Quinn McDowell, Author at stack

3 Tips for a Better Basketball Bounce Pass

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:00:58 +0000

The basketball bounce pass is one of the most basic moves a player needs to master. You can throw them with one or two hands, depending on how your defender is guarding you. A one-handed bounce pass is probably more common, because with one side of your body free, you’re less restricted in your movement and can more creatively pass around defenders.

You can use a one-handed bounce pass to feed the post, swing the ball, or hit a backdoor cutter. When you have a defender on you, it’s difficult to use a two-handed pass. Most of the time, players use their bodies to shield defenders from the ball and their opposite hand to throw the pass.

When you throw a bounce pass, you want the ball to hit the floor three-quarters of the way between you and your target so the ball rises to your teammate’s chest level.

To execute a two-handed bounce-pass, start the ball at your chest, step toward your teammate and push the ball (flicking your wrists) to your teammate.

Here are three tips to remember when you throw a bounce pass.

1. Pass with Your Feet

Step toward your intended target so the ball follows where your foot steps. You also need to use your feet to step around a defender when he or she is between you and your target.

2. Pass with Your Wrists

Great passers throw crisp passes. This is especially relevant for a two-handed bounce pass. Flick your wrists so your thumbs point toward the floor. A lot of turnovers are committed when a player throws a soft, lofted pass, giving the defender extra time to intercept the ball. Unless you’re throwing a lob pass to a low-post player, you want the ball to get to your target as quickly as possible.

3. Pass with your Eyes

Great passers move the defense with their eyes to avoid committing needless turnovers. If a teammate is wide open, faking a defender out with your eyes is not important. However, if you’re throwing the ball to a closely guarded player, use your eyes to make the defense think you’re passing to another player. This is especially relevant when playing against zone defenses.

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How to Shoot Free Throws Better

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 09:30:50 +0000

Free throw shooting is one of the most valuable skills you can have as a basketball player. Players who make free throws score points for their team while the clock is stopped and the opposing team can’t play defense against them.

Free throws are uncontested shots from the free-throw line (which is 15 feet away from the backboard) as a result of getting fouled. Players earn free-throw attempts when they get fouled in the act of shooting, or when the other team reaches their foul limit.

Making free throws is crucial when the game is close in the later stages. When a team is losing and wants to stop the clock to give themselves a better chance to win, they often employ a fouling strategy, forcing their opponents to make free throws to extend their lead. Players who can make free throws in the closing minutes of a game are extremely valuable.

Making free throws is not difficult. Any player can develop the ability to make free throws by working hard and following these three steps.

Find Your Routine

The most important part of making free throws is developing a routine that allows you to get into a rhythm and helps you feel comfortable on the free-throw line. Making free throws is as much a mental battle as it is about proper technique.

Great free throw shooters have used all kinds of crazy routines to make a high percentage of their foul shots. (One NBA player made close to 80 percent of his free throws by shooting the ball underhanded.) When you develop a routine, it allows you to confidently step up to the line and knock down shots. The less thinking you do at the line, the better! You can deflect the pressure of the moment and retreat into the familiar rhythm of your free-throw routine.

Sync Up Your Timing

Once you have a routine, you need to develop a sense of timing with it. For me, the elements of timing include when I bend my knees, when I look at the rim, when and how my hand comes behind the basketball, and when I release my shot. Matching your timing with your routine gives you the most repeatable shot and drives up your shooting percentage.

Practice with Pressure

There’s no substitute for getting into the gym and shooting free throws, but you will undoubtedly boost your free throw percentage if you artificially put pressure on yourself to make shots. Give yourself a goal or percentage that you have to make during a session, and tie your goals to incentives to make yourself more focused. Compete against other teammates, or ask a friend to distract you while you shoot. The bottom line: find ways to challenge yourself instead of just committing to make 50 free throws with no pressure.

