coachmccormick
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balance and other things - 2007/01/29 04:30
Went to Los Angeles over the weekend. On Thursday I went and watched/assisted with some college/pro/pre-draft workouts. Basically, I tried to correct the footwork and shooting mechanics of a high DI player. And, a few things struck me:
1) The kid is exceptionally talented, yet he plays without any balance. He's on his toes. Working on his shooting mechanics was largely working on his balance.
Why do youth coaches not spend more time teaching balance? I think it is the most underappreciated skill in basketball, and possibly sport. I'm changing all my workouts to incorporate some balance work outside of a basketball setting and then inside.
2) He has zero kinesthetic awareness. I just wrote an article for Basketball Sense about coaching styles. One thing I discovered is that I use an empowerment style. Never had a name for it before. But, the longer I coach, the less I say. I use questions frequently, just as a teacher would. I want the athlete to discover the answer through his own awareness, not through me telling him what to do. I have snapped at more than one player too lazy to think for herself that I can't be at every game holding her hand and yelling constant instructions, so she needs to learn for herself. But, it seems even elite players are developing with little awareness as to what they are doing. This is even more troubling because over 50% of kids I work with are kinesthetic learners, not audial or visual. How do these coches reach players if they do not address the player's learning style and do not empoer the player to think critically?
3) I spent the rest of the weekend at a Perform Better conference for physical therapists, strength coaches and personal trainers. Great stuff. Spoke with Lee Taft who we have discussed previously on this board in other threads.
I am more convinced than ever that almost everything we teach as basketball coaches is either wrong or unnecessary. For instance, the "false" step, which Taft calls a plyo step. We spend hours trying to teach players not to step backward before going forward, but it's the bodies natural reaction and the body is telling us something; that's its most efficient way to move!
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Hook
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Re:balance and other things - 2007/01/29 20:30
I suspect 80 percent of coaches from high school to college and NBA still teach the drop-step pivot on defense to change directions, instead of the quick hip-turn that Lee Taft advocates. So many coaches just teach what they have been taught instead of investigating what might be technically superior. You can see this on Magic Johnson's Foundation Sports commercials where they show the players doing the classic defensive shuffle, drop-step and change direction drill (i.e.,zig-zag drill). I wonder how many training videos are out there that still teach this old method.
When breaking down poor offensive execution, so often balance is the root cause of bad footwork and sloppy movement. For example, have your players flash to the opposite elbow from the block and execute a catch, pivot and shoot. How many can do a complete, smooth, full pivot to face the basket without having their swing foot touch the floor as their weight shifts away from the pivot foot while rotating. Similarly, a 180 degree spin move off of a jump stop will expose balance issues while pivoting. I always stress the importance of getting your head (and consequently, your center of gravity) over the pivot foot for these types of rapid movements. Yet, many continue to struggle with this. Pivot foot "loading" is so critical for balance in pivoting, as well as, first-step attack moves, as you know.
Rick
LoneStar Basketball Academy
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coachmccormick
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Re:balance and other things - 2007/02/11 22:38
http://www.stackmag.com/TheIssue/ArticleDraw/2376
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coachmccormick
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Re:balance and other things - 2007/02/12 07:23
This is an interesting tennis article.
http://www.tennisplayer.net/public/high_performance/paul_lubbers/progressive_development_part_2/
progressive_development_part_2.html
The most interesting part is the video of the kid with the beach ball. A great use of an age appropriate drill to elicit the desired results.
Once the child has the skill mastered with the beach ball, it'smuch easier to transition into a tennis situation. Instead, most try to teach both parts of the skill (movement and swing) at the same time, which causes frustration.
The same thing happens in basketball, when coaches teach players to shoot even though the player cannot bend properly. So, the player shoots with poor balance, leading to poor power and coordination and a difficult time shooting with good form. The problem i not the form, but the basic bending/squatting patterns which were never properly developed. With young players, develop the movement skill first and then incorporate the basketball skill after players possess correct movement patterns. Otherwise, the child is set-up for failure at some point, as his progress stalls.
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coachmccormick
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Re:balance and other things - 2007/07/27 05:53
Another great article by Brian Grasso (www.developingathletics.com):
Each training session is categorized into 7 separate segments:
1) Saggital/Non-Manipulative
2) Frontal/Non-Manipulative
3) Transverse/Non-Manipulative
4) Movement Adequacy
5) Coordination Elements
6) Systemic Strength
7) Active ROM
At the heart of each session is SKILL DEVELOPMENT.
