43Drills

The 1-4 offense tends to “flatten” the defense, and with the empty space under the basket, is ideal for back-cuts to the hoop, especially from the wing. In fact, when we are on defense and see this set, we expect underneath cuts. This offense also is effective against teams that over-play (deny) the pass to the wing (which makes them more vulnerable to the back-cut).

You can imagine some simple things, like O1 passing to a high post player, and then the wings O3 and O2 back-cutting to the hoop for the pass from the high post. Or the pass could go to a wing, and the near post screens away for the opposite post, who then cuts to the hoop for the pass from the wing.

1-4 Stack, Post-Point Pick ‘n Roll, “41″

This play uses a simple high post screen for the point guard, and then the seal and roll by the screener . The same side wing (O2) slides deep into the corner to clear his/her defender out. This makes the wing O2 available for a “kick-out” pass to the corner for the outside shot (3-point shot).

High-Post Pick-and-Roll, “45″

This is a simple high post pick and roll play where the pass goes to the player rolling off the screen. O1 is at the point, O2, O3,O4 and O5 stack across, at the free-throw line extended .

O1 calls the play and starts to dribble to the right to clear a passing lane. A jab step to the right or a pass fake to the right might work as well. Or O1 could pass to O2, and O2 to can make the pass inside. O4 sets a pick for O5 and seals the X5 defender .

O5 cuts around the pick. O4’s defender (X4) will probably switch and go with O5 on the cut. O5 takes the X4 defender with him to the baseline (out of the way and out of the paint). O4 now has inside position on the X5 defender and cuts to the hoop, for the lob pass from O1.

Three Point Shooting Is Essential in this days Basketball Battle, but have we gotten a little
carried away with living behind the arch? Would it be more effective to take a shot
10 feet from the basket or closer? I have detailed what I believe is good, and bad about
3 point shooting. Knowing how and when the 3 point shot Is most effective is crucial to
your basketball success.

I don’t know how you feel about 3 point shooting but I think it stinks.

And here’s why-

Let’s first look at what 3’s can do, and why they are effective.

How can they benefit you and your team.

1. For starters- you get an extra point.

2. When you make a 3, it helps build momentum, the crowd gets excited, your teammates
get excited.

3. It’s a great way to get back into a game fast if your in a hole.

4. It helps spread the court, there are more driving lanes, driving angles, and it allows for
more room to operate in the paint.

5.It keeps defenders honest, if your a good 3 point shooter, your defender will be very
reluctant to leave you to double team some one else or be a help defender.

6.It’s a confidence builder, as I stated in the 2nd benefit, it helps get the crowd involved
but also builds the confidence of the player that made the 3.

Those are all great benefits that come from making 3’s

And there are probably a lot more.

But here’s what most coaches and basketball players don’t understand.

1. 3 point shoots obviously have a lower made percentage

2. There are very few players that could really be considered great or good 3 point shooter’s.

3. It takes away from other areas that players are much better at- example- Dwane Wade
settling for a 3 pointer instead of driving to the basket, I don’t know about you, but If I’m
the head coach of the Miami heat I much rather see wade drive to the hole then shoot a 3

4. Shooting 3’s completely change the pace and time of a game.

When you shoot 3′S there are less fouls called.

Less fouls called lead to less time to rest.

Less time to rest means faster fatigue.

Faster fatigue means MORE mental and physical mistakes.

More mental and physical mistakes means more chances and easy opportunities your
opponents have to score and capitalize on your mistakes.

When you shoot three’s, it increases the other team’s fast break opportunities- long
rebounds, which gives them more chances to score when you and your team is not
prepared or in position.

It also helps your opponents fast break opportunities because most of the time the
player that is guarding the shooter that shot the three will leak out in front and very often
you see that player that was guarding the shooter get a wide open lay up on a fast
break due to not getting back quick enough.

And, in most cases, when 3’s are being shot, weak side help and rotation is average
at best, meaning here are less chances of offensive rebounding.

When you drive to the basket, the defense rotates, in most cases, leaving a small
player trying to box out a forward or a center, if there is any rotation at all.

So by driving the ball you also dramatically improve the chances of offensive rebounds
for your team.

The Sixers use to live of the offensive boards anytime Allen Iverson drove to the basket.

Shooting 3’s, and more importantly, making 3’s are very effective and beneficial, just as
long as you use it to your advantage and understand the pros and cons of them.

It can be one of your biggest assets and could help win a lot of games- Phoenix Suns-
but it could very well be one of the major roles played in your team’s destruction and
source of underachievement.

