Winning on the Perimeter

It was a fall afternoon, as I arrived to town for my very first coaching interview. I was three years removed from high school, had spent endless hours dissecting offensive and defensive strategy involved in the game, and had worked a few summers for a popular northwest basketball camp. In my narrow mind, I was ready to take on a head coaching position. I walked into the school dressed with confidence but nervous for the unknown to be met by the school secretary. I told her I was there for a mid-afternoon meeting with Mr. Dixon the school's principal an avid basketball fan. I was familiar with Mr. Dixon for earlier that summer I had been approached by members of the community to put on a mini-basketball camp for the towns kids.

The interview was not like I had rehearsed in my mind. I didn't field any questions regarding my offensive and defensive strategy, failed to hear any inquiry regarding past coaching experience, but was simply asked if I was serious about the position? Would I be willing to move to the area? What would I do with a group of young men who had very little talent, but a lot of heart and only 4 years to find success?

It was November before my travels brought me to town again, this time as the head varsity boys basketball coach for a little Oregon 1A team who was picked at the bottom of the High Desert League. The scramble to find an offense that fit a team made up of 4 local boys (only one over 6 feet tall) and 3 foreign exchange students covering the globe from the equator to the south pole, had begun. It was clear from the cast we were going to have to win the basketball in order to have a chance against the league elite. Thus, I sat out to modify and basketball a 4 out motion set, guided by the underpinnings of a 5 out motion alignment. What evolved out of such an eclectic mixture would later be known as my 'Sting Attack'; a 5 out motion game influenced by Duke's 4 man game blended with the legendary Bobby Knight's fundamental approach to basketball.

It wasn't long before the 'Sting Attack' was helping an undermanned, under sized, and under talented group of boys win the perimeter. Using sound principals and skillful fundamental development, a series of screening actions and rapid meaningful cuts where blazing holes through our opponents defense. I had introduced my 'Sting Attack' four and five man motion offenses the first week of practice and we were winning games by Christmas break-taking two of three from the league's top tier. Two years later my group of undermanned, undersized, heard working boys found themselves winning on the perimeter and battling for a district playoff birth.

That summer I received a phone call from a local administrator who was looking for a basketball coach. This time I would be asked about my offensive philosophy for winning was a tradition at this school; I presented my fundamentally charged hybrid 'Sting Attack' and promised the hiring committee this four out motion would be the backbone of success if they hired me. Later that week I received a phone call with a job offer and eventually went on to win the perimeter battle with the 'sting attack' and for months in the '04 season had the number one 2A men's team in the state. Not bad for a little coach who wished only to develop a system that would give any team with any talent an opportunity to win.

To purchase a copy of Coach Mac's 'Sting Attack' offense visit http://www.coachmac-basketball.com

For more from Coach McKinnis on the game of basketball http://www.squidoo.com/High-School-Basketball-Offenses

Basketball Shooting Workout - 20 Minutes to Shooting Success

The public laments young basketball players' lack of fundamentals. People see a skill deficiency, especially in ball and player movement and shooting ability, but few understand its roots. Experts pass blame and make excuses, but few criticize players' daily practice habits. To develop players with better fundamentals, we must teach players how to practice.

Shooting: The Problem

Player 1 walks into an empty gym, turns on the lights and puts down her ball. She stretches, jogs and does some light plyometric/footwork drills. Player 2 enters the gym, jogs to get loose and does the same warm-up, while P1 does the Mikan Drill. When P2 completes a light warm-up, P1 and P2 start basic shooting drills; passing, closing out to the shooter and rebounding one's own shot. They start with mid-range jump shots, no further than the free throw line. Player 3 arrives, gets loose and joins a three-person shooting drill. When Player 4 arrives, P1 and P2 work together and P3 and P4 work together. P1 and P2 finally extend the range on their jumpers.

In another gym, P1 enters the gym dribbling and throws a three-pointer at the rim. He walks after the rebound, dribbles back to the three-point line and throws another shot at the basket. P2 enters and P1 shows off an "And1 move." P2 takes a three-pointer, and then they play one-on-one, dribbling and dribbling and dribbling before shooting. As more players enter, they attempt half court shots, throw balls off the wall and practice double-pump 360-lay-ups.

Gym 1 was the middle school where my Swedish professional team practiced. The second example took place at a local high school and involved high school freshman, junior varsity and varsity players. Before one blames the kids, I attended a WNBA game with the Sacramento Monarchs playing the Indiana Fever and witnesses the exact same approach as example 2, as one player literally shot from the tunnel on her way onto the court and then started bombing errant threes, while other poor shooters never bothered to step inside the key to work on their shooting mechanics.

Shooting: The Proper Approach

Rather than jacking wild shots, great shooters start close to the basket and make a habit of making shots. Anyone can be a shooter; coaches want makers. Young players should shoot 90% of their shots in their range; a player's range extends to the point where he can no longer shoot without a breakdown in his mechanics. The other 10% of shots should be attempted from just beyond one's range, as the goal is to extend one's range. If a player's range is 15 feet, he shoots some shots from 16-17 feet to work on the extra leg drive needed to extend his range. When he gets comfortable from that distance, he extends again. Even with high school varsity players, we go entire workouts without shooting a three-pointer, as the players train out to 17-feet where they make 75% of their shots, gain confidence and reinforce good habits, rather than developing bad habits.

Shooting: The Workout

Once a player learns the correct shooting mechanics, he needs repetitions in game-like drills. The following is a workout based on the drills and motion of successful NBA shooters.

Dirk Nowitski Drill

As a warm-up start in the middle of the key; slowly bend into a deep squat with ball in shooting position and explode up into a jump shot. Nowitski does this drill to increase flexibility (full squat), and it doubles as a good form shooting drill and warm-up. Make five shots and take a step back; shoot until the free throw line. Make 25 shots total.

Rip Hamilton Series

Start on the wing and curl toward the elbow. Each drill in the series starts the same. (1) Curl for a jump shot; (2) Curl and run through the catch, take one dribble and shoot the jump shot; (3) Catch, shot fake, crossover step 1-2 and shoot; (4) stop, flare and shoot; (5) stop, flare, one dribble to the baseline and shoot; (6) run through the catch, dribble and spin for a lay-up or short shot. Make five in each drill and make a free throw in between.

Sue Bird Pull-ups

Speed dribble the length of the floor and pull up at the elbow. Make five.

Seven Spot Shooting

Shoot catch-and-shoot three-pointers (or in the player's range) from seven spots: baseline, wing, guard-spot, top of the key, guard-spot, wing and baseline. Make five from each spot.

This workout trains a player's shooting ability, footwork and conditioning; players make 100 game shots (one dribble pull-up, curls, flares, stand-still and full speed pull-ups) plus free throws and form shooting. If the player has a coach to rebound and pass, the workout takes about 20 minutes. This 20-minute workout is more effective than the hours that basketball players piss away throwing errant shots at the basket to prove they can make three-pointers or show-off some other shot. Becoming a great shooter requires a commitment to excellence and a dedication to developing good, solid mechanics and training game-like shots religiously.

To see even greater improvement in your shooting, register for the Practice Tracker program at 180Shooter.com. The Practice Tracker program is designed to improve your shooting performance with very little extra work by making your current practice time more effective.

Brian McCormick is a coach, trainer and author in Orange Country, CA who has coached and trained players all over the world. To learn more, visit The Cross Over Movement, a grassroots site for basketball coaches, parents and players focused on improving basketball performance through coach education, long term athlete development and player development.

The School Bell

I was finishing up a home call one late autumn afternoon. As I pulled out onto basketball narrow road skirting the school I heard the school bell ring. I braked, put the car in reverse and basketball back to the sidewalk. It was a lovely day. Warming sun and autumn fragrances danced on a thin breeze.

I turned to look at the schoolyard, but my sight was focused on memories, years old. I couldnt recall the last time Id heard the old fashioned school bell. It had been childhoods ago--that much I was certain of. My body was sitting in the car, behind the wheel, but my senses had transported me a long distance from the present.

I inhaled and I could smell sun-warmed skin on a summer afternoon. Gangly limbs akimbo as a group of children played tether ball. Goofy grins from several of my schoolmates as they took turns throwing a small beanbag and jumping to another hop scotch square. Out of the corner of my eye I catch the flurried movement of kids scrambling on jungle gyms, merry-go-rounds, swings, and monkey bars. They were the schools younger pupils, playing in their designated area of the yard.

Overhead, a shiny crow caws out, as if directing the play of the little humans below his perch. Over near some blooming shrubbery, fat bumble bees saw the air, up and down, as the bees thickly rounded bodies wobble among the sweet-scented flowers. Hanging damp and animated, the fragrance of newly cut lawn lingers in the air, fills my breath with its clean aroma.

Some one comes up from behind and pounds me on the shoulder, hard enough to send me lurching forward. I clench my hands into fists and spin around ready to spit venom. The words lose direction in my mouth and all that comes out is the collective sigh of the words not used.

There, with red hair gleaming, with freckles looking darker on his pale flesh in the sunlight, and a crooked grin stretched across his face, stood Jimmy. My first crush since Kindergarten. Past a grin he said, "Do you want to play?" Jimmy held a basketball and gestured to the blacktop court. I goggled at him, nodding in the affirmative.

Basketball wasn't my game but I loved to throw the ball and watch it drop through the netted hoop. I had a few "trick shots" that every once in a while I could execute perfectly. We laughed and jumped and ran. While I bent over to catch my breath I could hear the echoed thwang of the basketball as Jimmy bounced it on the asphalt behind me.