Not unlike academics, the basis for improvement is founded entirely on
a building block style of skill acquisition and development.
You simply cannot teach a second grader how to perform advanced
calculus because they have yet to master the basic elements of finite math.
The same holds true of training and developing young athletes.
It requires patience, and a strong disposition towards the future - not
only the prospect of immediate gains.
Within the 7-step process outlined above, the key is to offer 'ascending-based'
stimulus so that young athletes develop skills and abilities...
... From which specific gains in biomotor (speed, strength etc) ability can
be established.
Here's a sample of what my 7-step system looks like in practice:
1) Saggital/Non-Manipulative:
Definition - Saggital (forward/backward) movement without external load or equipment.
Example - Pepper Knees. Have each athlete perform a standard 'high knees' for
20 - 30 feet, but have them do so under the pre-tense that the floor is 'hot' and they
can only have foot contact for a split second. Repeat for 3 - 5 sets.
2) Front/Non-Manipulative:
Definition - Frontal (sideways) movement without external load or equipment.
Example - Side Skip-Steps. Have each athlete perform a rhythmic side skip
(pushing off with the back leg). Once they touch down with their front leg, pause that
position for a brief second before they push off again. Repeat for 3 - 5 sets of
20 - 30 feet.
3) Transverse/Non-Manipulative:
Definition - Transverse (rotational) movement without external load or equipment.
Example - Swinging Toe-Taps. Have each athlete perform a 'low high knee' motion
while they swing their arms and torso in opposite sequence to their feet, knees and hips.
Repeat for 3 - 5 sets of 20 - 30 feet.
4) Movement Adequacy:
Definition - Ability to perform locomotion (movement) with transitional ease.
Example - Sprint/Turn-A-Rounds. Have each athlete sprint at 85% of capacity for
20 - 30 feet. At the 15 foot marker, they will begin to decelerate, and perform a
linear deceleration technique in order to stop the motion. Repeat for 3 - 5 sets.
5) Coordination Elements:
Example - Coordination is comprised of several physical characteristics such as
spatial awareness (understanding of where you are in space), kinesthetic
differentiation (how much force is required) and rhythm (timing).
During this timeframe, you will create a 'game' that best generates skill in one of those
elements.
For instance:
- Throwing a tennis ball up in the air, performing a 360 degree jump and then catching the
ball (spatial awareness).
- Throwing medicine balls at various targets, and using different throwing motion
(kinesthetic differentiation).
- Performing different patterns of jump rope such as forwards, backwards or even to
musical beats (rhythm)
6) Systemic Strength:
Definition - Overall body strength that is not restricted to single-joint activities.
Example - Bear Crawl Circuit. Have each athlete perform a bear crawl through a circuit
that includes moving forwards, backwards or sideways
7) Active ROM:
Definition - Range of motion exercises performed on your own accord.
Example - Ankle Alphabet. Have each athlete trace the alphabet with their ankles.
So, there you have it.
A 7-step process for ensuring optimal athletic skill, speed and strength development
as well as injury avoidance.
Keep in mind that my system is ever-evolving and dynamic. As young athletes age,
you must begin adding elements of technique development and specific skill.
The system I outlined here applies to young athletes aged 6 - 10 and is based on the
concept of guided discovery -
Don't over-teach!
Let the kids learn and experience how to move and create force.
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Hook
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Re:balance and other things - 2007/07/28 04:45
I love Brian Grasso's teachings and insights regarding youth development. I'm just a bit disappointed that he and Latif Thomas are using the Matt Furey-type (Knockout Marketing)over-hyped internet advertising approach. I'm starting to see this type of marketing used more and more in the fitness industry...I guess because the average person can't resist buying into all the hype. In Grasso's case the hype may be more factual, but it is still hard to distinguish from the hundreds of other sites using this tactic. You've seen it before...lot's of text highlighted in yellow...big bold red text lead-in...page after page of testimonials...exaggerated claims...it's like a 20 page web infomercial.
These links will show what I mean...
http://www.mattfurey.com/100k_year.html
http://eddiebaran.com/gymnastic_abs.html
http://www.mattfurey.com/combat_abs.html
http://completespeedtraining.com/speed.html
http://completeyouthtraining.com/
Peak Performance and the Sports Injury Bulletin are getting bad about this as well. It's getting as bad as spam.
Fortunately, Vern Gambetta has not gone to this tactic.
Rick Allison
LoneStar Basketball Academy
[[[ C2E ]]]
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