How To Become A Better Ball Handler - 20 Day Challenge

The 20 Day Challenge For Better Ball Handling

To be a great basketball player in today's game, you have to be an exceptional ball handler.  Whether it's 6'11 Kevin Durant, 6'8 LeBron James, 6'4 Russell Westbrook, or 5'9 Nate Robinson, you need a good handle to be able to get wherever you want/need to get on the court.   If you want to be a better basketball player, start by improving your control of the basketball.  

To do that, there is a 20 Day Challenge that is very simple - dribble the ball for just 20 minutes straight each day for 20 days.  So, start your 20 Day Challenge right now.  Today, dribble the basketball without stopping for 20 minutes straight.  Don't stop.  If you mess up or lose your dribble, immediately pick the ball back up and start dribbling again.

If you do that for 20 days, you will see a drastic improvement in your ball handling.  You have to build muscle memory in you finger pads (tips), your hands, and your wrist, and you do that through repetition.  

When doing the 20 day ball handling challenge, what you do is not as important as doing it.  We have posted ball handling drills that would be great to use.  Do those over and over again.  Watch videos of your favorite players and practice their moves.  You can also do it while you are watching TV; you can do the drills stationary and don't have to be moving.  The key is to DO IT!

Some possible drills to do during the 20 Day Challenge-  Right hand dribble (dribbling high and low)
-  Left hand dribble (dribbling high and low)
-  Crossovers
-  Between the legs
-  Behind the back
-  Figure 8's

Important keys to becoming a better ballhandler
-  Dribble with your finger tips
-  Keep your hand on top of the ball (don't build a bad habit of carrying the ball)
-  Bend your knees, keep the ball low, and keep your eyes up so you can see what is going on around you
-  Pound to the Ground - Push the ball to the ground with your fingertips; don't slap it or hit it.

Do the 20 day challenge and I promise you will see improvement.  Let me know how it goes!

RaiseTheBarAthletics-Antwan Scott Workout

Grambling State guard Antwan Scott goes through a skills training session with the coaches from RaiseTheBarAthletics.  Antwan has been working out with RaiseTheBarAthletics for several years and has seen his skill set increase tremendously.  He has earned honors including Leading scorer in the DFW metroplex, Honorable Mention for McDonald's All-America, and is now a Division 1 basketball player.

The Tony Parker Footwork and Finishing Series

This video features two of our athletes going through the Tony Parker Footwork and Finishing series.  It is vital in basketball to have great feet, and this drill concentrates on finishing different ways around the rim.

Steve Nash Dribbling

Antwan Scott (current Division 1 basketball player) demonstrates Steve Nash Dribbling, as he works out with Raisethebarathletics trainers.  This drill really teaches athletes ball control, which is one of the most important skills an elite guard must have.

CP3 2-Ball Progression

This is a great 2 ball dribbling series that NBA stars such as Chris Paul work on to get to get their handles right.  All it takes is spending 10 minutes a day working on this drill, and you will see great improvements in your ballhandling.

For The Love Of The Game

There is nothing like watching somebody do what they love to do; even if that person is Kevin Durant, ranked by most to be top 5 basketball player in the world playing summer league basketball in a junior high school gym.  I love watching the NBA guys playing in the summer leagues around the country in the off-season.  It shows that the game is still just a game and that even the best in the world can have a little fun while competing and proving why they are considered to be the best in the world.

KD is known for jumping on some of the most competitive street ball courts around the country.  Here, in the first part of a new series titled "For the Love of the Game" where we show the some of the best basketball players in the world doing what they love to do for the love of the game rather than for a paycheck, KD is performing at the famed Drew League in Los Angeles, California.  The Drew League is arguably the best summer league in the world, as the Charles Drew Junior High School gym in the tough neighborhood of Compton California hosts 28 invitation only teams that attracts streetball legends, college athletes and many NBA stars such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and James Harden.

Check out KD below.

