Some ideas for practicing on your basketball game alone

One important aspect of becoming a good basketball player is the ability and focus to be able to practice basketball on your own.

One important aspect of becoming a good basketball player is the ability and focus to be able to practice basketball alone.  All the top level players played and practiced on their own for hours on end.  Repetition makes perfect.  Shooting jumpshot after jumpshot.  Working on footwork and agility.  Practicing ballhandling skills.  All of these skills can be honed on your own and by yourself.

Too many players ignore the importance of footwork and agility in the game of basketball.  It takes dedication and focus to work on this alone.  Here are a few ideas.  Begin on the baseling underneath the basket with a ball.  Roll it out at a decent pace and count to three.  Then sprint to get the ball, turn and sprint to the basket for a layup.  This will not only work on speed, agility and fitness but also finishing on the fastbreak.  Be sure to do every repetition as fast as possible.  After ten reps of layups work on other aspects.  For example, sprint to the ball, turn take an escape dribble and shoot the jumper.  Or go to the basket and pull up for a free throw line jumper etc.

Another good footwork drill is to use the lane lines.  Have a ball at your chest holding it with both hands.  Slide from lane line to lane line back and forth as fast as you can 6 times.  Then spring for a layup.  After a few reps of layups you can work on other shots.  Escape dribble and jumpshot etc.

Finally, there is not much better for fitness and agility than just a good old jumprope.  Spend fifteen minutes a day and you will be amazed at how much quicker and agile you feel on the basketball court.

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