Basketball shooting technique

Hello guys, sorry for not posting a blog in a while, I've been extremely busy with exams and what not. Anyways, today I'm going to share with you techniques to getting a perfect shot. This will be all about developing that stroke that scouts and coaches look for.
There's 4 things that I'd like to talk about when it comes to shooting.

1.) Efficiency and Consistency
2.) Line of Precision
3.) Top follows bottom
4.) Mechanics

Effiency and Consistency:

Re-create exact matches. I'm a firm believer in what can be done once can be done again and again. Basically if you can hit a shot from one spot, if you create the exact same form you should be able to hit that shot very very often. Being consistent will help your shot A LOT and you'll be able to sink those late game jumpers you need to win.

Making sure you don't alter your form when you're under fatigue. You have to be ready when it counts in the fourth quarter. If your form is different each time you shoot, imagine late when the fatigue gets on you. You don't use your legs and your form gets back which throws off your shot.


Line of Precision:

The most efficient direct flow of power from ground into the ball.
Every single shot has to use the mechanics that create a line of precision. When it's broken you lose power, range and speed. Overall it becomes weaker.

Straight line from your feet (same side foot as your shooting arm)

TOP FOLLOWS BOTTOM
1.) Hips follow feet
2.) Shoulder follows hips
3.) Arm follows shoulders
4.) Hand follows elbow
5.) Ball follows hands

If one thing is off it upsets the entire chain. You need to get each joint in the chain perfect. It ALL starts with the feet.

1.) Feet - BIGGEST MISTAKE: Not squaring your feet

1a)Made your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly inside
1b) Balls of feet, balanced.
1c) 1 foot slightly in front
1d) All ten toes to the hoop.

2.) Knees

Overtop of your feet
Develop a straight line of power

3.) Hips

They follow your feet
Square them to the hoop
Shoulders follow hips
DO NOT TURN YOUR HIPS IN THE AIR.

4.) Shoulders

Follow hips
Squared to hoop
Ball momentum is brought to where the shoulers turn
Squared Shoulders is equal to a straight ball path!

5.) Elbow

Roughly 90 degree shooting pocket
SQUARE IT.
Make sure it's a straight line of precision it won't be perfect though.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, make sure the ball isn't too tight to your hand and be comfortable with it. Confidence is key.

I know I emphasized squaring a lot, but it is probably THE most important thing when it comes to shooting.

Hockey - Stick Handeling Video # 1

Me and My friend Cole were just dickin'around this weekend and decided to make a quick video so here it is, just to show you some footage. This is the shortest video we will be making, but its just an introduction to the  videos we'll make. Im the thicker shorter one (180, 5'10) Cole is the taller lankier one (150 6'0) Before you play just remember, this is my second year, and the amazing Cole has been playing his whole life. He's AAA by the way.

Hope you enjoyed
-Justin

NRG Fitness

What NRG Fitness Is


NRG Fitness is a diverse fitness center to make you a better hockey player. They work on specific muscles to get you that much better. It works on a skating treadmill, your cardio/running/speed, your muscles/strength, and your skills! It runs out of Winnipeg Manitoba, and is a really good thing to go to if you want to become more developed, and a better hockey player.






Why Im Going To NRG


If you haven't already read my previous blogs, I am a kid that just started hockey last year, and am developing un humanly. I am playing the second highest level (AA) on my second year playing! This year I am going hard this summer with a goal in mind to make the highest level (AAA) I am going hard. I am going to NRG become it works on your speed, skating, skill, and strength. Pretty much everything for only 500 dollars a month. I am going for 2 months this summer. It is 6 times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday is all strength and weight workouts. Tuesday, and Thursday is on ice. While Sunday is strait cardio, Saturday of course is the day off.




Skating Tredmill 

The skating treadmill is a treadmill that you skate on. Impossible right? WRONG. It is a Multi-Milliondollar machine consisting of skatable material that runs the way a regular treadmill would. Check the video below to get what I'm talking about.