How Chauncey Billups Matured Into A Point Guard

ESPN writer, Tom Friend, wrote an outstanding article about Chauncey Billups, that every aspiring point guard should read.  Chauncey Billups was a superstar guard growing up in Colorado.  His father introduced him to basketball and taught him about being a blue collar worker. 

Basketball was easy for Billups, where in high school he was a McDonald's All-American, and in college he brought a lot of notoriety to an otherwise unknown University of Colorado team.  But after he was the 3rd pick in the 1997 NBA draft, things began to change.  Billups had always been a scoring PG, but at that time in the NBA a scoring PG was somewhat frowned upon.  So, through his first 5 seasons in the league, Billups was on 6 teams.  People began to doubt him, and nobody believed in him.

Billups too began to doubt his game, and who he was as a player.  In Minnesota, Flip Saunders had him running the 2, and was the backup PG.  The next thing Chauncey Billups did was pivotal in his development.  He followed his teammate Terrell Brandon, who was an All-Star caliber player, around everywhere.  He also spent a lot of time learning from another teammate, Sam Mitchell.  Billups picked his brain and tried to figure out how to play the point guard position.  One thing Mitchell told Billups was that if you take care of the person to your left and to your right, the one who benefits the most is the one in the middle.

Chauncey Billups eventually became the starting PG in Minnesota and led the Timberwolves into the playoffs, where he had a series which really put him on the map against the Mavs.  Confidence, a hefty contract, and a Finals MVP were now in line for Billups over the next few years.

It wasn't easy for Billups, but he had great mentors, and more important than anything he had a blank slate mentality.  He wanted to learn and knew what he would have to do to become a great NBA point guard.

To read the whole article click the link.  http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=090511/billups

Russell Westbrook Lunge Exercise

Russell Westbrook is one of the most explosive and athletic athletes in the NBA and in the world.  To build athleticism like a player such as Russell Westbrook, you have to strengthen the muscles in your legs and in your core.  The full lunge is a great way to do that.

Check out the video below to see a great exercise for building strong, powerful, and explosive leg and core muscles so you can blow by your defender like Russell Westbrook.

No Weight Room? No Excuse...Part 2- Upper Body & Core

Part 2 shows upper body and core exercises that can be performed anywhere, and do not require having access to a weight room.  Again, there is no excuse for not working out.  If you want to be the best, find a way to get it done!

 

This first video shows a basketball player doing upper body and core work using a basketball.  



This second video shows Alan Stein (wearing all black) give a simple yet effective workout.  All you  need for these exercises is a partner, a towel, and a basketball.

GETTING UP ... How To Strengthen The Right Muscles So You Can Jump Higher

Every athlete dreams of jumping higher. 

Basketball players dream of getting up and mimicking Lebron James soaring through the air.  Football players dream of hurdling defenders like Adrian Peterson.  Soccer stars dream of getting up and connecting on crosses like Messi. 

Jumping high requires a high energy output, and your recruitment of many different muscles, including your core, gluteal muscles (butt), and calf muscles.  Muscles such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, and ankle flexors are also important, and strengthening those muscles as well help you reach your max potential as leaper.  Jacob Hiller, the author of "The Jump Manual" and the developers of the Air Alert jumping program both agree that like with other sport-specific activities, you can improve your vertical leap with the proper training and technique.

 

Calf Raises and Box Jumps

Your calf muscles help stabilize your ankles which helps you get a strong push off the ground; the start to a powerful and effective vertical leap.  A study published in the "Journal of Biomechanics" found that to perform you maximal vertical leap, you should start with your feet flat on the ground.  You should then maximally activate your calf muscles until liftoff.

Calf Raises
To strengthen your calf muscles, calf raises are very effective.  Start with your feet flat on the ground, then raise up to your toes. When you are on your toes, you should feel your calf muscles activating and contracting.  Then lower back to the ground.  That is one rep.  Work to getting to 5 sets of 20.