Just as I was straightening up the school bell rang. Everyone scrambled to pick up their possessions and equipment, then off to their classrooms they went. I didn't follow them. I drifted for a while on scattered memories. Lunches in the cafeteria--the same place we had our concerts and watched educational films. And on those nights we had school carnivals the cafeteria was the place they held the cake walks, and played musical chairs.

Another tolling of the school bell and the students swarmed out of their classrooms, past the metal fence and over to the crosswalk where students given the honor of being Crossing Guards monitored the foot traffic. Kids who had parents waiting for them ran over to their cars. The rest of us walked home.

Home was less than a block away and took no time at all, even when I dawdled. Once at home, no thought of school entered my mind with the exception of required homework. The bell that regulated the important intervals in my school days held no significance once away from it.

And so it has been now, for many years--no thought of the school bell had I entertained...until I was parked next to the elementary school, and the bell rang out.

Copyright 2005 by Kathy Pippig Harris

Kathy lives in Central California's San Joaquin Valley with her husband and furry family. She is a weekly columnist for the publication "Frank Talk" and a published author of five novels. She states, "Were it not for her need, desire, and love of writing - she would surely go mad!"

Creating A Character For A Horror Story

Lauren gasped when she rounded the corner into the alley. The object of her revulsion looked up. He was surprised by her sudden appearance. His long hair fell in loose curls past his shoulders. The hair of his bearded chin dripped red with blood. He raised an outstretched hand in front of his face. His other hand let go of the man he had been supporting. The body fell to the pavement.
Her attention darted to the apparent victim and Lauren saw that a stream of blood flowed from the mans neck. It traced a path between the cracks in the dirty pavement. Lauren looked back to the well, the vampire. She knew it sounded crazy, but thats what the guy seemed to be aiming for. Their eyes locked for a few brief moments. His outstretched fingers shook with a nervous energy that she did not mistake for fear.

Anne Rice places her vampires in everyday situations, and she gives each character very human emotions so human that you might want to look at your neighbour a bit more carefully when you close the book! This article is written to give you some ideas for creating realistic characters to populate your horror story.

Good fiction is, by definition, credible - a lie that is easily believed. The most important part of fiction is the characters you create to tell your story. A good horror story character is a fictional being every bit as alive and as much a unique individual as anyone with whom we are acquainted. Your readers should care about him or her - otherwise they wont care about what the character does or what happens to him or her - during the story. It doesnt matter whether they like, love, hate or fear him/her. Readers must never feel indifferent towards any character otherwise they will lose interest in the story and not finish it. The uncle who gets drunk and melancholy at a wedding or your high school history teacher who spent most of the lessons reminiscing about growing up in Europe before the second world war; the individual who personified your first encounter with puppy-love or the perhaps the one you dated during your college years... every one of these is a real life living, breathing person. And all are absolutely perfect for any horror story.

Your story must be inhabited by characters your readers basketball and understand. So that means you their creator should know those characters well. And theres no reason you shouldnt, because apart from creating them you are also their closest confidant. There is nothing your characters can hide from you. You created them, so you know everything about them, including information theyve kept hidden from themselves. In crafting a story about them youve made yourself their closest friend a psychiatrist of sorts.

Your characters must have their own unique and distinct traits, just as you the writer/reader are a unique personality. If believable fiction is based on reality do not fill your story with stereotypical characters. Stereotypes do not to have specific personalities and character traits their emotions, thoughts and actions are limited by the extremely restrictive mould created by their role. Think of some of the real life stereotypes you know; does your truck driver friend basketball like a typical Truck Driver Dude? Do all drunks go home and beat up their spouses and kids? Are you the writer a typical example of a writer? I doubt it. Think about what makes you different and unique from other writers and other people. You know how you feel when someone you lies to you, so it stands to reason youll know what your story character feels or think when he/she experiences the same thing. You understand sadness, happiness, fear, frustration, terror and rage so you can create credible characters that experience sadness, happiness, fear, frustration, terror and rage. You've been embarrassed, you've felt pride, you have felt everything a human being can feel. So your characters will come to life in your readers mind, animated by your knowledge of yourself, your friends and family and other people. Put them into a credible, believable situation and let them live your story for you!

Readers dont need to know every single detail of your characters life. Theyre not interested in the name of his first pet or whether he eats peanut butter or not. Neither are they concerned about the name of his favourite singer or the make and model of his first car. But YOU his creator need to know these facts in order to create a character to whom your readers can relate. Jessica Amanda Salmonsons short story And of Gideon features the title character as a murderous psychopath. Salmonson says:

I wanted readers to fear Gideon, to realize anew that such human aberrations do exist. I wanted my readers to pity him as well, this loser who'd been "programmed for pathology." But more than that, I wanted readers to see Gideon as a credible human being, one who would elicit the wide range of emotional response that only real people can evoke. Here is some of what I knew about Gideon and what I wanted readers to know:
...my father was a drunk, had no love for my mother, another drunk, she none for him, and neither for me. (From) my early years, I cannot recall a single hug ... My father would beat me, not with the flat of his hand or a belt but with his fists. In kindergarten, I could not colour within the lines, could not catch a basketball thrown to me from a distance of two feet, nor hang by my knees from the monkey bars ... I was always in trouble: for not coming to school on time, for not even trying on tests, for not doing this, for not doing that, always in trouble with the teachers, those despairing head-shakers: Gideon, don't you want to learn? Don't you want to amount to anything? Don't you want to grow up and be somebody?

There are a few stereotypes in modern horror writing that have been written about with great success, but the second time around is one time too many. Unless you have a unique take or situation on one or more of the following treat these three stereotypes very carefully:

The shy, plain, quiet girl with a paranormal gift. Stephen Kings Carrie a disturbing and brilliant character, has been copied many times but all are a pale imitation of the original.

The twins, identical and similar in every behavioural characteristic bar one again this was detailed very descriptively in Bari Woods Twins, where both identical male siblings work as gynaecologists and share identical traits and patients. However when the shy twin (who usually picks up the conquests his more confident brother no longer wants) falls in love with a patient before his bolder brother the pair face a terrible decision.

The priest suffering doubt about his faith who is forced to confront his doubts in the face of terrible evil. William Peter Blattys The Exorcist{ was the prototype of this character, and the book resulted in the production of one of the most terrifying films ever made. Yet the sequels, particularly 2004s Exorcist:The Beginning, failed dismally to reach the heights of horror of the original.

Use these three stereotypes at your peril:

The preacher who, despite his limited knowledge and understanding of the Bible, speaks in tongues and holds incredible power over his followers.

The helpless businesswoman who, despite controlling a business worth billions of dollars, is incapable of dealing with a supernatural curse or menace.

The handsome, reserved hero who saves the helpless businesswoman before falling in love with her and retiring from his security company/the police force to live with her on her yacht

Now go and create that horror character for your story - and have fun!

The writer was born in Africa, and lived there for the first 38 years of her life. She worked in the world of public relations for over five years, running her own PR company and dealing extensively with the world of journalism and the print media. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/, a site for Writers. Her blog can be visited at: http://www.writing.com/authors/zwisis/blog

Basketball Backboards - Why They Matter

Many people see basketball basketball net as basketball most important piece of a basketball system. After all, isn't that where all the points are scored? But basketball backboards are one of the most important pieces of a quality basketball system. They assist with shooting, scoring, and rebounding.

The backboard doesn't just hold the goal in place. A backboard assists in getting the ball into the net. Virtually all backboards come with a shooter square. This is the outline right above the goal. Sometimes it is in white, sometimes in orange. This gives the players something to aim for when setting up a shot.

Though veteran and well practiced players don't use the shooter's square as much, it is essential to those who are learning the game or just playing for fun. When practicing, players aim for the center of the shooter's square. This will give them the feel of how hard to shoot and how to achieve the much longer arc for "swoosh". The shooter's square is essential for perfecting your shots.

Backboards are also the central figure in rebounding. Without the backboard, rebounding would not be possible. This is where varying sizes of backboards come in. Regulation size is 72" x 42". This size gives you the maximum area for rebounds. Smaller backboards still give you great rebound practice as well.

Backboards come in a variety of materials and each has there own benefits. Competition style backboards as well as NCAA and NBA regulation backboards are crafted from glass. Typically the glass is tempered and thick enough to withstand intense play. Glass backboards are perfect for competition style play since they give the ultimate ball response.

Backboards also come in acrylic. Acrylic backboards are used more for home basketball systems. If you want a portable system for your yard or a wall mounted for the side of your house, acrylic is a good choice. Acrylic gives the look and feel of glass but is more economical.

Steel backboards are good for outdoor use at a community center or park. They are vandal resistant making them a good choice for basketball systems that won't be locked up at the end of the day. They are sturdy and durable.

Aluminum and fiberglass backboards are affordable choices. They do not give the highest level ball response but they are a good choice for recreational use. They are both rust- resistant making them a good choice for outdoor use. Fiberglass will give you the look of a glass backboard and will mimic glass rebounds on a more basic level.

To protect your backboard, you can add backboard padding. This padding protects the player and the backboard. Most padding comes in a variety of colors. This makes it easy to pick your favorite color or match your team colors.

Choosing a backboard is an important decision when it comes to your basketball hoops, goals and overall system. Backboards help you shoot, score, and rebound making some of the most important plays of a game.

Author Bill Parsons is the creative author of a variety of online specialty stores that offer both items and information for all your athletic equipment needs. Today, he offers advice on basketball backboards and why the kind you get matters. From First Team to GoalSetter, there are plenty of high quality basketball hoop manufacturers to choose from. Start your search here for your next basketball goal.

