelsch wanted a way to describe how point guard Ervin “Magic” Johnson contributed to the team other than… Read more »
Kids will be kids, but boy can it be aggravating sometimes! They play practical jokes on each other. (Why do they call them practical? The jokes usually aren’t.) Case in point: I remember when a friend had her Volkswagen Beetle picked up and wedged sideways into a spot where there was no way she could drive it out. It was great fun for the jokers, but not so much for the jokee. Likewise when at my first job (fast food); the bathroom key was attached to a great big piece of 2 x 4 lumber – the idea being no… Read more »
Remember in the movie, Hoosiers, when the Coach (played by Gene Hackman) instilled courage and confidence in his fearful, small-town team? He measured the distance from the rim to the floor of the basketball goal in their home gym and showed them the distance was the same in Hinkle Fieldhouse where they would play for the championship. Their David-complex evaporated and Goliath wasn’t as much of a giant anymore. Change perceptions on your team’s basketball court Perceptions play a big part in confidence for players – especially kids, when they haven’t had the experiences winning, and losing, on the court.… Read more »
One of the questions we get a lot here at the Basketball Goal Store is about the adjustability feature on the Goalrilla Basketball Goals we offer. People ask why the Goalrilla Goal adjusts specifically from 7.5 to 10-feet. There are several products out there on the market that adjust downward to 6-feet – and even a few more that go to 5-feet. Safety is always first with Goalrilla Basketball Goals ASTM standards for adjustable basketball systems prohibit adjustments lower than 7.5-feet for customer safety. Serious injury to the mouth and teeth can happen if teeth or braces get caught in… Read more »
Sure wish I had known John Wooden.
He applied what he knew about life to basketball – and had it right because the “Wizard of Westwood” was the winning-est coach in NCAA history.
We all tell our kids that practice pays off and if you want to be really good at something – sports, academics, painting – whatever – you
Remember when CBSsports.com reported veteran guard Mike Bibby and Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders were “sharing a laugh” in the locker room shortly after Bibby had been traded from the