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Try This 10-Minute Basketball Conditioning Workout

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:30:10 +0000

Great basketball players are well-conditioned athletes. Learning how to prepare your body for the start of practice is a crucial part of having a successful season. A lot of basketball players come into camp without having done enough conditioning to prepare their muscles for the movements they will perform on the court. Muscle strains and pulls are among the most preventable injuries. They can be avoided by doing basketball conditioning drills that prepare your muscles before the start of training camp. There are countless ways to “get in shape” before the start of the season, but this 10-minute basketball conditioning drill is a great litmus test to assess your condition.

Killer 10-Minute Conditioning Workout

1. Go to a gym and do a proper warm-up. A good warm-up should last about 15-20 minutes. You should break a light sweat and prepare your muscles for running.

2. Once you are done warming up, grab a stopwatch or have a teammate time you.

3. Set your goal time. For bigger players and those beginning their conditioning regimens, 35-40 seconds for each “rep” is a fair goal. If you really want to challenge yourself, set your goal time for 30 seconds.

4. One “rep” consists of running a standard suicide:

Run from the baseline to the near free-throw line and touch it with your foot
Turn and run back to the baseline
Run to mid-court and return to the baseline
Run to the far free-throw line and return to the baseline
Sprint to the opposite baseline
Complete four different segments of the sprint

5. Your goal is to complete as many reps as possible without exceeding your goal time.

6. After you finish each rep, rest for the remainder of the minute. Start your next rep when the clock hits the minute mark. For example if you hit a goal time of 32 seconds, you will have 28 seconds to rest before your next rep.

7. When you are able to complete 10 suicides under 30 seconds in 10 minutes, you’ll know that you are in great basketball condition.

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How to Shoot a Basketball Better

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:30:23 +0000

As a professional basketball player and a four-year collegiate athlete, I’ve heard a lot of different advice about how to shoot a basketball better. The reality is that there is no substitute for hard work and getting shots up in the gym. However, there are a few tricks of the trade that will help you make immediate improvement in your accuracy and consistency. These are some of the most useful tips and strategies I picked up over the years that have helped me become a better shooter.

1. Concentrate on Proper Hand Placement

When you put your hands on the basketball, they should form a “W” with your thumbs almost touching. Your dominant hand (for me and about 90% of you, your right hand) should be directly behind the ball. One little trick that I like to use is to line up my right hand so the inflating hole (where the needle is inserted) is between my middle and pointer finger. My “off” hand (my left hand) is on the side of the basketball, acting as a guide to my right hand. My left hand does not actually do any of the “pushing” of the ball toward the rim. It just acts as a stabilizer for my dominant shooting hand.

2. Drive with Your Lower Body

Your lower body is almost three times as strong as your upper body. This means the power for your jump shot starts with your lower body and propels you into the air, allowing your upper body to finish the job. When you get tired during the course of a game, you tend to miss your shots at the front of the rim because you don’t have enough power behind the ball. This is the time you need to shoot with your legs! The key here is to have your legs “locked and loaded” before you receive a pass to shoot the ball. If you are in a slightly crouched position, your legs will be ready to get immediately into your shooting motion instead of wasting energy by dipping down and back up as you get ready to shoot.

3. Shoot with your Fingertips not your Palm

When the ball stays on your fingertips throughout the course of your shot, you will have greater control of the ball from start to finish. In contrast, a lot of players like to have the ball on the palm of their hand, which takes away from their ability to shoot the ball where they want. If you’re doing this correctly, there should be a pocket of air between the basketball and your palm. If the ball stays on your fingertips the entire time, when you flick your wrist to finish your shot, the last part of your hand to touch the ball will be your middle and pointer fingers.

Read More:

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Basketball Shooting Technique: How to Shoot a Floater

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How to Dribble a Basketball

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:30:33 +0000

Dribbling a basketball is the most basic skill in the game. Some players dribble more than others, but the fact remains that every good basketball player knows how to use the dribble to accentuate his or her skill set. Big players use the dribble to set up their post moves on the low block; point guards bring the ball up court and set up pick and rolls to get their teammates open shots; and wing players use the dribble to improve their shooting/passing angle or drive to the rim.

Here are three pieces of advice to think about as you learn how to dribble a basketball.

