5 Ways to Impress Your Coach at Tryouts

1) Hustle:  Be the first player on the court.  Sprint from drill to drill.  Work hard on defense.  Hold nothing back.  Even if others are more skilled, a coach will always take notice and appreciate the player that gives 100%.

2) Shut Up & Play: If you’re running your mouth the entire practice, talking trash, complaining about calls, screwing around when you should be listening and unable to control your emotions – you’ll be noticed, but nobody will be impressed.

3) Be “Coachable”: Go to each practice or tryout with a genuine desire to get better.  Do what the coach asks of you and accept his or her suggestions.  A good coach tries to make you the best player you can be – don’t let your attitude prevent him from reaching his goal.

4) Be a Good Student / Citizen:  When a coach is trying to pick the final spots on a roster, he or she is always going to choose the player that is getting good grades and keeping themselves far from trouble.  If it comes down to you or another player for the final spot on roster, ask yourself this question; “What will my teachers say about me?”  Chances are it will be

your teachers that determine your fate. 

5) Be a Shooter: The ability to hit mid range, three point, and foul shots is the quickest way to impress any coach. 

Show the ability to consistently make shots and you’ll make the team and become a primary weapon of the offense. 

 Check out our new “Shooting Gallery” were you’ll find video archives of drills and shooting tips from some of the best shooters in the game. 

SHOOT BETTER.  SCORE MORE. 

3 Step Checklist for a Great Jump Shot

• 1) Did You Properly Align Your Shooting Toe, Knee, and Elbow?

A great jump shot begins with having your body in proper alignment.  That proper alignment begins by lining up your shooting side big toe, knee,and elbow with the rim.  Your shooting side toe and knee should both be pointing directly at the middle of the rim.  Your shooting side elbow should be directly above your knee and pointing straight down at your knee. 

• 2) Are You Holding the Ball the Correct Way

Depending upon the size of your hand, you should be holding the ball with either 3, but more likely, 4 fingers.  Only hold the ball with one hand and do not allow the ball to rest in the palm of your hand, but rather on your finger pads.   Make sure you spread your fingers wide.  Keep your thumb out of the way.  Your hand should be properly cocked so that the ball does not fall out of your hand.  If you can keep the ball resting on your 4 fingers without it falling to the floor, you are holding the ball the proper way and you are now ready to shoot. 

• 3) Did You Bend, Extend, & Drive?

Once your toe, knees, and elbow are in proper alignment and you are holding the basketball the proper way, you are ready to shoot the basketball.  When you shoot, make sure you use your legs.  Bend your legs and then extend all the way until you are on your toes with your heal off the ground.  As you go from bending your legs to fully extending to your toes, you should also be fully extending your elbow, keeping it in alignment with your toes and knee.  When shooting the ball, only shoot with one hand.  Your non-shooting shooting hand is only touching the ball to help you lift the ball without losing control of it.  The non-shooting hand should not be involved with shooting the ball.  With the ball resting properly on the finger pads of your shooting

hand, extend your elbow high and drive your four fingers through the basketball. 

Check out our new “Shooting Gallery” were you’ll find video archives of drills and shooting tips from some of the best shooters in the game. 

SHOOT BETTER.  SCORE MORE. 

    Here’s a Great Drill for Checking Your Form and Shooting Straight

1)  Place your shooting side toe on a line, pointint in the same direction in which the line is running.

2)  As you stand on the line your shooting side toe, knee, and elbow should be in perfect alignment with each other

     and the line on which you are standing.

3)  Make sure that the ball is resting properly on the finger pads of your shooting hand.

4)  Bend your knees to prepare to shoot, and then fully extend to your toes with your heals off the ground.

5)  At the same time that you are rising to your toes, fully extend your elbow and drive your fingers through the ball.

6)  Your target is the line.  Shoot one handed and see if you can your high arching shot land on the same line on which

     your shooting side toe, knee, and elbow are standing.  If your shot is consistently landing on the same line that your

     toe is on, you are shooting the ball straight and ready for greater shooting success.

Check out our new “Shooting Gallery” were you’ll find video archives of drills and shooting tips from some of the best shooters in the game. 

SHOOT BETTER.  SCORE MORE. 

“ONE on ONE with Passing” Excellent Youth Basketball Drill: Points of Emphasis: • Ball Handling • Individual Shooting and Scoring Ability • Passing • Defense on the ball • Proper Spacing • Defense One Pass Away from the Ball • Getting Open & Moving Without the Ball • Fun / Competitive “ONE on ONE with Passing” is a fun, competitive way to help youth basketball players develop their offensive and defensive basketball skills. How it works: (See Diagram 1 Below) 1. Player (O) has the ball at the top of the three point arc 2. Player (X) defends player (O) in a game of one on one 3. Player (O) can drive to the basket, shoot, or pass to either of the two coaches (C) positioned on the foul line extended outside of the three point arc. 4. After making a pass, player (O) can make any cut to get open and attempt to score. 5. If player (O) is unable to score after receiving a pass, he or she may again pass to either of the coaches (C) and make another cut to get open 6. Play stops with a made basket by player (O) or a defensive rebound or steal by player (X) 7. Player (O) stays on offense if he or she scores and (X) goes to the end of the line. 8. If Player (O) does not score, player (X) goes on offense and the next player in line plays defense. Either way, the next person in line always starts on defense and must get a defensive stop or rebound to play offense. *There are many variations to this drill such as:                          • Only allow the offensive player to take three dribbles • Limit the number of passes that can be made per each offensive possession • Only allow one shot per offensive possession • Allow players to fill the wing position instead of coaches so that those players can work on their passing. • Have players replace the coaches on 4 spots on the court so that players learn good spacing and gain awareness of where to find teammates in a game. The four additional players (1, 2, 3, 4) are not allowed to move and may only catch passes from the offensive player (O) and may only pass the ball to the offensive player (O). (See Diagram 2 Below)

DIAGRAM 1

DIAGRAM 2

Check out our new “Shooting Gallery” were you’ll find video archives of drills and shooting tips from some of the best shooters in the game. 

SHOOT BETTER.  SCORE MORE.