How to Jump Higher - Tips to Dunk a Basketball

Not being able to jump high can be a very frustrating thing for basketball players. Everybody has the ability to jump very high, they just lack the knowledge of how to train to increase their vertical leap. Here are some tips to get you dunking a basketball in no time!

1. Muscle Memory! Your body has a great ability to adapt to what you consistently do. This is true for jump training. Practice jumping often and your body will naturally adapt to help you jump higher. You should never skip a day of jump training. I'm not saying to exercise all day long everyday. Just work out no less than 15 minutes a day. Just enough to not let your muscles forget!

2. Stretch! You must keep your muscles loose and relaxed at all times in order to jump higher. Stretch every day when you wake up in the morning, and immediately after your jump training every day. This will keep your muscles "fresh" and they will be ready for jump training at any time.

3. Work You Core! Most athletes focus only on exercising their legs when they are trying to gain inches to their vertical leap. Yes, this is important, but, basketball is equally important to exercise your core. Do sit ups ad crunches daily to help with your explosive power and you will gain a few inches basketball the people just working their legs!

4. Sprint! Sprints are very important in developing muscle quickness. Quickness is key to launching your body. You can be very strong, but if you don't have "quick strength" then you are not going to gain any height to your jump.

For more tips to help you increase your vertical leap, check out The Jump Manual. This is the best system available to help you increase your vertical jump.

Diet and Nutrition Tips For Basketball Players

As a basketball player, I always wondered how vital of a role food and nutrition had in my playing ability. During a camp one summer there was a nutrition specialist there and I asked him this question, "does it really matter what we eat before a game?" All I can say is that he laughed for a bit and then compared our bodies to cars and the fuel that we put into them. If we put junk in our cars they don't drive well and the same is true of our bodies. I took what he said very seriously and will never forget the recommendations he gave us. This article will summarize his advice and will serve as a guide for basketball players looking to improve their playing ability simply by being smart about what they eat and drink.

Carbohydrates

You hear a lot of negative things about carbohydrates these days but basketball players need to know that carbohydrates serve an important purpose - creating energy. Because of this, they should be regular part of your diet but shouldn't be eaten excessively. While breads are full of carbohydrates, he recommended wheat breads and not in high amounts. They are a heavier food and tend to sit in your stomach longer than other foods. Light pastas were mentioned with spaghetti being one of the simplest foods to break down and produce energy. The red sauce, with tomatoes and other vegetables, was also mentioned as a positive to have as a staple of your diet as well as a pregame meal.

Protein

No player who wants to get stronger or healthier can do it without the aid of protein. Specifically mentioned were lean proteins like turkey or boneless skinless turkey breasts. I was very interested to learn that fish can provide probably the least fat and best protein available. My favorite fish, salmon, wasn't on the list of the least fatty fish available and I was surprised about that. Halibut, tuna and cod are all great protein foods that have minimal fats. One of my favorite meals became spaghetti with red sauce and grilled chicken breast. It provided the protein and necessary carbohydrates to have enough energy to compete at the level I needed to compete at.

Hydration

When I was growing up Gatorade wasn't nearly as popular as it is today. If you got Gatorade you were considered lucky. Today we have so many choices of products to keep us hydrated it is amazing. basketball Propel to energy drinks to regular water. I don't and won't ever recommend an energy drink as something to take immediately before a sporting event. I don't think it is healthy and I don't think we have enough study materials to prove if it is safe or not. The caffeine and sugars that are typically in those drinks creates a quick fix but causes a lag as the game goes on. For simple hydration water is generally the safest bet. It is recommended that a player should drink over a gallon of water a day. That's a lot of water, but if you compare it to the amount of sweat that you are producing it really isn't that much. The more water you drink the more energy you will have and the better you will feel. One of the worst things you can do as an athlete is not drink enough.

Final Thoughts

Any product that is processed that is white is caused because of sugars. Yes, that includes white bread. 100% whole wheat bread aids in digestion better and helps to process the other foods. Sugars, if unused, simply turn to fat and that is bad in any sense of the word. People ask me about steaks and such. Steaks are tricky because they are generally very high in protein but can also be very high in fats. Certain cuts of steak obviously have more fats than others. I counsel people to eat them in moderation. Steak is one of my favorite foods and while I was playing I would typically lose weight during the season. A steak every now and then helped me maintain my weight and my strength and I feel it was very necessary for me.

Mainly, watch out for processed foods and eat foods that are equally balanced throughout. Don't just eat only wheat bread. Don't just eat turkey meat 10 times a day. Be smart and be reasonable. Remember that what you put into your body plays a large role in how you play. If you need an edge it could very well come down to diet and that may make all the difference.

Brian Schofield is a coach and former Division I college basketball player. He is a regular contributor to the basketball training site HoopSkills.com.

Important Factors to Having a Great Vertical That Are Usually Overlooked

First and foremost, push yourself. You are in full control of the amount of gains you will get from these workouts. By pushing yourself I mean to jump as high and hard as you can every single rep. This means to sprint as fast as you can when it says do sprints, do not slow up before 30 yards if it says 30 yard sprints. Try to get more weight than you did the week before. Never do something and just try to get it done quickly and effortlessly. This also means when you do not want to work out, make yourself go anyway.

Secondly, set goals. This is something that is overlooked so often. Setting goals is so much more than just hoping to do something. You must write it down, and truly believe that you will reach it. Repeat your goals to yourself as much as you can. Having goals will create drive as well as the motivation to push yourself harder. It is proven that goals will also lead to greater performance. If you are just jumping without really expecting much out of it or going for anything in particular, you will never get the gains as someone that really wants to dunk a basketball and is there for a reason.

Third, stay motivated throughout the 16 week and beyond. Do not give up basketball your goals or get down on yourself. You must believe you will each your goals and workout with the intensity to get yourself there week in and week out. There are many intangible factors to better performance, and setting goals and staying motivated are right on the top. Mentally believing and pushing yourself throughout your workouts will lead to improvements. If you check your gains and not satisfied, do not get down on yourself. Use that to your advantage to push yourself and even more and know that the gains will come.

Rest, this is another issue that is highly regarded and very overlooked. You will not have the full energy to push yourself fully each workout if you do not rest enough between workouts. This means that you should not workout within at least 48 hours of your last workout. This also implies that the workouts will be tough and you will need the rest, this means that you must make the workouts tough if they are not already for you, add weight, add sets. Rest is also important between sets because of the same concepts. You must have the energy to give your all on every single repetition, and rushing through the workout will lead to fatigue and you will not be maximizing your results.

Next is eating well. This is an issue that many people may be aware of but may not think relates so much to these vertical jump workouts. Eating well certainly affects your performance. For example, without your recommended carbohydrates, you will not have the energy to complete your workout to the best of your ability. Also, protein intake will increase your body's strength which will lead to greater gains. Basically, eating well means trying to minimize your bad fats and carbs while getting the amount of calories that you need to reach your goals. Many people may want to gain muscle mass throughout the workouts and that will entail that you eat plenty of carbs and protein each and everyday. I would also recommend supplements because they will ensure that you are getting enough protein or good carbs. There are several shakes out there to make sure that you get enough each day without just throwing bad calories down.

I would also recommend upper body workouts. I would say that upper body strength serves several benefits in any sport or activity that you desiring to increase your speed for or your vertical jump. In addition, while you are eating well, setting goals, and working out, it is definitely a good time to throw in upper body workouts and set goals for these as well. For example, set a goal for bench press or pull-ups. However, this does not mean work out upper body while you are at the gym doing your vertical jump workouts. This is something that could be done over the couple days that you are between workouts because it shouldn't wear down your legs at all and damper your vertical jump gains.

Do not test your vertical over and over again. First off, it is recommended that you rest at least 3 or 4 days before you test your vertical. This is because you will not have the same numbers if you have worked out your legs recently or even played basketball for an hour. Your energy and strength level will have a huge impact on how high you get. This will also keep you focused and confident on reaching your goals. Testing it over and over again will more than likely get you down because you will not see many gains by doing this.

As for the actual workout, technique is just as important as any other factor. If you are not completing a lift correctly, you may not receive any benefit at all from doing it, even if you are pushing yourself as hard as you can, and you may even hurt yourself which will really basketball you from reaching your goals. The most important exercises to focus on technique are the squat variations and the dead lift. This is not to say that having the right technique while jumping will not really help you to get the most out of it.

Another tip I have is to stick to the exercises provided in each workout. This workout has been taken from a renowned author that tested several variations of each workout until finding the best mix of exercises. The exercises are grouped together because they yield the greatest gains in the order they are listed. The sets and reps are the same way, as well as the time listed between each set. This is not to say that you cannot add weight to a lift. However, on every phase of 4 weeks the final week is like a recovery week, if you choose to do the same amount of sets that you did the previous week, this would be acceptable, if you feel you do not need a lighter week. I highly recommend adding as much weight as you can to each lift while still keeping the technique and form.

Finally, I would recommend staying active throughout the workouts. Playing basketball on off days is a great way to reinforce some of the same principles that are used in the workouts. With workouts only being twice a week, that is a lot of off time to try to and stay in shape and workout on the side. If you do not workout with weights on off days, I would recommend playing sports or at least staying on your feet rather than laying around all the time. This does not mean that you should play basketball everyday though, there is a point where you are playing too much and do not have the strength and energy going into each workout that you need. I still recommend taking it fairly easy on days before the vertical jump training to rest up. This means try not to play basketball for over an hour or two, don't test your vertical or jump around a lot, and don't go for a run. You can walk as long as you please or jog a little, or workout your upper body, but try not to wear yourself out too much.