The Skating Tredmill with help me with my overall skating! From Cross overs, to my stride, all the way to agility, and acceleration. I am looking forward to this!




Cardio - Sundays


Every Sunday is hard intense cardio. We run to a foot ball field, and run and run and run. We'll be working on the ladder for our fast feet, sprints for our overall speed, and cardio just to trim fat, and overall health. Sundays will definitely be one of the harder days.

Weight/Strength Training - Monday Wednesday and Friday

I am already pretty thick, but the weights, and strength excersies they do are not normal. They are so hard! If you don't think you can do something, the trainers make you believe you can, and you can do more than ever expected! They just don't do curls for the girls, they do everything there, and especailly muscles and compound exercises that help you with your hockey directed muscles. Such as squats, and deadlifts!

On Ice Training -  Tuesday Thursday

Last year I heard NRG was a lot of bag skating, and sprint skating. This year they are going for more of a skill approach. There is a lot of skill handling, and shooting drills. I love hitting the ice, and this ice time is helping me develop a lot faster than I would playing street hockey, or just stick handling at home. The on Ice Runs out of Canlan Ice Sports

 

Final Words

Personally I really suggest for all you players that have an NRG Fitness near you, go to it, work it, and work hard. You get what you put into it. I am still going to workout at home, and work on skills at home. Please don't think I am spoiled because my parents arent spending there money on this. I saved up money on my own. Also, I got where I am right now with just working out at home. So working out at home combined with NRG Fitness, I really hope can make me meet my goal of AAA

-Justin

Basketball blog :)

This isn't going to be a particularly long blog due to the fact that I haven't gotten much practice in lately because of highjump, but I want to write to let you guys know that I'm still here :). Justin should be making a nice blog tomorrow as I know he's been practicing hard lately.

Basically the only practice I've gotten lately has been shooting around, no scrimmages or anything. Mostly form shooting infact. (Also, I know this has NOTHING to do with Basketball, but I got accepted into Law class at my school next year! It might cut down the basketball a bit though, owell)

Alright so anyways, I guess I'll just post some important things you need to know if you're planning to be good, or improve at basketball. First of all, basketball is about 90% mental. I know players who aren't very good, but can score. Why? Well they're not scared to take it to the rim, that's the problem with most players now a days, including myself, we're scared to take it to the rim. Sure you can have all these fancy crossovers, you can have a sick jump shot but what does it matter if you're to scared to shoot. Confidence is KEY. Another thing most people forget is their shot, they see like Derrick Rose and all the great point guards getting in the lane and scoring at will. But I'm a firm believer that if you can shoot, you can play basketball. If you can consistently hit a shot from anywhere on the court, you can score. Another thing when you want to improve would be your speed. If you're a bigger guy on the slower side you definitely want to do some resistance training and improve upon your speed. Even the smaller guys could always get faster, imagine taking your defender off the dribble EVERY single time. Another thing would be strength. I know some pretty small guys who can get in the lane very consistently because of the fact that they're so strong.  I'd definitely recommend that if you're small, gain strength. A lot of it. Another thing that is of great benefit would be your vertical, I've seen people score 15+ per game just off of put backs. I think the main workout you should be doing if you want to be successful would be something like this:

First I would say that you should definitely warm up. Get your muscles ready, and stretch. Streching is SO important, and most people overlook this. Flexibility is a key thing when you want to be good at basketball. I would say using a foam roller would be a fantastic choice. I have a video posted above. Anyways, after that I'd say getting your shot going with some form shooting followed by about 10-20 shots from about 10 different spots on the court would be good. Do some dribbling drills, 1 and 2 balls whatever your comfort level is, followed by a workout. Most coaches do drills and drills and they don't realize that players need IN GAME experience. I'm a strong believer in scrimmages, so I think that you should scrimmage and I also believe you should ALWAYS track your progress. I know it helps me a ton to know that I AM improving even if it's only bit by bit.

