Off-season work for players should always include things that they shy away from.
“What?” you’re asking. After all, we are only human, and we never like being made to feel uncomfortable to the point of embarrassment.
Let’s deal with player needs. I’ll list here some obvious weaknesses, which most players have, and add some easy fix-it ways to make players more secure in a skill.
No. 1: Off-hand ability
Nothing troubles a players more than a weak off-hand.
For right-handed players not being able to dribble with their left hand is one of the first things that causes a lot of problems on and off the floor. Regardless of the position he or she plays, failing to be strong with either hand is a weakness, pure and simple.
There are a couple of easy drills that coaches can teach their players to do to enhance off-hand skill.
I’ve found through the years that most right-handed players are worse with their left hands than the other way around. Sound unusual? Think about it for a minute.
Consider all the right-handed players out there. Now, think about the lefties. I’ve known many good right-handed players who simply couldn’t manage the game well from the left. On the other hand, the lefties I coached had more polish going right and using their right hand.
Here’s a simple drill.
In the off-season, especially during warm, outdoor weather, I encourage my players to dribble the basketball outdoors with their off hand.
Sound foolish? No, it’s not.
Parking lots are a good place to start.
I worked a basketball camp at the University of Maryland one summer and was surprised to hear University of Maryland head coach Lefty Driesell telling his players, who were counselors, to keep a ball with them at all times — when they weren’t working, of course — as they made their way around campus.
That idea caught on, and I would later read about all this dribbling hoopla in Sports Illustrated.
Old Lefty was imitated in a lot of circles — much to the chagrin of parents and school administrators across the country — but the concept is a good one.
Familiarity with the ball is a good thing. Off-hand familiarity is an especially good thing.
No. 2: Shooting off the dribble
Watch the NBA playoffs and the WNBA season, and keep track of the players who shoot well off the dribble.
Shooting a ball off the dribble is not a skill that a lot of people have mastered. Know why?
The ones who can’t have not practiced it enough.
I grew up in a church gym that had walls adjacent to the sidelines. I spent many an hour throwing the ball off the wall, catching it, putting it on the floor, dribbling it once, then shooting. Hundreds of hours practicing all this made me a decent shooter off the dribble.
Shooting off the dribble and being successful at it takes hours and hours of practice. A lot of kids can catch and shoot. Not as many can catch, dribble, and shoot. Encourage kids to practice this maneuver. You’ll find the results impressive.
Next time, we’ll move to areas coaches need to improve this off-season.