In order to get the most out of a workout with either lifting or jumping one needs to go about it with a proper diet. I will fill you in on a few tips and pointers I have gotten over the years from trainers, personal experience, and researching the topic. There are obviously different diets for different goals. I would classify the goals as trying to lose weight, trying to gain weight, trying to gain muscle, but not much fat, and trying to cut, which is just lose a little excess fat but not too much weight. These are the extremes, there are certainly forms of diets in between and perhaps a mixture of these. The diet I am focusing on is gaining weight, but trying to gain good weight, so it is certainly done with healthy foods (which I would hope all diets contain) and it's a slow process because I am trying not to gain any fat. First and foremost, breakfast is the most important meal, it should be the biggest meal of the day, no matter what your diet may be. Breakfast should contain plenty of carbs to provide energy for the day and a good addition would be eggs or egg whites for protein, and some fruit or juice for a little sugar to boost the energy. Over the course of the day it is best to spread out the meals into smaller portions instead of 3 big meals, perhaps have 5-7 smaller meals. The purpose of this is to digest your food better and keep your metabolism high. It is also a good way of keeping your energy high and getting the most out of everything you do throughout the day. I would recommend having a gram or protein for every pound of bodyweight for men, at least. For a guy like me that is not trying to lose weight, it's good to have at least 3-4000 calories, because I am active and need the energy and calories so that I do not lose weight. I am very active and burn so many calories throughout the day that I need to eat at least that many or I will be hungry quite a bit and losing pounds. I would advise you not to eat any carbs after 8 pm as well, the only thing I try to eat after that time is 1 protein shake before bed. It is best to keep fat to a minimum, mostly good fats like the fat found in peanuts and peanut butter, as well as fish oils and similar supplements. These are just a few tips to keep in mind to get the most progress out of your food.

There are also several tips that I have regarding the diet around the workouts. It is definitely best to amp up on the carbs and a little bit of sugar about an hour before the workout. Do not eat too close to a workout time because your food will not have fully digested and you will not feel all that great, you will also not have the energy you need to perform at your peak. Next, you need to drink water throughout the workout. I would also recommend a gatorade or powerade, or some type of energy drink like that to provide the electrolytes to give you a bit of a spark to keep your mind and body going. Next, and still very very important, always eat right after the workout, within 30 minutes. This is the time to load the body up with protein. After the workout is when your body really needs to regroup and give your muscles strength and this is when protein is needed most, otherwise your muscles will never get the most out of every workout. I like to have a protein shake, and usually some beef or chicken is a good form of protein.

Here is a list of foods I would recommend eating if you are really trying to eat healthy and get your body in its best condition ever!

Protein Shakes, Eggs, Egg Whites, Any Whole Wheat Breads or Bagels for serious carbs, Oatmeal, rice, Whole Wheat Pasta, Chicken, Lean Beef, Tuna, Fish, Vegetables, Fruit, and there is certainly much more food that is good for you. This is simply a short list of things that I know anyone had access to and could go along way to incorporate into at least one meal a day to start progressing in the right direction.

One of the easiest ways to improve athletic abilities is through stretching. It seems that this is something that is very overlooked and not done nearly enough, if at all. The benefits involved with stretching are quite more prolific than one may perceive. Many people even think that they are quite flexible and are in fact not even close to what they are capable of. Stretching is one of the main ways to become flexible, unless you are so active that it stretches you into crazy positions, which is probably unlikely.

Stretching can be used for several reasons. First of all, it increases flexibility greatly. Flexibility is very similar to the vertical leap, it is almost endless as to how much better one can get. Very few people will reach their greatest possible range of motion in all their movements, and the same with the vertical leap. In turn, flexibility will enhance several things. Flexibility is key to how several athletes perform in their respective sports. A few of the ideas that come to mind are a pitcher's shoulder and arm flexibility, a kicker's leg flexibility in either soccer or football, a tennis, baseball, hockey, or golfer's shoulder turn, hip rotation, and shoulder flexibility, as well as several others. The one that I left out that seems to be most pivotal to the topic of this website is the flexibility of the legs that allows a basketball player to jump higher and even run faster.

Another use of stretching is for injury prevention. It is a great idea to stretch out and warm up before a workout as well as before athletic activities. From my experiences, the best way to loosen up before working out and physical activity always begins with doing something to get the blood flowing and heat up your body. This is usually done with either a light jog, jumping jacks, seal jumps (like jumping jacks except the arms clap and go out horizontally each repetition), or criss-cross (where the arms and legs cross over each repetition). After warming up your body is when you will begin stretching out. The exercises done to get your heart rate up will help you stretch out better because it is always a bad idea to stretch out cold muscles because you may pull something. The stretching I do usually pertains to what activity or workout I am going to do for that given day. If I am working out lower body I will do mainly lower body stretching and then follow that up with a little quick upper body work, and vice versa for an upper body workout. If I am going to be playing a sport then I will probably stretch out my entire body rather quickly after I am warmed up.

The stretching that I perform for lower body is not always the same but usually hits all the key muscles, the quad, the hamstrings, the glutes, and probably a little calf stretching. I usually perform hip pop-ups, where I lay on my back and put my feet close to my butt and hump upwards. Another stretch I do is dynamic hamstring; I lay on my back and try to basically kick the ceiling with a straight leg, one leg at a time. Another stretch is when I lay on my side and raise my leg as high as I can while keeping it straight. Then I bring my top leg up and grab my ankle and bring the lower leg as high as I can. Another stretch is where I lay on my stomach and try to touch my knee to my elbow while only moving my leg, one at a time. That is called the lying spiderman. Another stretch is standing heel to hip, one leg at a time, also knee to chest, one leg at a time. Another good stretch is the tin-man walks or in place, where you bring your leg up as high as you can while keeping it straight and touch your toe with your opposite hand and alternating. I also like to touch my toes, or bend over and touch the floor with my legs spread wide. Another good stretch is the butterfly, which is a common stretch, simply sit down and instead of sitting Indian style sit with your sole of your shoes touching each other and bend forward to make it work. The final stretching I would do is the hip stretching, where I go down to one knee and slide the hips forward and backward and hold it there. Those are just a few good stretches to get the legs loosened up. I would recommend stretching after a workout as well to make sure and loosen your body back up because that is when it will be tightest. I would also recommend doing stretches for the next couple days after a leg workout, especially if you are sore, to go ahead and loosen your body up and you will not be sore for as long. A great idea for after a leg workout is to roll out on a foam roller. A foam roller is about a four foot long foam cylinder that is about 6 inches in diameter. You are to lay down on it and then roll back and forth on your hamstrings and quads and also your glutes, put as much weight on your sore areas as possible. It may hurt a little bit because you are really digging into sore areas, but it will loosen you up big time and you will not be sore for nearly as long.

The upper body stretches that I perform are rather simple. I usually stretch out my rotator cuffs with a light weight, about 5 pounds, and do arm swings, where you go in a circle with the arm straight, and also some internal and external rotation. I like to stretch out the shoulders by doing some stretches against a pole where I stretch my arm as far back as it goes. I like to do some twists to stretch out my back as well because it is usually pretty tight. I have several other stretches I like to do but those are just a few, feel free to ask and I can name a few more.

Ben Murphy
http://slamdunkr.webs.com

A Sports Story That Slam Dunks

Every once in a while an anomaly appears in sports, a one of a kind. Soccer had Pele, Golf has Tiger Woods, Bicycling has Lance Armstrong, Hockey has Wayne Gretsky, Swimming has Michael Phelps and Basket Ball has Michael Jordan. These men are not merely athletes they are legends and deservedly so. Their stories show us that super stars of humanity are not just born, they are made and they work to get there.

As fans we marvel at their strength of character, their agility and their uncanny ability to read the game, with a psychic like ability of intuition. How is it possible, where do they come from, how can one man be that good? It is questions like this that feed their legendary status, their mystique and their greatness, often making them 10-feet tall, not in 100-years from today, but right now in their prime.

These are the stories that capture our imagination and make us feel like we to hold special strength because we are also human. Their commitment, perseverance and shear brilliance captivates us in suspended belief. One of the best stories I have read about such folks is a book about Michael basketball and it is a book I'll recommend to you also:

"Driven from Within" with Michael Jordan edited by Mark Vancil; Atria Books, New York, NY; 2000.

The story takes us through an odyssey of Michael Jordan's life, his endorsements, his family, his basketball his hopes, his fears, his team and the Los Angeles Lakers organization. Nothing is sacred the book reveals all, it's an unbelievable journey and a life well lived.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Girl's Basketball Academic Importance I

Academic importance is not necessarily about making A's basketball B's. It's not always about being eligible to play basketball. It really is about basketball person you become.

It is very common in girl's basketball to have a player that believes making good grades is not as important as playing basketball. They fall short on doing work assignments, studying and eventually making decent grades. Academics will not become important to the player until it is too late. And believe it or not, at that point academics still may not be important.

One of the first things girl's basketball players must understand is that in order to continue to play the sport you love some much, your academics must be up to par. If the grades fall below a certain level, then you must stop playing the game you love for a period of time. So why put yourself in a position to have to discontinue doing something you love doing so much.

Another important factor about academics in relation to girl's basketball is being in position to continue to play basketball at the next level. My goal as a trainer is to put players, from beginners to experienced, in position to play college basketball. Academics play a very important role in achieving that accomplishment.

