Super trainer Rob Blackwell is Director of Skills Development with Ath-Elite, LLC with St. Vincent’s Sports Performance. He has many successful clients, including Gordon Hayward (Brownsburg high school, Boston Celtics). For training opportunities, contact him at (317)525-3298, email at robertblackwell3@yahoo.com or social media @rbfor3.
As another basketball season gets underway, players scramble to gyms all over the world making those last adjustments and additions to their game. Every new move, every extra shot, every extra bounce of the basketball will be what makes them great, or for some, it will be the difference in them making the team this season. The big question is, what role does basketball training play in all of this madness?
As a trainer, my players and I have a little “hypothetical” understanding. The player you were in June should have no chance against the player you have become in September. If not, we feel, you have completely wasted your summer. Basketball training should be the difference maker. It should be what assures you a spot on your team’s roster this season, what helps you increase your scoring average, and be the reason why you go from being pretty good to great. But, why doesn’t it?
My training experience has allowed me an amazing opportunity to work with some of the most dedicated basketball players at every level from NBA all the way down to middle school. It is important to note that most of the players I’ve worked with are their teams “Alpha” – the guy, the plug, the go to player. I never quite understood guys who pay to train, then play games and never take a shot or attempt anything. I don’t encourage that. Ultimately, all of your hard work MUST translate to your actual game, or what’s this all for?
For me the keys to taking your training to the game come from one, repetition and two, training for the game. Not training for training. Now, this by no way discounts technique, focus, intensity, attitude and hundreds of other details required to improve anything you do. But for me, these keys are what we have found most successful to improving game performance as related to
basketball training.
Repetition
This is our opportunity to get it right. This is where we reinforce
technique, pay attention to intensity and develop confidence. Getting it right is what skill development is all about. Every detail of every repetition is examined and critiqued. We rep it until we get it right. Focus and attention to the slimmest of details is required by the athlete. Actively thinking about every movement pattern, ball placement and hand placement is necessary. I tell all of my players, “think about it completely, while we train, and you will never need to think about it when you play”. The cerebral becomes spontaneous. It is important to create a very small learning curve with lots of focused, correct reps and it will quickly become the only way you do it. And that you can take to the game.
Training For The Game Vs. Training For Training
It has almost become a fad to be in the gym working, training, grinding and “gettin it in”. I think of it as training for the sake of training. Punching the clock, making sure everyone knows you’ve been in the gym, but when you play, nothing has changed. Training for the game is training with purpose. It requires a goal, imagination, and attention to detail. Your players must know the goal of every drill you put them through. They must imagine each game situation they can possibly face, and pay attention to details such as space, pace, angles and opportunity. Game training is hard. It is mentally exhausting as well. Michael Jordan always said: “I played hard in practice, so playing hard in games was just a habit”.
Basketball training should be the difference maker. If it hasn’t
been for you, you are doing it all wrong. Go back and focus on every rep correctly. Be stubborn about perfect details. If it’s a thousand, then so be it. Do a thousand perfectly. Also, start game training. Everyone criticizes the use of cones, but I see guys in the gym working on moves or coming off screens in space. It looks great, except it’s totally unrealistic as opposed to help side defense or spacing with other players on the floor. Game training helps you plan for real game scenarios and develop answers to common game situations.
When you are basketball training, you look different, you play better, you are ready and you are equipped to succeed at playing the GAME. Basketball training has a place. It is a prescription to solving your struggles with performing in games. Performances that could lead to a pro contract, a scholarship, a championship or just the confidence of playing the game you love.
