Tony Duckworth all by Tony Duckworth
This basketball video series is great for coaches, athletes, and parents. Head Basketball Coach Tony Duckworth discusses and demonstrates the fundamentals of Shooting, Passing, and Catching the basketball. Coach offers coaching tips for teaching youth players these basic skills and demonstrates various basketball drills coaches can use in practice or players can use at home.
What? Holding the basketball? How hard can holding a basketball be? Maybe should have said holding the basketball CORRECTLY. Often young players just don't know how the correct way to hold the ball. Coach demonstrates how to hold the basketball correctly, then discusses finding the "shooter's pocket". For younger athletes, lowering the shooter's pocket will allow more leverage when shooting.
We're not talking Big Macs or Whoppers. Coach takes us through the basic basketball shooting skills using the BEEF acronym: Balance, Eyes on the Target, Elbow In, and Follow Through. Using skills demonstration and simple drills, Coach offers great information for youth basketball coaches and players.
Once youth athletes understand the basic shooting skills, it's time to move to Shooting Progression. Coach takes us through a basketball shooting drill which can be performed with a basket or with a partner. This drill allows athletes to move progressively away from the basket as their shooting skills improve, leading them to making shots comfortably from the Free Throw line.
Everyone misses lay ups - whether they admit it or not. Coach discusses this shot and demonstrates skills for increasing the accuracy of the Lay-Up, including choosing the proper angle for the shot and using the backboard, dribbling with the outside hand, and being sure your athletes chin the basketball.
This Catching and Passing Basketball Drill is most effective with partners, but can be performed with a Toss Back or a gymnasium wall. As always, players should begin with a good stance. Coach discusses the stance, the value of a "permanent" pivot foot, and proper passing techniques - for right-handed and left-handed players. Then, Coach turns to Catching skills, emphasizing the importance of teaching athletes to catch the basketball with the eyes first, and follow the ball with the eyes all the way into the hands.