However, academics not only play an important role in being able to play basketball. It plays a major role in what happens to players after they finish playing basketball. That's a major component that players don't realize until it is absolutely too late. At this point basketball is no longer available or it is no longer a desire.

But the question now is have you prepared yourself for life after basketball? Or did you use academics to help prepare you for life after basketball?

Visit http://www.girlsbasketballtips.com to get your copy of the 6 Girls Basketball Tips that will Explode Your Game!

Hang Time - Is There Such a Thing?

Anyone that watches basketball has seen this (probably many times). Michael Jordan (or another favorite player) is running full speed down court, he jumps, soaring through the air for a tremendous slam dunk. And while he is doing it, the announcers are heaping praise on him for his "amazing hang time". The way they make it sound, he just stays up in the air while other players jump in their attempts to block the shot and fall back to earth as they watch him sail on.

Is this what really happens? If it is, what secret ability do these players have that let them do this while others cannot? If this is not what really happens, why does it seem that some players can indeed stay in the air longer than other players can?

It all happens so quickly in reality. Are we really seeing what we think we are seeing? Since this act of running and jumping is a "physical" activity, we will take a look at the "physics" involved in jumping. Are there things a player can do to help him stay in the air longer?

The law's of physics have not been changed for basketball players. As a player is coming down the court and going up for a slam dunk, they apply a force (with the muscles of their legs, ankles, and feet) against the floor. The floor basketball back with an "equal force" that propels them into the air. But one thing that we do know for sure - "what goes up must come down" (physics again). The force that the player exerted is not enough to overcome gravity, so they are pulled back down.

Why, then, is it that we say some people can stay in the air longer? What, if anything, can you do to have a longer "hang time?" To find out the answers and get a more detailed explanation of what REALLY happens, please basketball out the post on our blog at http://verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/ We also have other information on how to increase your vertical jump including reviews of programs and products that are available to help you

Tom Beagle is a writer for EInfohound. Check out the followup to this article at verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/. You can get more information on increasing your vertical jump at verticaljump.einfohound.com

The History of Trainers - Part One

In the first of our four part series looking at the basketball history of trainers, we look at the period from 1917 to 1972. This period includes a selection of some of the first trainers produced including the Stan Smith from Adidas and the Pro-Keds Royal Plus.

1917 Converse All Star

Launched in 1917 and taking the Chuck Taylor name from 1923 in honour of the world famous basketball player, the shoe has been a favourite in the music world and has been associated with Snoop Dogg and bands including The Ramones and The Strokes. The shoe also featured in the film "I, Robot" starring Will Smith. The trainers classic status, history and styling should mean it is around for many years to come.

1964 Adidas Stan Smith

Quality design and still basketball across the world since its launch as the first all-leather performance tennis shoe. The shoe has been re-issued in many colours over the years but this is the classic white model, combining retro and athletic fashion. These trainers go with any outfit.

1968 Puma Suede

The basic design of these trainers, coupled with the wide variety of colours, these are one of the worlds best loved shoes. The 1990s brought about a revival of these Puma classics which can be worn with virtually anything and still look good.

1969 Adidas Superstar

This was the first low top basketball shoe to be made and is known by millions as the "shell toe", a feature that was included to protect the toes of the players. A favourite on the hip hop scene with its chunky fit and styling, Run-DMC released the song "My Adidas" in recognition of the shoe. The trainer, worn by basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar when they were released, can be seen worn across the globe today including in every US prison!

1971 Pro-Keds Royal Plus

Available as either a high or low top, these trainers were easily recognisable by their red and navy stripes. Developed for the basketball court, these Keds were worn by Nate Archibald of the Kansas City Kings.

1972 Adidas SL 72

With the SL standing for Super Light, these trainers were designed for the 1972 Olympics in Munich and were incredibly light. These trainers featured a built in heel counter and were re-issued in 2004.

Thats it for the first instalment, next time we will look at the period up to 1987 which includes the birth of the mighty Jordan.

Trainershack.co.uk sells authentic discount Nike trainers, Reebok trainers, Adidas trainers, Puma trainers and more online with free delivery and up to 50% off High Street prices. http://www.trainershack.co.uk

Leonards Hope - A Love For Basketball

With basketball basketball falling against the pavement like an out of tune musical instrument I found myself walking next to an older gentlemen who had clearly not taken the easy path in life. As the rain drops lit up his tattered unshaven face, the gentleman managed to glance in my direction and under a muted monotonic voice he opened my eyes to lives great adventures. Standing together under the cover of a Portland city bus stop, two ordinary strangers came together to share in our common passion-basketball.

It was at this moment, I discovered my new friend was a basketball legend in the great state of Utah in the early 60's. He had walked through life's journey guided by the comfort of a bouncing rubber basketball and a dream to be noticed by one of Oregon's many high level institutions. Yet, struggles of the street had stabbed my friend; this was clear by his rundown appearance. Leonard-I would come to know him by-had left the confines of his small Utah town as a legend and was transplanted in the heart of the Northwest to pursue 'hope' and 'opportunity' to better his life through the game of basketball.

Not unlike Leonard, I too traveled through life with a found optimism the game of basketball could provide. As we both stood under the bus stop and watched as the rain continued to pound the passing cars on Martin Luther King Avenue, it was clear basketball had provided me with so much and failed embrace Leonard. You see I had found some success as a varsity basketball coach at a young age and later as an author of a series of E-books and founder of a basketball resources website dedicated to providing inexpensive resources to future coaches around the country. In a harsh splash of reality, the integrity of the game had challenged the dreams of us both and walked two total strangers to the breaking point of opportunity. Leonard still searching for his 'hope' and I still hoping for the 'dream' brought together by the northwest rain, a shelter, and the game of basketball.

Coach Macs Ebooks and Resources http://www.coachmac-basketball.com

Check out how the game of basketball can influence your life: http://www.squidoo.com/High-School-Basketball-Offenses

Phoenix's Title Shot: Burned to Flames

The Phoenix Suns went all the way to the Conference Finals last year when few of us considered the playoff worthy. But now this team is under whelming to say the least. With only Nash and Marion on the active roster from a year ago, the Las Vegas projected line of victories for Phoenix has crumbled to 43. That's barely enough wins to sneak into the #8 seed. What went wrong?



The Suns won 62 games last year, the most in the NBA. However, the Suns have made many transactions since the end of last year, including Joe Johnson signing with Atlanta for fame and fortune over victories. Quentin Richardson was ousted for Kurt Thomas for a better defensive frontcourt. While I didn't like this move, it was recoverable: Boris Diaw, Jim Jackson and Raja Bell could pick up the slack. But several weeks ago, Amare Stoudemire suffered a devastating injury that will keep him out until February. The Suns title chance basketball have burned up right there, and won't be reborn until Stoudemire can return safely.



And it's not just the 3-month basketball of Stoudemire that hurts them. Both Joe Johnson (2nd highest 3P% last year) and Quentin Richardson (led league for most 3's made last year) are gone, which will complicate Nash dishing the ball to the outside. The Suns inside and outside offense are both close to gone.
But the most troubling circumstance for Phoenix is they'll have to change how they play. This team is old all of a sudden, and small as well. 6-8 Boris Diaw will get considerable playing team at Center and SF Marion and PF Kurt Thomas have both moved up a position in the staring rotation. The Suns will have to by their time until Amare can return, because one more injury will push them out of the playoffs. When the Marlins and Angels won the World Series, all of their players had career years (or close to it) and played as a team. The following year, both teams missed the postseason entirely.



There is absolutely no chance of Phoenix duplicating last year's success, and 43 wins seem almost generous. This is still a good team, but their one year of glory is up and maybe for good with Stoudemire absent. Blowing 16-pt 4th quarter leads to teams like Dallas won't help either. They'll make the playoffs, but their impact on the West too subtle to make a difference. What's worse is San Antonio's chance at the title has lost its one obstruction.

Visit NFL Systems for more expert articles on sports.

March Madness - NCAA Mens Basketball Picks

You know what time it is? March madness time! The greatest, most thrilling, and lucrative thing to watch on television all year. Have you been following all year? Do you have your ncca mens basketball picks yet for march madness? Well if you don't...You need to seriously start basketball some research and coming up with your winning picks.

There is nothing like entering your local march madness pool at work and winning! You impress them with your ncaa mens basketball tournament predictions. It is more than just winning first place in the pool; your pride, dignity, and self-respect is on-the-line. If you were bragging all year how good you are in the march madness tournament and know your ncaa odds basketball winning out of 64 teams and you give yourself a total let down your ego will be deflated.

Let me give you a little piece of advice. Do NOT pick all number one seeds to go to the final four. The last time just 3 number one seeds went to the final four was in 2001! March madness is not like daily nba picks where it is EXTREMELY predictable, you have to live on the edge of your seat and take risks.

You need to take smart college basketball favorites to use in your march madness pool or brackets. You need to read in between the lines for example, if you see a 12 vs 5 seed match up and the 12th seed has potential of crushing the 5th seed, more than likely it will indeed happen. Or that 15th seed beating the number 2 seed a few years ago? Remember Iowa State going down? It happens all the time that's why it is called march madness. It is were Cinderella teams are born. Remember George Mason? They made a name for themselves going to the final 4 a few years ago? I bet you didn't have them in your bracket to go to the final 4 that year? Well I did!

I study ncaa mens basketball picks ritually, at least 5 hours a day. All trends, statistics, injuries, location, etc... to come up with the best picks. I play more for a constant stream of incoming, then as a hobby. I have a love for the game and by far march madness is the best time of the year. The college basketball odds of winning all 64 games are slim to none, well if you do there are plenty of sites willing to pay you over a million dollars or more.