Tuck Jumps
Tuck jumps are an explosive way to activate your calf muscles when you jump.  Start on the balls of your feet and then jump vertically as high as you can.  While in the air, bring both of your knees, together, as high as you can to your chest.  On your way down, lower your feet back to the ground.  When you touch the ground on the balls of your feet, immediately explode right back up.  Each jump is 1 rep.  You want to only have a slight bend in your knee every time you touch the ground to ensure that you are activating your calf muscles, and you want to work on getting off the ground as quick as possible.  The less time you spend on the ground, and the quicker that you can get back up, the better.  Work to getting to 3-5 sets of 8-10.

Squats and Squat Jumps; Lunges and Lunge Jumps

Your gluteal muscles help extend your hip and are recruited heavily during your vertical leap.  They help you maintain your upright posture, they work to transfer power from your lower body through your core, and they are the main energy generators of your lower body when you jump because they control the acceleration of your hip when it extends up through your jump.

 Your quads are important in jumping as well.  The quads main responsibility is to extend your knee, and when you leap off the ground, the more explosively you can extend your knee, the more power you have getting off the ground.

The main functions of your hamstrings are to bend the knee and to extend, or straighten, the hip.  Just like with your quads and knees, the more explosively you can extend your hips, the more explosively you can get off the ground.

Squats
Performing deep squats help strengthen the real meat in your lower body - your butt muscles, your quads, and your hamstrings.  You can head to the weight room and make squats an important part of your strength training, or you can do body weight squats.  Working up to 5 sets of 20 on good, deep body weight squats will really help strengthen those lower body muscles.

 Squat Jumps

Squat jumps are a great exercise when trying to build strong and explosive muscles in your butt, quad, and hamstrings.  Start of in a quarter-half squat, low enough to where you feel a little burn in your quads and butt, and leap up as high as you can.  When you land, immediately land back in the partial squat position and fire back up.  Work up to 3-5 sets of 8-10

Planks and Muscle-Up Push-Up

You core muscles, including your abs and back muscles, are important muscles when jumping because they are responsible for the transition of power from your lower body to your upper body.  If you have a strong core, you will be effective at using the power and momentum generated by your lower body and transitioning into your arms to help you achieve your maximum upward lift.

Planks

Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.  Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms.  Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.  This works your entire core - your abs, your hips, and your back.

Muscle Up Push Up

This is an explosive full body exercises that requires a strong core.  Start by lying face down, like you are preparing to do a push up.  As you do the push up, explode up and land on your feet.  That is one rep.  This is a high-level, high intensity exercise.  Work your way up to 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps.

 Air Alert II

A great resource to use is Air Alert II: The Complete Vertical Jump Program.  It is a 12 week program that is simple yet effective.  Each workout will take you no more than 30 minutes, and it will definitely improve your jumping ability and your conditioning.

References

VerticalJumping.com: Core Training For An Improved Vertical Jump

Mayo Clinic: Core Exercises: 7 Reasons To Strengthen Your Core Muscles

"Journal of Biomechanics;" Optimal Muscular Coordination Strategies For Jumping; 1991

"Journal of Biomechanics;" Dependence Of Jumping Performance On Muscle Properties When Humans Use Only Calf Muscles For Propulsion; 1984
LiveStrong: What Muscles Do You Use On The Vertical Jump?

 

What'd You Expect?

I just listened to a great Eric Thomas video this morning on the importance of EXPECTATIONS.  (Video shown below)

He said that if we want to be ‘great,’ we have to plan for it and work for it.  He then said that most importantly, we have to EXPECT success.  We have to EXPECT that the work that we are putting in will lead to success.  We can’t just put the work in and hope for the best; we have to know that the preparation is enough and have the mind frame that success and greatness will come.