If your a good shooter, and your open, and feel confident enough to not just take the shot,
but make it then by all means:

SHOOT THE BALL AND MAKE IT.

But if your strongest aspect of the game is driving to the basket, or shooting 15 footers,
then by all means, take it to the whole with confidence and purpose, make the other team
guard you.

They will fatigue faster, you will build game winning momentum and dictate the Pace of the
game, you will draw More fouls and create more opportunities for your teammates while
giving your team a great chance of winning the ball game.

One thing to think about:

When you shoot the ball, do you expect to shoot it, or do you expect to make it?

Most players just expect to shoot IT, the great ones expect to make it, and will settle for
nothing less.

One of the worst things you can do when it come to achieving your Basketball goals is failing to Set them and knowing exactly what you want. Let me explain:

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SYTEMIZED, Over Proven BLUEPRINT for setting your goals and allowing yourself to achieve them, you are dead in the water (I mean It!)
Keep this in mind… “Failing to plan is planning to Fail” Read That Again:
“Failing to plan is planning to Fail.” Do you Understand what that means?

It means if you do not have a plan, you’re going to fail! You should, and must have a plan for your workouts, your goals, getting exposure, developing your game, and an action plan. If you don’t have ALL of these, you are making a huge deadly mistake!

Let’s get something straight, this is really important so stop what you’re doing and pay attention!
You have to Dress and act the part that you want, not the part that you have! Read That Again:
You have to Dress and act the part that you want, not the part that you have! If you want to become ALL-STAR baller in the pros, you have to dress and act like one…

Well Rali, how do I do that? I’m Glad you asked. You see, All-STAR ballers in the pros don’t let things like relationships; family, Friends, and obstacles get in their way… They do not let all these little things get in the way of their Dream, and that is what makes them amazing!

Here are some things that ALL-STAR Ballers Do:

-They dedicate their whole life to basketball

-They commit themselves to the game.

-They sacrifice certain things like hanging out with friends, significant others, family members to practice and focus on their game.

- They practice when they are tired and feeling lazy.

-They eat proper nutrition, get plenty of sleep and do not poison their body with things like alcohol and drugs.

-They will do whatever it takes to be the best… No matter what!

-They believe that they can be the best, no matter how good or great the competition is!

And the list goes on and on…

Do you get my drift? These are just a few of the things that you are going to have to start doing right now if you even want to think about being an NBA-All-star.

Here’s what I want you do right NOW! Not in five minutes after you eat, or not in 2 minutes after you get done reading this. Go get a piece of paper and something to write with… You got it? Good, let’s continue.

I want you to title the piece of paper: “What I will do To Achieve My Basketball Goals” Then I want you to write down your basketball goals, very detailed, where you want to play, what position, how many points, assists, boards you will average.
Exactly what you want to achieve as precise as you can get. How many games will you win? Championships etc…

Right underneath your goals I want you to write down all the things you are going to do to achieve those goals.
Just like all the things The NBA ALL-STARS do. Write down all the things that you think another baller that failed to achieve their goals would not do (this is powerful) If you do all the things that basketball failures would not do, you’re going to be in great shape. If you think this exercise is silly, Don’t! This is exactly what
I do with Some of the amazing pro ballers I work with, and it works.

The last part of this Exercise is to put this up where ever you spend the most time at, your kitchen, room, computer desk, car, etc…
Where ever your going to see it the most, the better. This will allow you to keep your head focused and remember what your goals are
and all the things that you are committed to doing to achieve those goals.

Last week I sent you How to get massive basketball exposure
pt. 1, if you did not get it, it is copied at the end of this
email… we went over some crucial points to discover what teams, and schools
would die to have you playing for them.

This week we are going to go over the Step-by-step process
of getting your named spread like wild fire to 1,000’s of
coaches, teams and great contacts…

Moving on.

One of the deadliest mistakes I see ballers doing, is sitting back
thinking that coaches and teams are going to find them…

Good Luck with that one!

You must, and I mean you must contact and develop relationships with
coaches and teams RIGHT NOW!

Even if that team or school is not one you want to go play for… Just having the contact is worth and could save your career… Here are some easy, effective ways to get in touch with coaches and teams. Simply email them, call them, or send them a letter or footage of your game.

One thing you have to understand is that these teams and coaches need you
as much as you need them, and they would love if they didn’t have to go flying around the country looking for players… so you are saving them allot of headaches, and long flights, that I am sure they would much rather spend coaching basketball or spending time with their family.