1. Put Energy into the Ball

The easiest way to control the basketball when you’re dribbling is to use your forearm and fingertips to put energy into the ball as you push it toward the floor.

When you use a soft dribble, you can lose the ball because it takes longer to come back into your hand. You can also lose control when defenders try to steal the ball and your evasive movements aren’t quick enough. One of the most dynamic dribblers in the NBA is Chris Paul. He dribbles the ball with an energy that allows him to keep control of the ball in tight spaces and avoid pesky defenders.

2. Keep Your Eyes Up

The tendency for anyone learning how to dribble a basketball is to focus his or her eyes on the court so they can watch the basketball hit the floor and bounce back to them. This common mistake comes from a lack of comfort with the ball in their hands.

All dribbling drills should be practiced with your eyes up on the court in front of you. This is especially important for two reasons. First,you are able to see the entire court and will more easily spot an open teammate or a scoring opportunity for yourself. Second, you will turn the ball over less often because you’ll be able to see defenders coming to double-team you.

3. Dribble with Your Fingertips

If you can dribble the basketball with the pads of your fingers instead of the palm of your hand, you’ll gain much more control of the ball. Dribbling with your palm is slow and clunky, and won’t allow you to make necessary adjustments in the midst of a full-speed game. Avoid slapping at the ball and focus instead on using your fingertips to push the ball toward the floor and back into your hand.

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Use This 5-Step Basketball Free-Throw Routine for Improved Accuracy

Wed, 02 Dec 2015 16:30:53 +0000

Mastering the free throw can be difficult if you don’t have a good routine. It’s easy to develop a case of the jitters when everyone stops what they’re doing to focus on your shot.

You need a personalized rhythm you can count on. Here’s a simple, five-step routine to get you on track when you step to the line.

1. Develop a Repeatable Routine with the Ball

To build a foundation, find a routine you can follow with the ball every time you shoot a free throw. This differs from player to player, but it can include any combination of dribbles, spins or ball-handling moves. Personally, I prefer a simple one-dribble routine before I shoot a free throw, but the specifics are really up to you. Just make sure you pick something you will repeat before every free throw.

2. Create a Mental Checklist

Find a few specific things you want to remind yourself of as you step to the line. For example, each time I shoot a free throw I remind myself to get my eyes up early on the rim and bend my knees. A mental checklist imposes order that will carry you through your entire routine.

RELATED: How to Shoot Free Throws Better

3. Find Your Comfort Spots

Within your routine, find the precise points where you feel particularly comfortable—whether it’s before you start your shooting motion, during the ball-handling part of your routine or when you release the ball. As you practice your routine, you will begin to identify these spots, and the routine will become more familiar.

4. Self-Talk

A lot of shooters find that a certain phrase or bit of self-talk relaxes them when they step to the free-throw line. If you have a quote, phrase or reminder that can help you get into a state of relaxed focus, incorporate it into your routine so you will be confident, calm and collected during every free throw.

5. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

There is no substitute for repetition when it comes to shooting the basketball, particularly on the free-throw line. You should get so comfortable with your routine that shooting free throws becomes automatic. When you practice your free-throw routine, put artificial pressure on yourself to mimic the pressure you feel in a game. Then when you step to the line when it counts, you’ll have the confidence to knock down the shot.

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How to Throw a Basketball Chest Pass Properly

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 17:30:13 +0000

If you want to get lots of playing time in basketball, get serious about working on your passing game. The basketball chest pass is the most basic pass, so let’s start there.

There are two basic types of chest passes, two-handed and one-handed.

Two-Handed Chest Pass

This pass is primarily used when players are not tightly guarded by a defender. To throw it, start with the ball at your chest and step toward your teammate. As you step, fling the ball to your teammate by extending your arms away from your chest and flicking your wrist so your thumbs point down and your palms face out. When you throw a chest pass, you want the ball to fly through the air on a line to that your teammate can catch it at chest level.

One-Handed Chest Pass

This is probably used more commonly than the two-handed version because it’s so versatile. You can feed the post, swing the ball around the perimeter, or throw a backdoor pass to a cutting teammate. Also, when a defender is closely guarding you, it’s difficult to throw a two-handed chest pass. Better to use your body to shield the ball from your defender while you use your opposite hand to throw the pass.