Anyways, I'm running out of things to say, so I'll just end it here. Getting pretty tired as well, thanks so much for following and commenting on our blogs, it means so much. Justin should be posting a blog tomorrow.

-Riley

National Floorball Tourney!

Floorball is a new sport created in 1970 in Europe, to try an combined hockey, and a few other sports. It is basically floor hockey mixed with soccer, and a little bit of lacrosse. You use a whiffle ball, and a stick. The stick isn't very tall, it is also very light. The sport is like lacrosse because if you are good enough you can scoop the ball up, and do cool tricks with it. Anyways the basic rules are very similar to hockey, 5 players and a goalie on each team. Objective is too score. So basically floor hockey, with a European twist.

I haven't heard of this sport since a couple months back. I was very interested, so I wanted to play. I looked for a team, and found st.james floor ball club. I made the team, and we went to represent our province, and basically western Canada in the Canada Cup. A nation floor ball Tournament. This is where the best in the world come to compete. It was only my first time ever playing floor ball, but I was confident.


This is a picture of me in the tournament.

This is me Dangling the oppenent at the Canada Cup. 

The tournament wasn't a huge success for the team, but a minor success for me and a couple other team mates. I finished off with about 15 points, my other teammates Chase Harrison, and Cole McCartan finished with a large sum of points too! Floorball is an amazing sport, search it up on the internet and find out more about it. I just started and turned out to be one of the best. 

Yet another basketball blog!

PLEASE READ THE WHOLE POST BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO. thanks


Holy crap, did you guys see the game the other day? Down by 15 with 6 minutes left and the Mavericks just started giving it to them, Dirk Nowitzki is definitely having one of his best seasons ever! And he had such a clutch play at the end of the game, Bosh got messed... Wade almost hit that buzzer beater though, thank god he didn't.

Alright anyways, I haven't really gotten to play ball much, and I slept through my game this morning -_-, so I'm just going to write down a list of things that you should do to increase your vertical.

There are a whole bunch of things that are factors, or rather "faucets" of increasing your vertical..

1st: Strength
2nd: Speed
3rd: Flexibility

For me, these three are the main things you need in order to increase your vertical. The basic things are the faster you are, the more propulsion you're going to get, or rather, the higher you'll jump. If you're stronger, your muscles will be able to push you higher, and last of all, if you're flexible your body is able to use more muscles to jump. Rest is very important in increasing your vertical, most people just go to the gym and work out their legs everyday, that's a very bad idea. You need to balance it out, such as working on strength, then maybe speed the next day with resistance training, and then take a days rest and repeat. I would suggest stretching 2-5 times per day extensively. People are also forgetting the approach. Your approach is a great deal as to how high you can jump. This video above explains it pretty well in my opinion. I'm going to keep this basic, but for exercises I would focus on your core (VERY important), doing squats, deadlifts, and depth jumps/calf raises. Those 4 exercises are four of my favourites, and I believe they've helped my vertical out.

Thanks for reading and following my blog you guys,
also we have reached over 100 followers! Woo! :),

-Riley

Not much, but basketball.

Sorry guys, it's been a while since I've posted a blog. I've been a little busy. Anyways! 2nd round of the Heat and Mavericks tonight! Who do you guys want to win the series? I want Dallas to win, but I think Miami will take it. :S. Okay anyways, back to personal basketball things!

I haven't gotten to practice much as of late because my knees are really bad, but I can definitely feel my shot improving a lot, and my step back improving a lot. I'm not the fastest person, but I'm pretty fast. As of late, I'm thinking the thing I need the most is to increase the speed of my crossovers. If you look up Austin Rivers on youtube you'll see. His shot isn't the greatest, and he's not super fast. But goddamn.. He has crazy fast crossovers! It's always good to have a good shot though, and personally I'm one to believe that peoples' shooting is the most important thing in all of basketball, but now that I have a pretty consistent shot, I'm thinking speed on my crossovers should be top priority. Anyone know of any ways to increase the speed of my crossovers? I was thinking of just setting up cones and doing basic moves at each cone first at maximum speed until I master it, and then moving onto more difficult things. :O, Help me out here guys!