And as i showed you in part.1, you will be contacting the teams, and coaches that are looking for you… and what you have to offer.

Now when you contact them, don’t just say,- hello my name is ****
and I want to come play for you. They here this all day…

Instead, be more personal, do some research on the coach, his team, records
stats, and history.

They will just simply melt if you know some things they might not even have known about their team, it also shows that you are a student of the game, and not just another baller that thinks he is the best in the world.

==Pro Secret==

And also tell them, that you were wondering if they might be interested in you, but if they weren’t, could they reefer some other coaches or pass you information along to someone that would be able to help you and might be interested in your game…

Just by saying that, you can get your name out to 1,000’s of coaches literally over night, they will be more then happy sending your name and info to a good friend of there’s or a team they they know you have a shot at, It’s like having your own PRO Recruiter working for you for free..

I know a bunch of ballers that have used this tip to get tot he Division-1 level, Steve Nash as a matter of fact… Remember, there are allot of ballers out there that believe they can get to the next level, just like you, they are hungry, eager and determined.

But you can’t always just play harder, you have to play smarter too! Get out there right now and be pro active and watch all the great things that will happen.

Rock On!

Your Coach,

Rali Todd

www.GoBasketballPro.com

How do you get massive exposure and get some of the top
college and pro recruits beating down your door and Filling
your mailbox full of scholarships and contracts?

Great question. And It’s not as hard as you think!

I have always said and believed that the Greatest basketball
player in the world will do nothing unless the right people, and I mean the right people know of him.

You see,one of the most important aspects of basketball
( exposure) has been completely neglected for centuries…

THEY ALWAYS SAY JUST GO play on a Travel Team and you will
get noticed…

you have a better shot at making a full court,
behind the back, with a blind fold shoot!

While travel teams will help, most of the scouts that
attend the games already have an idea of who they are looking for,
most of the time they are there because t hey know one or two
of the players and are just checking up on how there ” merchandise”
is doing.

I have a better, more productive way of getting massive exposure
and having your name spreading like wild fire to thousands of
coaches, scouts and teams.

Don’t believe me?
See what this baller had to say:

First A College Scholarship and Now a Pro Contract!

“Hey Rali,

I just wanted to say Thank you so much for Introducing
me to the Go Basketball Pro System and allowing for my
basketball Dreams To come True.

You First helped me get a Division 1 College Basketball
Scholarship to TCU which I can Not Thank you Enough. But
now You have Helped me Get A Pro Contact Over In Brazil.

Again Thank you so much….

Your basketball system is so pro found and effective I
can NOT BELIEVE you have even Shared the secrets you posse
and allow it to be so easy to get your remarkable system.

I know that I am well on my way to getting in the NBA and
to be honest I owe it all to you.

Without your knowledge and expertise I would Just Be
another regular average Basketball Player.

Hope you are having great success, I will see you in A
few Months when I Come back down to Miami.

Judson Stubbs
Professional Basketball Player
Former Division 1 All star

Amazing Isn’t it!

This baller came form a No NAME Community College down in
Miami, and I helped Him get a D-1 Scholarship To TCU, and
then I Got him a Pro Contract Over In Brazil…

Now I know Brazil is not the NBA, But he is playing pro ball
and getting paid for something he loves…

Plus,now he has an opportunity to get his name out there
and Participate In NBA Workouts…

I know what your next question Is….

How Did I Do It? Whats my secret?

You Want to Know My secret?

Okay Here it is….

One of the easiest, but most effective ways you can get
scouts and recruits Knowing of you and attending all your
games is by contacting them…

That’s’ Right, contacting them.

But there is a system you have to follow…

Here is the system: First you have to really know what your game
is like, what you do great and what you do horrible…

What is your niche…
Ask your coach, other coaches, teammates, parents, get
as much info as you cane…

Then you need to do some research…

Go on the Web at start looking at different schools and teams, see what there roster is like, and see all the years the
players have been there…

This is a great way for you to secretively find out what
that team is looking for, and what they are interested in…

let’s use an example…

If you are a point guard, that is small, but has a lot of skills

like you can really shoot the ball, dribble under control and pressure
and have a low turnover to assist ratio, and you find a team
where their starting point guard is in his last year, and they
had a high average of turnovers last year, and their reserve point guard
isn’t all that good…

Then you found a Goldmine…

You are exactly what that team needs and is looking for!

But now if that team has three guards, that were High school
All Americans, and none of them are higher then sophomores..

Then you better move on… they already have your spot filled!