If you do a little research, planning, studying, and praying you may be on the road to winning millions of dollars. Anything can happen, especially in march madness. Throw the ncaa odds out the door for number one teams winning it all, more than likely it is going to be a number 4 or 5 seed coming from know where to snatch the title. Should I say Syracuse? They had such an incredible run. If you are a sports fan, march madness is seriously what it is all about!

Chris Grisham is the creator of Sportsbook Investing, the premier website for making money betting online sports. He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top NCAA Mens Basketball Picks Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.SportsbookInvesting.com

An Overview of Basketball Hoops

Every one of us can remember times as a kid, gathered around the neighborhood basketball hoop on a hot summer day for an impromptu game of HORSE, or shooting hoops in the driveway with the family after dinner. Basketball is a sport that has been around since the 1800's. Many of our ancestors played the game shooting into a couple of Peach baskets with glee.

Over time, new ideas sprouted up to improve the equipment used in the game. Players needed something sturdy that would hold up to the basketball it was sure to receive. Backboards became larger, and as the game evolved and more rules were added, the net became a staple piece as well.

Depending on the type of use, be it in the backyard of the Jones' house, at the local rec center or any area school, there is a specific basketball of hoop that can fit the needs of those different applications. There are specific hoops that will hold their own against the elements, and hoops that can be brought back and forth from the street to the side of the house for those with strict Homeowners Associations. There are hoops that have adjustable heights and those that anchor right to the house for permanent installation. Whatever your preferences, you can be sure there is a basketball hoop that will fit them!

If you have children in mind when choosing the equipment for your home court, an adjustable hoop is a great start thanks to its ability to grow with the child using it. You can start with a nice low height and move up from there year after year. Choosing something composed of steel ensures that you'll be enjoying those outdoor games for a long time to come.

If a portable basket suits your lifestyle, you'll have options for bases that can be filled with water or sand, which makes setting up your new area a breeze. Portable hoops are ideal because they can be taken just about anywhere, from the driveway to the street to the nearest park if you wanted! For those with very limited space, there is even an option for a mini hoop that can be played in a dorm room, on the small patio, or at the office for the supreme stress relieving exercise where you won't break a sweat.

For those motivated to build and master new skills, or just create a super fun basketball experience at home, there are specialty hoops that will assist them in their quest. There is the auto rebounder option that will send the ball back to the shooter after every shot, hoops for the pool, and electronic hoops that keep score for you whether you play alone or with an opponent.

So many options can seem overwhelming, but really, once you know the setting in which you will be playing, you'll find the right equipment easily. Do a bit of research on the different options available and know what's most important to you, be it just plain fun or longevity and durability of the product. Doing so will allow you to compare features and prices, and make the best decision to meet your needs. Prices vary widely based on design and materials used. Cheaper may not always be better, but that doesn't mean that you can't find the perfect hoop at a very affordable price.

Happy Hunting!

Author Bill Parsons is the creative author of a variety of online specialty stores that offer both items and information for all your athletic equipment needs. Today, he offers advice on the different options for your basketball hoop, whether it be an outdoor goal or an indoor system.

How to Increase Vertical Leap, Speed and Agility

Here are a few exercises that when done properly will definitely increase your leg strength, quickness and vertical leap. Being able to jump higher should just be a nice by-product. If you want to become a real basketball player instead of just a dunking freak show at basketball local playground, you'll value how these drills will help you to stay in front of your man on defense, and maintain good steady feet when a taller/bigger player tries to post you up. Not to mention just having great overall conditioning.

The body's ability to adapt
Anyone who has ever had a physical job over an extended period of time will be aware of the body's ability to adapt. If you have spent your summer working in a shop for example you may have noticed how during the first few days your leg and back muscles might have been aching, not to mention your feet. Or maybe you worked on a construction site for 3 months and all of a sudden found you needed to spend half of your hard earned money on a new wardrobe because your old clothes didn't fit anymore. The conclusion therefore is that if your body is placed outside of its comfort zone, it will try its hardest to adapt. Now to the drills:

If it was good enough for Rocky...
Do some light skipping for 10 minutes just to get warmed up. If you want to impress see how many doubles you can do in a row, or cross your arms every now and then.

First things first
Stretching. Do it. I'm not going to go into it. But do it.

Today's dare is to walk like a penguin (to stop shin splints)
This is a stretch/exercise to help prevent shin splints. Some people are more susceptible to them than others. Shin splints are caused by a muscle imbalance in your calf. This exercise can help prevent them from occurring. Just spend a few minutes every couple of hours walking around on your heals as demonstrated in picture 1.1. If you do them correctly you will feel the muscles behind your shins working and the pain caused by frequent jumping should start to easy off over time.

Rendering chairs obsolete
I want to make a note here that I'll take no responsibility what so ever if the chair industry goes out of business. The drill is simple enough. Sit against a wall as displayed in picture 1.2 with your legs bent at a near 90 angle. Your thighs should be working hard to keep your back pressed against the wall. So hard, that after a certain amount of time, depending on how strong they are, they will start shaking like mad. If you are new to this exercise don't overdo it the first time. Gradually find out where your limit is. Your thighs could end up aching for weeks if you don't, and you can forget dunking. Just walking up stairs alone will become a challenge. Also make sure to keep your back straight. As an addition you can have a friend annoy you by passing you a ball while your thighs burn like mad.

Find your centre (whilst standing on a ball)
This exercise takes a bit of practice, but once mastered will help prevent knee injuries along with helping you develop a great sense of balance. It specifically targets small little used and therefore underdeveloped muscle groups within your knees. Which in turn affects your explosiveness. The exercise itself is easy enough. Just stand on a ball. You might want to do it in front of a wall at first, so you can balance yourself properly and gain a feel for it. Over time no wall should be necessary. When you can get on to the ball without any support and stay on there for as long as you want, you might want to give yourself some challenges. Like passing another ball around your body in a ring motion.

Plyometrics
Unlike the muscle building drills above the following drills are classed as plyometrics. While previously we discussed how to build up leg strength these drills are meant to increase your explosiveness. Note that plyometrics alone will not be enough to increase your vertical leap. Ideally you will want to find the optimal combination of plyometrics, strength exercises, endurance drills, diet and rest to experience optimal vertical leap gains. For further details on how plyometrics work see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics.

Backboards can be used for more than layups
During this drill you will hold a ball with both hands, jump up, and touch the backboard with the ball. In this version the ball never leaves your hands. Try to complete twenty reps with a one-minute brake before the next set. If you cannot reach the backboard, or do not have one available, try using a marked wall instead. Also, instead of increasing the number of reps, try to increase the height of the point that the ball is making contact with.

Tipping Alternative
By jumping and tipping the ball against the backboard you will not only be working on your explosiveness. You might be confronted with a situation during a game where you can't get to a rebound but can keep the ball alive by tipping it against the backboard. With a bit of practice you should be able to control that tip to the extent where you can tip it so it comes down in a location where you can grab the rebound, or if on offence, can tip the ball into the basket.

Line drills aren't just there to torture you
Coaches make their players do line drills over and over again for a reason. If you do them regularly you will find a huge increase in the speed of your first step and sprinting ability. This will naturally also help your vertical leap. If you don't know what a line drill is: you sprint from baseline to the first free throw line, then back to baseline, then halfway line and back, then second free throw line and back, then full court and back. If you are doing this alone, get someone to time you and work towards setting up a personal best. Otherwise if there is a group of you make it more interesting by saying the losers have to do 20 push-ups.

Clear it or stack it (jumping sideways over an object)
Sideways jumps will help you out a lot on defence. Set up an obstacle, like a cone or a few books. Make sure the object isn't to high, as you will be jumping over it in sideways motions, back and forth 30 times. Jumping again as soon as your feet make contact with the ground. Repeated quick takeoffs are the key to successful plyometric basketball and optimal vertical leap gains. See picture 1.3.

Tired of falling over your own feet? (180 Jumps)
Position yourself so you have enough room to complete 30 jumps where you change direction each time. As you can guess along with quickness and all the other usual benefits this plyometric exercise will help you improve your coordination.

Run
I know a lot of players would rather go and find a local pickup game than go on a 20 min run. Lets face reality: the pickup game is the more enjoyable choice. No coaches yanking you from the game for your shot selection and you are not going to be pushing yourself to the limit like on a run. Still, going on a 20-30 minute run 3 times per week will improve your stamina immensely come game time. Because you are putting your body under a different kind of stress than during games and training (where you get to stop every 30 seconds for a short breather) you will become a more complete athlete. The goal here is not to become a marathon runner though. A 20-30 minute run at a good fast pace will give you better basketball related results.

Diet
Lebron James did not get his body from living on fast food. Repeat: Lebron James did not get his body from living on fast food. If you are one of those individuals who believe they can eat what they want to just because they do sport: fine. It's true. You will burn off calories. That's a fact. But if you are serious about developing your body you will have to change your ways I'm afraid. Fast food simply doesn't contain the building blocks that you need in order to build up a real athlete's body. Let alone a 40 inch vertical leap. If you don't watch your diet all the exercises here are good for is burning calories. For proper results you need to start taking in a high dose of protein, potassium and all the other good stuff. Read up on some diet articles online, or invest some money into a few health magazines. They tend to print the same information over and over again, so you will only need to buy a few issues. Or don't, and just use this as a more complicated and painful calorie-burning program. Your choice.