Alright! Anyways, yesterday I got to play a little ball and I went to the ymca. It was pretty packed though so I didn't get much shots up, played a couple games of 4on4 and played decent but whatever. I got friggin' tackled though and got a crazy charlie horse. Still hurts :(. Anyways, I won't have any basketball blogs to post for maybe another week or so, I'll still blog. But I have provincial high jump coming up so I won't be able to play basketball very much as I have to make icing my legs, and practicing top priority. Thank you for all the support guys, we've reached 95 followers and I never though this would happen. Thanks

-Riley

Canucks vrs Bruins

As most of you know, there is a national hockey league called the NHL. The national hockey league has around 82 season games, then play offs, where the teams that did the best in the season square off to battle for the prize called the stanely cup! This year teams fought hard, and now the Boston Bruins, are facing the Vancouver Canucks for the Cup!

The first game was yesterday, it was close, but the Canucks manage to score with 19 seconds left to claim victory.

My personal belief is that the Canucks will sweep the Bruins 4 game to 0. The series is out of 7 by the way. I will keep you posted, and tell you updates from the other games, and my opinions.

Look at my other blogs if you want to see some more hockey! Also, my friend Riley does blogs on this channel about Basketball!

-Justin

Muscles for Hockey.

Im going to catergorize the muscles into groups. Upper Body, Core, and Legs. In those groups I'll explain muscles and what they do for hockey.

Upper Body

Chest
- The chest, or known as pecs are amazing for your overall upper body stability, and muscle mass. This will help your balance, and hitting. The chest is a great muscle, similar to the shoulders for usage in hockey.

Shoulders
- Most hockey players end up with weak shoulders. The shoulder muscle is good for overall upper body stability.  It will help you with hitting, stick handling, and winning battles. The shoulder is an overall good hockey muscle.

Biceps
- Biceps are not that important when it comes to hockey, they are good for stick lifts, and maybe if you get into a fight, to help you with your upper cut, or left hook. Honestly the bicep is just for show. You know what they say "curls for the girls". So when it comes to hockey, don't focus on this muscle.

Triceps
- Triceps are not very helpful, kind of similar to the bicep. They look great at the beach, but honestly you'll probably only use your tri's a little bit in your shot, and when fighting. Don't focus on this muscle.



Core

Back
- Your back is one of the most important muscles when it comes to hockey. All the way from shooting, all the way to fighting, and hitting. EVERYTHING. Any pulling, or moving, pretty much anything requires strength from your back. Focus on this muscle, it will help you a tremendous amount. This muscle also helps with your skating, almost all the starting power starts from your core.

Abs
- The abdominal muscles are amazing when it comes to hockey. The abs are pretty similar to the back when it comes to hockey. They help out with balance, a little bit of everything, and your overall endurance. This muslce also helps with your skating, almost all the starting power starts from your core.

Hip Flexors
- The hip flexor muscle is really helpful for turning, balance, and your overall stride. This muscle is amazing when it comes to skating!



Legs

Calfs
- The legs are very important because legs are the base for a good skater. The calfs happen to be the least important leg muscle. All the calf really helps with is your extension on your stride. It gives you that little extra umph! because the stronger the calf, the harder the toe snap, the quicker you are.

Quads
- Quads are definitely the most important leg muscle. Most of the power comes from your quads for your stride. A good strong quad, give you speed, agility, and even a nice hard shot, and balance. This is a great muscle to work.

Hamstrings
- Hamstrings are very similar to quads when it comes to hockey. It helps with agility, speed, power, pretty much everything, but just not as much at the quads. A great, muscle to work on though.



Hope you enjoyed my blog on my opinions on hockey, and which muscles to workon, and why. Here are the 3 best compound workouts you can do to make you the best at hockey you possible can be.




The best compound workouts to workout all of these are :
Deadlifts,
Benchpress,
Squats,

-Justin Penner