This is what I call being Pro Active… It is the difference between
PLAYING HARD AN PLAYING SMART…

It is also the difference between most of the players that get scholarships, and most of the ones that end up Sitting at home,
watching ESPN…

So now you know that that team need someone like you,
now you can begin contacting them.

Stay tuned for Part 2 Of this Course which
Will Be Next Week.

Start researching some teams, and start asking coaches,
trainers, players and parents what they think of you game
so you can get progress report
to use when researching those teams..

Your Coach
Rali Todd
www.GoBasketballPro.com

One very important aspect about any sport, not just basketball is continual growth and development.

When you are not growing you are doing the opposite… Dying!

Successful basketball players and those who aren’t achieving their dreams are different.

And most of the time it has nothing to do with ability or talent. Ask yourself a simple question?

Do you think there is some baller out there that is way better then some guys in the league, but he is stuck somewhere working at a food restaurant or something?

I know of at least a dozen of them!

But why is this so?

Did they make a bad decision, made a wrong move, or didn’t play their cards right?

All of these could be true, but from what I have found, these are not the main causes. The main cause of basketball failure is a lack of growth!

What kind of growth? Personal growth.

As I stated earlier, if you are not growing, you are doing the opposite of growing.

You see successful, dominate ballers have formed habits of doing things they do not like doing.

Let’s read that again.

You see successful, dominate ballers have formed habits of doing things they do not like doing.

Everyone has the bad habit of being lazy, even successful basketball players. But successful ballers have formed the habit of doing the things that will benefit them even when they are feeling lazy.

Successful ballers focus solely on results, and unsuccessful ballers focus solely on the process of those results.

Here is an example:

A baller who has formed the habit of doing things even when they do not want to, and focuses just on the results will go wake up at 6 in the mourning and work on their game with the intention of playing pro basketball.

The result (playing pro basketball) is the fuel and drive they use to achieve their dreams or goal.

A unsuccessful basketball player will not get up at 6 in the mourning and will look at the process of becoming a pro baller, (competition, chances, odds, how, obstacles, lack of resources, commitment etc…)

And hence they will never get tot their goal, because their goal seems to be a hill they can not climb, it’s too hard, too many things to do.

They actually prevent them selves from achieving their goal!

Here is something that you can do right now and for the rest of your life to ensure basketball growth.

Everyday when you wake up, or even the night before, take out apiece of paper and write down one thing that you do not want to do, but if you did would move your life, and development forward.

Then write down the benefits of completing that task (again focus on the results). By focusing on the result you will take the necessary action to get the job done.

If you were to do this everyday for the rest of your life, your results will be amazing, and you will accomplish some of the biggest goals that you thought were nothing but a dream.

Try this for the next 4 weeks and watch=h as your game, life and everything around it becomes magical!

With all the new talent, changing of the game, transformation of the play, there is still one vital aspect that most basketball players completely miss the boat on. Think to yourself what one of the most important aspects of the game is and how can you get better at it. What is one thing that you can do that will improve your defense, ball handling, shooting, rebounding and also improve injury prevention?

The answer, bending your knees!

That’s right, getting lower to the ground. If you do not believe me I want you to try a few things.

Right now I want you to stand up and put your feet together. Next I want you to try to jump with out bending your knees. Most likely you tried it but you still bent your knees. So this time I want you to really try and jump with out bending your knees. If you did it correctly you would find that it is nearly impossible to perform a jump without bending your knees. So what does this mean? Well I will get to that in a second. The next one I want you to try is a defensive slide. I want you to try to slide across your room or wherever you are without bending your knees. Again, if you performed it correctly you will find that it is impossible to do effectively. Now I want you to go back to the first one and bend your knees. So now I want you to bend your knees and jump. You will find that not only did you jump significantly higher but it was also a lot easier and more effective. Now try the same with the defensive slide. Again, you would have found that you can slide laterally a lot easier and effective with your knees bent!

So what’s the point?

The point is that almost every basketball player plays with their legs straight and knees not bent. This plays a major role in all aspects of the game. Because as you demonstrated that it is almost impossible to move and jump with your legs straight. So what does your body do? It does it for you. Let’s look at an example:

Let’s say that you are coming off a screen preparing to catch the ball and shoot but you are playing tall, and not bending your knees. When you catch the ball you will have to dip down (bend your knees) in order for you to jump and shoot the ball. This will take slightly longer that if you already had your knees bent and did not have to dip down to shoot the ball. It may not seem like a big difference, but in the game it could be the difference to someone blocking your shoot and you getting your shoot off faster.

Another great example would be rebounding.