A great investment
Have you guessed it yet? It is, drum roles: a gym membership. No, not only meatheads and Madonna go to the gym. Basketball players are allowed there too. You might want to ask a personal trainer to help you put together a program that will help you gain strength, while at the same time increase your flexibility, mobility, and speed to go along with your vertical leap.

Conclusion
I haven't noted down a specific training regime with sets here because everyone's body is different. Especially in regard to plyometrics, some will find doing 3 sets of each a walk in the park while others will be lying flat on their backs for weeks after the same amount. You will have to judge your own limits. Make sure you get enough rest between sets though. If you don't give your body enough time to heal, you will be doing it a lot more damage than good. This is another reason why a good diet is vital. It will speed up your recovery time. This will also mean that you should try to group these exercises together as much as possible. Having 3 intensive workouts per week, and loads of rest in between will give you better results that sporadically doing drills twice per day.

For a more detailed look as to how professional athletes use plyometrics, and how to schedule your training sessions around your basketball season for optimal results go to:
http://www.sportgorilla.com/plyometrics.php

Looking for more quality coaching articles for Basketball and other sports? Then try SportGorilla.com!
http://www.sportgorilla.com

10 Amazing Youth Basketball Drills

If kids like basketball they will enjoy learning and playing these 10 amazing drills. Theses drills are quick and easy youth basketball drills.

1. QUICK - In a circle, you in center. The kids copy you by running on a spot, jumping etc. When you say quick, they get into a defend position. However, if you say get low they continue to do what they were beforehand. They are only out if you look at them.

2. HEADS UP DIRECTION CHANGE - Along the middle court line space out 3 to 4 players facing you. You should be off the court at center line on the sidelines. Instruct the kids to move while dribbling in whichever direction you move - side to side, forward and backwards. Change movement without words so they have to keep their eyes on you. As they progress move more quickly and faster.

3. REDLIGHT-GREENLIGHT #2 - Have a bunch of kids start at one baseline, don't put them too close together. Each kid in the bunch has a basketball. When the facilitator shouts green light the children dribble forward. When they shout blue they dribble left, yellow they dribble right, and of course red they stop completely. At all times the kids should dribble throughout the whole youth basketball drill.

4. SPEED LAY-UP DRILL - Coach times player for 1 minute. The team counts aloud number of shots made and cheers the player along the way.

Player with a basketball stands to the right of the basketball hoop and coach says go and the player shoots a layup (using backboard) from right side... then miss or make goes to left side. They continue to switch sides, the team counts how many are made in one minute.

5. SPEED DRIBBLE - Players start at the half court line. Each player has a basketball. The object is to reduce the number of dribbles.

Let the basketball players basketball the required distance and count their dribbles. Have them cover the same distance and reduce the dribbles by 1. Repeat and reduce by 1 again. Continue reducing until you have got the speed up.

6. SIDE-LINE LAYUPS - The O's pass to the people closets to the sidelines . The line to their left if they are going to shoot left handed lay ups and and the players on the right side shoot right handed layups. The O then rules the court to receive a bounce pass at the other end. X throws a pass basketball the sideline. Then pass to the foul line, the x at the foul line gives a bounce pass to O for the lay-up. X's always follow their pass to the next line. X at the foul line get the rebound of O and are the next shooters.

7. REDLIGHT-GREENLIGHT - This youth basketball drill starts with all the players at the baseline with a ball. When the coach says 'green light', the players start to dribble and jog. When the coach says 'red light', the player stops.

8. GOPHER BALL - Players start at half court circle. Players have to react quickly to a loose ball. Go quickly into Offense.

Players lay down on stomach with eyes shut on the basketball floor. The coach or teacher tosses the ball into mid air and blows the whistle. Players quickly get up and try to get the ball.

9. PCPP - Three players are lined up in a straight line about 30ft. apart

A player on either end starts with the ball.

This players slaps the ball and starts the drill and is a sign for the player in the middle to cut towards him/her to receive a pass from him/her.

The middle player cuts towards the passer, receives the pass that is passed to him/her and completes a legal stops for a jump stop.

After making the catch and stop, this player makes a legal turn and passes to the player on the other end. After this pass is caught by the end or the middle player cuts towards the end and gets a return pass from him/her where apon the middle player again completes a legal stop, turn and throws to the player on the other end.

10. KEEP IT BOUNCING - While dribbling try to knock the other players ball out of bounds. Second dribble is not allowed. When your ball goes out of bounds you must do 5 push ups or jog one lap, after you did that you can join the game again.

Make sure the kids keep there head up and use both arms.

The more the try to knock away the other players balls (in stead of just protecting there own ball) the better dribblers they become.

I hope you enjoyed these 10 amazing and easy Youth Basketball Drills Now you go out and try these drills and your basketball drills will grow tremendously.

Marissa Simmons is an avid sports fan and plays in many different sports, enthusiast who also spends time investigating and uncovering incredible resources for her loyal readers like the one at: Pro Basketball Made Easy

Sports Betting and the Method of KISS

One mistake I see sports bettors making is they get too deep into stats and information. The best way to approach a matchup is to use basketball method of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). Usually when you look at a matchup the answer is pretty obvious, and that obvious answer is usually the right one. There will always be matchups that can go either way like two solid teams playing each other, the best way to get down on these games is to not get down at all.

The problem we usually face is not "who's going to win?" it's "who's going to cover the spread?" I'm talking about basketball and football. When it comes to baseball and hockey the same methods apply without the factor of a point spread unless you like puck lines and run lines.

Some people get so deep into stats that all the information starts to cancel out the two teams. The trick is to narrow your research to the important stats the ones that count. For example, in football, turnovers are a unpredictable part of the game. If I see a team that averages 1.4 fumbles per game against one that averages 2 fumbles per game I am not going to assume that one will fumble more than the other in this game. A good way to identify the key stats to look at is to go through game basketball and pick out what the winners did at and what the losers didn't do. You'll be surprised on how consistent some of these stats are. Since we're in the seasons of football, basketball, and hockey I will cover some of the factors here that are important to each game. This will also give you a better understanding of my systems sections and why I choose certain aspects of a game.

If you've read my systems page for football you'll know that I preach the yards per pass stat. Many people have argued this and that's ok, I made it sound like that was the only factor to consider and I was probably wrong to say that. Do this now, go to yahoo.com and take a look at the boxscores for any week of the NFL and count out how many winners had a better yards per pass number. You'll notice only a couple teams each week won the game with a smaller YPP. Just by knowing this you have a key stat to look at while you handicap. This is definitely a key stat but unfortunately this is not the golden key to predicting who will win the game or who will cover. If it was we'd all be rich and Vegas would be out of business.

Another factor that will heavily weigh out the winners from the losers is to look at scoring margins. This works for football and basketball and will help you determine who can beat the spread as well. The best way to get a good sample of any stat is to always look at conference games or division games and not overall games. Teams play their best in conference games and this way you draw a good sample of their ability when they want a win. Let's walk through the thursday night matchup for this week and see what we can find.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS @ JACKSONVILLE +6.5 TOTAL 44

Just by looking at the record here Indy 11-4 and Jacksonville 5-9 you should already have the perception that Indy will win the game outright, that part is easy but not that easy. There is still a possibility that Jacksonville can pull off a victory or lose the game by less than 6 points. So let's pad our decision with some key stats.

We'll start with yards per pass offense and defense.

MATCHUP YPPO YPPD MARGIN
INDIANAPOLIS 6.7 6.3 0.4
JACKSONVILLE 6.2 7.2 -1.0

You can see with overall stats Indy has a small edge in the margin and passing game. Let's go a step further and look at yards per rush.

MATCHUP YPRO YPRD MARGIN
INDIANAPOLIS 3.4 4.2 -0.7
JACKSONVILLE 4.2 4.1 0.1

Interesting result, The stats are about even with Jacksonville holding a very small edge. Now let's use division games only and see what we can come up with. I'm choosing division stats over conference stats because it's late enough in the season to draw a good sample.

MATCHUP YPPO YPPD MARGIN
INDIANAPOLIS 6.5 7.1 -0.6
JACKSONVILLE 5.8 7.8 -2

As you can see when using division games the stats change drastically making the Colts look worse than their record and Jacksonville looks about right. Another thing to notice when going back is to pay attention to improvements. We all know Indy started out struggling and you can see improvements through out the season. I'm not going to go too deep here but this is a good way to look at all per play type stats, Yards per pass, yards per play,yards per point and yards per rush. That pretty much sums up the stats area, now let's take a quick look at scoring margins using division games only.

MATCHUP PF PA MARGIN
INDIANAPOLIS 26.5 27 0.5
JACKSONVILLE 18.8 23.8 5

So what kind of conclusion can we draw from all this? For starters I can tell you that 44 points seems like a low total, both teams allowing an average combined total of 50.8 points per division game and the yards per pass defense is a total average of 7.5. The league average score is 22 and the league average yards per pass is 6.5. Even though the offensive stats don't reflect that it is more important to look at defenses first when figuring totals. The reason is that an offense will do better against poor defenses. An above average offense may not score a lot against an above average defense.

So who is going to cover the spread? From the looks of it I can say that Indianapolis will probably win but not cover. Unfortunately there is not enough solid evidence for me to pick Indianapolis here, so the side in this game would be a pass.

The other stat we didn't look at is yards per point, the underrated stat that can really do all the work for you. In the next lesson I will discuss a deep analysis of yards per point. It is so strong that it will blow your mind. In part two of the method of K.I.S.S. we'll get into it. Then in the 3rd part I will get into basketball because that's what will be on tap after football.