To get you on your way to mastery, here are some tips:

Pass with your feet

Most of your passes should be completed by stepping toward your intended target. For basic passes like the two-handed chest pass, you want to step toward your target so the flight of the ball follows the direction of your foot. The ability to step around defenders is also crucial.

Pass with your wrists

Great passers throw crisp passes by using their wrists to fling the ball toward their target. The easiest way to throw passes with good velocity is to flick your wrists so your thumbs point down. Many turnovers occur because a player throws a soft or lob pass, which gives a defender extra time to run for the ball and intercept the pass. Unless you are throwing a lob pass to a low-post player, you want the ball to get to your target as quickly as possible.

Pass with your eyes

Great passers move the defense with their eyes to avoid committing needless turnovers. If a player is wide open, faking a defender out with your eyes is not important. However, if you are throwing the ball to a closely guarded teammate, you want to use your eyes to make the defender think you are passing the ball in a different direction. This point is especially relevant when playing against zone defenses.

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Why Basketball Positions Are Becoming Less Important

Wed, 19 Aug 2015 17:30:21 +0000

The positions on a basketball team are described using both numbers and titles. The following is a basic description of the positions and typical responsibilities of each player. These descriptions are what we traditionally think of when we talk about players on the court. Later I explain why the notion of “positionless basketball” is becoming more popular and why basketball positions are becoming less important.

Point Guard (1)

The point guard is the team’s primary ball-handler, meaning he or she does the most dribbling and gets the team into its offensive sets. Point guards usually bring the basketball up the court on offense. Most point guards are responsible for distributing the ball to teammates and getting other players to the right spots on the floor.

Point guards signal plays to teammates on the floor, serving as an extension of the coach and executing his or her plans for both offense and defense. The point guard usually defends the other team’s best ball-handler on defense and is responsible for keeping the other point guard from breaking down his or her team’s defense. The best point guards are often referred to as a “coach on the floor,” because they have a lot of responsibility.

Point Guard Skills: Ball handling, court vision, passing, leadership, scoring ability, decision-making, game management

Shooting Guard (2)

It is becoming more popular for shooting guards to share the responsibility of handling the ball with point guards, but traditionally shooting guards play off the ball. Shooting guards still need to have strong play-making and ball-handling skills, but they often reap the rewards of the point guard’s penetration by knocking down open shots. Many shooting guards use indirect screens to get open shots. They should be able to make open shots, come off pick and rolls, defend the opposing team’s guards, and handle the ball.

Shooting Guard Skills: Ball handling, shooting, defense, driving the basketball, passing

Small Forward/Wing (3)

Although there are a lot of similarities between the 2 and 3 spots, small forwards are usually taller than shooting guards. They typically handle the basketball less than the guards, but they are typically the most versatile players on the floor. They can guard players taller or shorter than they are, and they should be able to score in a variety of ways (shooting from the outside and driving to the rim). A few of the ways wings can score is by coming off screens, posting up, getting out in transition, and driving the basket. Versatile wings should be able to shoot, pass, score, defend and rebound.

Great wings are “jack-of-all-trades” players.

Small Forward Skills: Ball handling, shooting off screens, driving to the basket, running the floor, versatile defenders, post-up ability

Power Forward (4)

The power forward is usually the tallest player on the court other than the center. He/she traditionally plays close to the basket, although more and more 4s are being asked to step out and hit open jumpers.

Players at the 4 spot usually work in tandem with the center to guard the opposing team’s biggest players. Power forwards typically have the ability to make mid-range jump shots, play in the post and score off pick and rolls. Some of the best 4s stretch the opposing team’s defense by making 3-point shots, forcing the other team’s biggest players away from the basket. Power forwards should be able to run the floor in transition, set good screens, play interior defense, make open jump shots and rebound the ball.