When you guys are working on your game, studying for the test, or preparing to get a job, put the work in first and prepare yourself, but do so with the EXPECTATION that the preparation will lead to success; success is not an option for you if you put in the work – it is non-negotiable.  You will be successful if you put in the work.  If you prepare yourself, you will see progress.  There will be setbacks.  There will be people who tell you that you’re too slow, you’re too short, you’re not good enough, or your dreams are too big.   But, if you keep pushing, you keep working, you keep putting time in, YOU WILL see success.  Don’t quit.  Don’t get discouraged.  Don’t get down.  Have a vision of where you want to go, create a plan on how to get their, execute your plan, and SUCCESS WILL FOLLOW.

Matthew 17:20

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

No Weight Room? No Excuse. Part 1-Lower Body Workout

Having a strong lower body in basketball is crucial if you are going to perform at the highest level possible.  Every time you make an exploding move on offense, jump up for a rebound, move your feet on defense, and sprint the court in transition your legs are what give you the ability to be successful over your opponent. 

 

As an athlete, there are probably more days that you will not have access to a quality weight room than days that you do.  So I guess no workout for the day, right?  Wrong, no matter where you are at, you always have your body weight. 

 

All of these exercises can be performed in your house, your backyard, garage, etc.  All you need to have is something to step up onto such as a chair.



Best NBA PG?

Sports Illustrated recently wrote an article about some of the top Point Guards in the NBA.  As I went down the list, a few things came to my mind.  What constitutes a PG?  If LBJ brings the ball up the court a majority of the game is he the PG for the Heat?  If Steph Curry comes off of a bunch of screens like a traditional 2 guard, is he a PG?  Or, if Russell Westbrook has a straight scorers mentality as opposed to a "set your teammates up" mindset, is he a PG?

SI had an interesting view on the top PG's of 2013.  Rajon Rondo didn't make the top 5, and I was very surprised who they ranked #1.  To read the article click the link below.

http://nba.si.com/2013/03/02/top-ten-point-guards-chris-paul-tony-parker-russell-westbrook-kyrie-irving-derrick-rose/

John Wooden: His Personal Mission Statement

As leaders, if we haven’t won our personal battles, we’ll never be able to lead other people to victories in their battles.

John Wooden was a legendary coach, considered by many to be the best coach, college or pro, in the history of basketball.  He understood that a key to success is having discipline over you're own life first, then providing discipline for the guys you coach. 

When Coach Wooden was 12, his father gave him a simple creed, written on a tattered piece of paper, that he kept in his wallet.  Those words, which I have shared below, served as his guidepost for the rest of his life.

-  Be true to yourself.
-  Make each day your masterpiece.
-  Help others.
-  Drink deeply from good books.
-  Make friendship a fine art.
-  Build shelter against a rainy day.
-  Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

 

How Bad Do You Want It ???



If you want to be THE BEST at anything you have to be willing to put in more time, more effort, and more work than anyone else.  But more important than any of that, you must have a desire that is unmatched.  Kind of like the desire you feel for air when you are about to drown. 

 

To Be The Best, Study The Best, Emulate The Best ...

Then surpass the best. 
We all have our goals and aspirations.  To be the best we can be, we have to use and take advantage of the resources that are available to us.  In the not so distant past, we had to search through books to find information on how to take our talent to the next level.  In today's world, the internet and YouTube provide a priceless resource for how to improve.

Use that resource, whether your striving to be the best teacher, the best business man, or the best basketball player that you can be.  Learn the drills it takes to be successful, learn how to develop the proper mind frame, and measure your dedication and the time and effort you put into your craft with the greats. 

Here at Raise The Bar, we not only offer individual workouts, but we try to provide a library of gathered information that will help you take your game to the next level!

 

Raise the Bar Athletics is coming soon ...

Stay with us. 

 

We are in the process of becoming your one-stop-shop for becoming a better basketball player and overall athlete.  We will soon be posting videos and tutorials to work on all aspects of your game including skills, athleticism, and having the proper mindset.

 

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK WITH US.

WE ARE COMING!! 

BE READY TO RAISE THE BAR!!!