Moves on the Move

It is far too often that we hear players tell their coaches, “Coach, I really worked on my game this off-season. I spent six hours in the gym every day!” My reaction to this is always the same. If you were working as hard as you can, maximizing each second you were in the gym, there is no way you should have been there for six hours. I am confident I can speak for coaches everywhere when I say that we prefer “quality” over “quantity.” The player who works as hard and as efficient as possible for 1-2 hours will improve more than a player who idles around the gym, coasting through drills for hours on end. Remember, it is not how long you are in the gym, but what you do while you are there. Our Moves on the Move series is a perfect example of a drill that maximizes your time spent in the gym. As seen in the video demonstration, you will be working on ball handling constantly in this drill. Even after you score, you will be performing game moves, with a sense of urgency, while returning to your starting position. There is no rest period in this series. Don’t get me wrong. The game of basketball is played in bursts with short breaks in between. There are breaks for the ball going out of bounds, timeouts, foul shots, etc. However, there are also many sequences of unbroken action that may go on for minutes before a stoppage of the clock. One way to simulate the stoppage of time in your training is to shoot foul shots between each drill. It forces you to focus and make shots when you are tired, but also allows you the brief rest period that is similar to in-game scenarios. For the most realistic simulation of game-situations you should go through this series for 2-3 minutes performing single moves, and then shoot two foul shots. Next you should perform double moves for 2-3 minutes, once again followed by two foul shots. If performed with maximum effort you should be fatigued when going to the foul line. Take your time, focus on the importance of the free throws, and make your two shots.