Power Forward Skills: Rebounding, post defense, shoot jumpers, play off pick and rolls, set good screens

Center (5)

The center is usually the biggest player on the floor and serves as the anchor of his/her team’s defense. The 5 spends most of the game near the basket or close to the key, so he/she can see the entire floor. Great centers communicate to their teammates on defense and help them get in the right spots. Centers protect the rim on defense by blocking shots, taking charges and rebounding the ball. On offense, they help their team by setting good screens, scoring in the post and making good passes out of double teams. The best centers also make open jump shots from 15 to 18 feet away. Having a dominant back-to-the-basket center is becoming rare in today’s game, but centers who know how to score the ball are in demand, because they often command double teams from opposing players.

Center Skills: Blocking shots, post defense, rebounding, setting good screens, post-play, post-passing, shooting jumpers

The Case Against “Positions”

From the time young players start learning the game, the idea of “positions” is engrained in their psyches. However, times are changing in the hoops landscape. The NBA champion Golden State Warriors did a lot to undermine the importance of positions this past season. One of the biggest keys to their success was that several players on their roster could effectively play several positions. On defense, the Warriors had shooting guards guarding centers and centers guarding wing players. These types of moves have become more common as the game of basketball has evolved.

Teams like the Warriors are changing the narrative of how teams think about traditional defense and offense with respect to player positioning. Positions worked to prevent players from getting matched up against opponents who were bigger, stronger, or quicker than they were. But teams today are less concerned about positions, and they don’t mind living with “match-up” problems as long as they can take away their opponents’ strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses.

The theory behind this thinking says that if a smaller player can hold his/her own against an opposing team’s bigger player on defense, the bigger player will be at a disadvantage when he/she has to guard the smaller, quicker player on offense. Ultimately, positions are falling in the hierarchy of what’s most important to a team’s succcess. More important than having good players at every position is a team’s ability to use its personnel in a way that maximizes the team’s strengths. Players who can defend multiple positions, make plays in transition and have the flexibility to give their team more options on both ends of the floor are the ones who represent the new trend of “positionless basketball.”

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How to Shoot a Basketball in Four Simple Steps

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 13:30:30 +0000

Making jump shots on the basketball court is no easy task. It takes hours of hard work to learn how to put that ball through the hoop.

Even more frustrating, there are a million techniques taught by so-called experts, all claiming to be the right way to shoot the ball. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The most important thing about shooting a basketball is to put the ball through the rim. It doesn’t matter how it gets there. Great shooters make shots. I teach the traditional way to shoot a basketball, because it has worked for me throughout my career (I shot 40% from 3-point range in college and in the pros). I believe it gives you the best chance to make shots consistently.

The most important thing you need to learn is to shoot the same shot every single time.

How to Shoot a Basketball: The BEEF Method

I advocate the BEEF method, which establishes a solid foundation for building an accurate jump shot. I’ll run you through the four fundamentals of how to shoot a basketball, which will allow you to be consistent every time the ball leaves your hand.

1. Base (or Balance)

A solid base gives your jump shot great balance from start to finish as you start your shooting motion.

Maintaining great balance throughout your shot requires two things: positioning your feet about shoulder-width apart and firmly under your shoulders (if your feet are staggered or narrow, you can be off balance); and pointing your torso and head toward the basket throughout your shot (meaning your body is pointed in a straight line toward the target, so you can direct the ball toward your target instead of off to the side.)

You want your weight to be equally distributed between both legs and to have a slight bend in your knees.

RELATED: How to Shoot a Floater

2. Elbow

A common mistake poor shooters make is jutting their elbow out to the side of their body, giving the ball unwanted sidespin or an unpredictable flight path. You want your elbow to be directly underneath the basketball and your biceps to be at about a 90-degree angle with your torso as you prepare to shoot. This will provide a consistent shooting pocket and help you shoot the basketball in a straight line.

“Elbow under the basketball. You don’t want your elbow (outside of your wrist), because the ball will fall off your hand. Elbow up underneath the basketball,” says Jonathan White, Youth Basketball Coordinator at the Cavaliers Academy.

You want the fingers of your shooting hand to contact the ball rather than allowing it to rest in your palm. Your off hand should make contact with the side of the ball and keep it on your shooting hand, but shouldn’t play any role in the power of your shot.