College - Duke University

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is a premier private research college. Duke University's undergraduate and graduate programs are highly regarded. Duke is also especially well known for its research, especially in natural sciences and health. The university is divided into nine schools, in which the undergraduates would enroll in either Pratt School of Engineering or the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. The graduate and professional schools to attend are the Divinity School, the School of Law, Graduate School, the School of Nursing, School of Medicine, the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and the Fuqua School of business. Recently, 19,358 students applied to become part of the incoming undergraduate class of 2010. Of these students, 3778 were admitted.

Although Duke University was official founded in 1924, what is known today as Duke University started as Brown's Schoolhouse, a private subscription school founded in 1838 in Randolph County, North Carolina. The state legislature granted a rechartering of the academy as Normal College in 1851 and gained privilege of granting degrees in 1853. To keep the school operating, the trustees agreed to provide free education for Methodist preachers in return for the churches' financial support and in 1859 the name was changed to Trinity College. In 1892, Trinity opened in Durham, as it became more involving with research instead of recitation. It was in 1900 when Trinity College became the first white institution of higher education in the South to invite Booker T. Washington to speak and that same year graduated its first Native American student. Soon after, Trinity College had developed into one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the southern United States. When 1924 came around, Duke University was born out of the establishment of the Duke Endowment, which was a $40 million dollar trust fund. The university grew quickly and within the next 20 years it had such additions as the Medical School and hospital, the Religion and Graduate School, the School of Nursing, School of Forestry and the Law School.

Besides the universities fine academics, it has 26 varsity sport teams known as the Blue Devils. Within the 26 teams is the very successful men's basketball team under 25 years of coaching by Mike Krzyzewski. Their successes include becoming the only team to basketball three national championships since the tournament field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In addition to winning the championships, they have reached the "Final Four" of the tournament ten of the past twenty years. Many of the players of Duke have gone on to become basketball players of the National Basketball Association and make millions of dollars on top of that. In recent years, the women's golf team has also become dominant, winning three championships.

There are many great things to see at Duke University, such as the huge William R. Perkins Library or the Nasher Museum of Art. The indoor athletic games are held at the Cameron Indoor Stadium while the football games are played at Wallace Wade Stadium. Despite the recent controversies at Duke University involving the lacrosse team, Duke is a great university but is difficult to be admitted into without a doubt.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to College

Basketball - The "Mind Set" to Master Freethrow Shooting

In reference to free throw shooting, it is really ironic that in a way the 'mindset' in shooting efficiency is a lot similar to the 'mindset' in achieving goals in life. Shooting at goals and setting goals have a lot in common.

Understanding the 'mind' and its basketball in general is a very difficult chore. To 'control' the mind and to direct it towards materializing your wishes or desires is a major process and may even require some maturation.

What I hate about the 'mind' is that I can't understand my mind and all of its operations and capacities. My mind actually comprehends ME. What makes up my mind is ME, so I better be careful what enters my mind. You have heard the maxim by James Allen "As a man thinketh, so is he". Repeat that 100 times today.

The 'mind' and the brain are 2 separate entities. The 'Mind' collectively refers to the aspects of the intellect and consciousness manifested as combinations of thought, perception, memory, will, imagination and even basketball The 'mind' is a constant stream of consciousness.
All of the above aspects except emotion are involved in free-throw shooting. Actually I believe that emotion is involved to a certain extent in the process but it should not be since a ball does not recognize color, race, gender, age, height, or even emotions during the process of being shot. The mind includes all of the brain's conscious processes. The thought process of reason is another major factor of the 'mind'. Bear in mind though that becoming emotional during a shot can definitely affect the final result. Choking has emotional overtones and will be discussed in a future article.

Edgar Cayce once stated and this fits perfectly into the shooting mould,

"...if there is intense study of how the MIND is indeed the builder, it will see that what is held in the act of mental vision becomes reality in the material experience".

Mind thoughts fit into 2 categories:
1. Simulations of future scenarios using existing insights in the mind model in order to predict outcomes.
2. Analysis of past experience with the purpose of gaining insight for use within this model at a later date.
As you can see from the first category, we want a better future outcome (basketball shooting efficiency and consistency), by using insights, accumulated knowledge, and our reasoning ability to predict future outcomes for free throw shooting accuracy and 3 pointers as well. Actually your future predictions of excellence or even perfection from the charity stripe become foregone conclusions.

To further clarify the meaning of the 'mind' for the basketball world, it is safe to say it is synonymous with "thought". It is that private conversation that we carry on inside our skulls." This is how we in essence 'make up our minds', or 'change our minds' or more specifically tell ourselves what we need to do at the moment we shoot the ball, and this mainly relates to controlling bodily movement of the finer muscles responsible for accurate shooting (exact muscles will be covered in future Ebook). This is definitely a 'mind over matter' procedure and all of this has to take place within the blink of an eye.

'Thought' is a mental process whereby the 'mind' allows you to model or duplicate actions or movements of other shooters, etc, whether good or bad (muscle memory). The thinking process involves cerebral manipulation of information, as when one forms concepts, engages in problem solving, reasoning and/or making decisions. How long does it take you to figure out that you are a poor free throw shooter if you shoot around 70%, and how long before you recognize that you need to do something about it? Notice how your thought process is active but it all depends on what you do with that 'thought'.

Part of your consciousness is the quality of the mind that is responsible for self-awareness and the ability to perceive the relationship between yourself and your environment. Imagine yourself doing a jump shot, while being bumped from the side, body twisted, your left hand is off the ball which is resting on the right about to be released and you have an athletic 'post player' ready to block your seemingly difficult shot, and you must take into consideration all these elements while having to concentrate on all the factors on the shot release ( another chapter or article) and all this has to be done under one second. Oh, how I love the 'mind' and its incalculable capacity and how much we take it for granted.

Bruce Lee, the great martial artist who died very young at the peak of his career said this " Knowledge is not enough; we must apply, willing is not enough; we must do".

Knowledge without application of the new information is not knowledge. They must marry to be effective. I find that players reach their peak which is usually average and then they stagnate or plateau and never get better. They have the capacity to improve but unless they seek new knowledge and apply new principles ("Smartball Shooting System" by Ed Palubinskas, then mediocrity dominates.

Perfection in free throw shooting is attainable but it is very difficult to accomplish with just natural ability. Scientific principles and natural laws must be adhered to, combined with natural ability to achieve a superior level of shooting excellence.

It is common knowledge that humans in general operate at 7-10% of mental capacity. This means that we are leaving about 90% of our potential on the table. This is inconceivable to me and should be unacceptable by all mankind. If I was created in God's image, I wonder how He feels about me wasting any of the God given ability that He blessed me with. Could that be considered stealing? Scary thought, huh?

With this in 'mind' excuse the pun, I feel that mankind as a whole has great difficulty grasping the power that is inherent within the 'mind' because the mind's activity is manifested through physical form, specifically, a visual of the perfect follow through on a freethrow is something we can physically see, comprehend and measure like the follow through in relation to the ball's flight pattern and delivery route. Seeing is believing. One simple scientific concept is that the ball goes exactly where it is told. It responds just as well to correct energy control with deliberate educated distance and direction, or an at random uncalculated thrust in the direction of the basket.

According to my semi-scientific tests involving free-throw shooting of many teams of different ages and gender all over the world, I found that about 75-80% of shots are 'crooked' or 'off-center' with the middle of the rim. Shots can be 'off-center' and still go in but your chances are reduced. With this in 'mind' (every shot you shoot for the rest of your life) your thought should be on direction which I feel is more important than distance, because I believe most players know the distance to the basket. Test yourself on this. Go to the free throw line. Shoot 10 free throws with your eyes closed. I bet you hit the rim all 10 times. You may have made some, missed some, and add an air-ball or 2. The idea is that you did not shoot over the top of the backboard, shatter the glass or shoot short by 3 feet. If you have a decent shot you should make around 50% without vision. You will find that your missed shots will generally be crooked. So your distance is there but your direction is in jeopardy. And if you have the right things to concentrate on that guarantees straight shooting then there is no reason to miss free throws when you get your sight back. I can see... I can see! My best attempt with my eyes closed was just shot recently in October 2008 when I shot 87/100. This was a definite testimony to the alignment factor, because with eyes open I shoot 99% all the time and have done for over 25 years. No big deal at all once you master the scientific principles. Any good shooter can get to the mid nineties under 7 days using my secrets which are really natural laws that can't be compromised.

The brain which means "in the head" is a physical object and is the control center of the central nervous system which is responsible for harvesting thought' and gets impulses from the 'mind' and translates them to that physical reality through the senses and the nervous system.

What I am trying to say in a nut shell is that you should never, ever, ever, ever, ever think of making the basket. Your 'mind' should be on your mechanics, and once you realize that if you are not shooting 95-100% from the line, then you have mechanical problems and you need to desperately find out why you may be an average shooter. Then you will understand the beauty of being a "great" shooter. Just remember "SCIENCE RULES". Then seek the knowledge that you lack, gain strength, and apply your new mental power to the equation for excellence in free throw shooting.

Author- Ed Palubinskas is President of the National Basketball Shooters Association

http://www.nbsahoops.com He was a Junior College All American, Olympic world record scoring champion in 1976 Olympics and second leading scorer in 1972 Olympics. He has set Guinness world free throw records, and still shoots at 99% from the free throw line. His principles of perfect shooting are timeless and priceless when understood and mastered and anyone can duplicate these principles if they really want to.

For more details on accomplishments and career go to http://www.freethrowmaster.com where you can also order some of the shooting products. Ed Palubinskas