BASKETBALL SKILLS (Cont'd)

PASSING TECHNIQUE:

BOUNCE PASS: 2 hands on the ball, step forward in the direction of the pass, follow through with fingers, should contact floor two-thirds of the space between you and the receiver.

CHEST PASS: This is a straight, quick, chest-height pass.  Thumbs on top of the ball, extend elbows, palms face out on completion. 

OVERHEAD PASS: Never  place the ball behind your head, it WILL be stolen.   Raise ball overhead, elbows flexed, wrists "cocked", teammate should receive it above chest level.

BASEBALL PASS: The throwing hand is behind the ball, body weight is shifted forward as the step is taken, hips and shoulders point to target, follow through in same direction of pass.

Note:  Passes are usually stolen because the passer is looking directly at the receiver before passing.  This allows for anticipation by the defence.  Players must learn to better disguise their passes by learning the ball fake, the eye fake and the shot fake.  The purpose is to freeze the opponent or have them move in the wrong direction.

Ball Fake: Here the player extends the arms as though they are about to make a pass in one direction, while shifting weight in that direction.  The player then holds the ball, quickly draws it back and steps into a different direction.

Eye Fake: The player strides forward toward the defender with his/her eye in one direction while passing in another direction.

Shot Fake: Similar to the ball fake, except that instead of faking a pass, they fake a shot


SHOOTING

The Grip: Begin by holding the ball underhand. When holding the ball, bend wrist back until it wrinkles.  The fingers of the hand are spread out on the ball.  The ball is held just off the palm. Lift the ball to your forehead.  Place you non-shooting hand ("guide" hand) on the side of the ball. 

Technique: The foot on the shooting arm is slightly in front.  The shooter should jump forcefully straight up in the air.  As he/she jumps, the ball is brought up over the forehead and the shooting hand slides or rotates under the ball.  At the peak of the jump, the shooter should extend the elbow and wrist joints.  The path of the ball should describe an upward arc as it is being shot. A limp wrist is a sign of a good follow-through.

Note: Poor shooting habits such as: pushing the ball, poor balance, incorrectly holding the ball, not enough of a shooting arc (poor trajectory).  All these bad habits will cause a players' shooting percentage to drop.

Most students will be reluctant to change their shooting style.  They feel it's  weird or awkward. They believe their method "feels" right.....and therefore IS right.  It feels right to them because they are used to it!  You must insist they adapt to the correct style.

The key to teaching players how to shoot is to have them stay within their shooting range until they have learned the technique and have become consistent.  Players who shoot out of their range will likely push the ball with their shoulders or twist it with their wrist.

Also, try to get your players to establish a routine when they take their shots.    If they take the same shot in the same way each time, adjusting only for distance, they will become better shooters.


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