3. Eyes

Your eyes are your body’s navigation system. Once you start your shot, your eyes tell the rest of your body where you want the ball to go. This becomes even more crucial when you are shooting off screens or shooting while moving.

I look at the front of the rim, but I know great shooters who look at the back of the rim when they get their eyes up. Steph Curry focuses his eyes on the hooks that attach the net to the rim. More specifically, he focuses on the hooks closest to him and imagines arcing the ball just over top of them, but perhaps you’ll shoot better when focusing on the hooks furthest away from you. It’s all about experimentation until you find that perfect aiming point. Whatever part of the rim you decide to focus on, the important thing is that your head looks up before you start your shooting motion.

Another thing to remember: Don’t follow the flight of the ball as you release it into the air. This takes your focus off the rim and makes you less accurate. Keep your eyes on that aiming point.

4. Follow-Through (flick your wrist)

Following through and flicking your wrist is the last piece of the shooting motion, and it’s a crucial component when learning how to shoot a basketball.

When you release the ball, your wrist should flick toward the target as if you were reaching on top of a high shelf to grab a cookie out of a jar.

“We always talk about finish. Don’t just shoot it and drop your arms. We call that pulling the string. That takes off some of the power of your shoot. So follow it and see it all the way through,” White says.

When you follow through properly, the ball should roll off your tips of your pointer finger and middle finger, which will produce good backspin on the ball, giving your shot a soft touch and increasing your chance of getting a friendly roll on the rim. You know you will have done it correctly if your wrist is flexed to the point where your fingers point down toward the ground.

Having a good base, proper elbow positioning, an effective eye target, and a solid follow-through can instantly help even the most clueless of players develop a solid basketball shot.

Photo Credit: iStock

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13 Things to Love About Steph Curry

Sun, 24 May 2015 15:30:19 +0000

Steph Curry may be the hottest player in the NBA right now. His MVP season catapulted him into the national spotlight. His skills on the court are matched by his savvy off it.

Let’s take a look at 13 things that will make you fall in love with this NBA superstar.

Curry has become one of the most feared shooters in the NBA. He is one half of one of the most accurate-shooting back courts in the league. In the 2013-2014 season, Curry and fellow “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson set an NBA record for combined 3s in a season with 484.
At every level of basketball, Curry has taken the opportunity to grow and improve his game. At Davidson University, he won the Southern Conference Player of the Year award twice, and he set the all-time scoring record for both Davidson and the Southern Conference.
He has developed supreme confidence in his shot, which allowed him to set an NBA record during the 2012-2013 season with 272 made 3-pointers.
His unselfishness and ball-handling ability let him find teammates for crazy assists. It’s like he’s got eyes in the back of his head (like this).
Curry has always strived to be the best. During his sophomore year at Davidson, he set the single-season NCAA record for 3-pointers made.
Curry raises his level of play against the best competition. He led his team to a 31-8 record against teams in the tough Western Conference.
Curry took some criticism in years past for not being a great defender. He has improved his play at that end of the floor, helping the Warriors to a +10.4-point differential, nearly 5 points better than the next highest team (Atlanta Hawks at +5.6.)
Coming out of high school, Curry was only 6-feet tall and weighed 160 pounds. No one thought he would become an MVP candidate in the NBA, evidenced by the three scholarship offers he had as a senior.
He is a two-time gold medalist with the USA Men’s National Team in both 2010 and 2014. He is also a silver medalist with the Under-19 USA Youth Team in 2007.
He often plays against his coach, the legendary shooter Steve Kerr, who can’t beat him in a free-throw contest.
The Warriors are 19-1 when Curry has more than 10 assists (per nba.com/stats).
He wears the same number (No. 30) that his dad (Dell) wore when he played in the NBA (1986-2002).
In the 2014-15 season, Curry averaged 23.3 points (9th in the league), 7.9 assists (7th ), 2.1 steals (3rd), 47% from the field, 41.7% from the 3-point line (10th), and 91.2% from the free-throw line (1st).

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