If you are under the basket preparing to rebound a missed shot with your legs straight, you will again have to dip down and bend your knees in order to jump. But if you already had your knees bent you would just simply have to jump straight up while your opponent had to take the time to bend their knees and then jump. Again, this might only be half of a second, but that is all it takes to grab a rebound.

So do you see how important it is to bend your knees and stay low? That’s why almost all shorter players are faster than taller players. Their center of gravity is lower to the ground which provides them with an advantage.

So how do we correct this problem?

Well besides consciously trying to remind yourself to bend your knees all the time, it is all a form of muscle memory. You have to train your body and the muscles that are most used in this position (your gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves) I will tell you that this position hurts and most players are very uncomfortable in this position because it is painful. But if you are truly seeking ways to improve your game you should be willing to do whatever it takes to get better.

Here are two drills that I have found that are the most effective in training this position and the muscles that are used.

1. Two ball pounding

Start off with your legs wider than your shoulders. Squat down bending at your knees and not your back. Get two basketballs and try to dribble both of them in between your legs at the same time. Your focus should be at pounding the balls into the ground and staying low. After about 20 seconds this drill will start to hurt but push yourself as much as you.
Try to perform three to six sets of at least 45 seconds of duration.

2. Squat explosive lay ups

Start of right under the basket with a basketball, legs wider than your shoulders. Hold the basketball with your arms straight down by your knees. Squat down bending at the knees and not your back and touch the ball to the ground, as soon as the ball touches the ground explode up and lay the ball up. Perform ten lay-ups in a row and then switch sides. Your focus should be to explode up while keeping your back straight. Perform two to three sets on each side of 10 made lay-ups.

Staying low is one of the most important aspects of basketball and you should focus on bending your knees and keeping your back straight. If you can train your body to stay in this position you will have a huge advantage over your competition.

Yours in hoops,
Rali Todd
Basketball performance coach
http://www.GoBasketballPro.com
Remember Training hurts…. Sitting on the bench hurts more!

We hear it all the time, that player has a quick release, or man that baller shoots the ball fast. But, is it really as it may seem, do some players shoot the ball faster then others? From what I have seen and studied, no!

The difference between someone having a quick release and someone that takes more time to shoot is what they do before they catch the ball that makes the difference. The quickness of your release is not what you do when you catch the ball; it is what you do before you catch the ball. You see, if you do the things that you are suppose to before you catch the ball then you will be one step ahead of the game. Then, when you catch the ball, all you will have to do is simply shoot it.

In the NBA they call this the 2 second shoot drill. Meaning that you have to get you shoot off in 2 seconds or less from the time you receive the ball.

They also call this ready on the catch.

Let’s look at the keys to the 2 second shoot drill.

1. Have your knees bent.

2. All ten fingers facing towards the ceiling

3. shooting foot back

If you look at the picture above you will see all three aspects of the being ready on the catch being performed.

He has his knees bent which allow him to go straight up with his shoot as oppose to catching the ball then bending his knees then shooting. Basketball is a game that should be played low to high, not high to low.

The next component to being ready on the catch is to have your shooting foot back. This enables for you to get into rhythm of your shoot. It is very hard to have any rhythm when both of your feet are parallel with each other. When your shooting foot is back you can then step into your shoot when the ball is on its way, giving you rhythm and momentum to your shoot.

And the last component to the ready on the catch drill is to have all ten fingers pointing towards the ceiling. This enables to you catch the ball in the proper position without having to change your hand placements.

Most players have their fingers or hands down, which require for you to move them before you catch the ball in order to catch the ball.

When you have all fingers pointing towards the sky, the ball will just land right in your hands ready for you to shoot.

In the picture you will also see how everything is lined up with each other. His head is straight under his shoulders, his shooting foot is not to far back. His elbow is lined up with his knee, and his feet are pointing to the direction of the hoop.

These crucial aspects are the difference between the quick shooters and the slow ones. If you prepare yourself before you get the ball you will be that far ahead of the competition. You should always be thinking about the next play, and how you can better yourself to be more prepared.

Work on the two second shoot drill in practice or by yourself and watch as you turn into a fast, effective shooter.

Rali Todd is a professional basketball performance coach and has been helping all age and level ballers over the past 6 years to take their game to the next level and dominate the hardwood. He has had extensive work with a a few pro teams and players improving all aspects of their game. to get the exact program Rali has developed to unleashing basketball potential visit ww.gobasketballpro.com for his #1 basketball developmental program.

Until next time, Ball Hard
Rali Todd
http://www.GoBasketballPro.com