Anonymous
Years ago
In order to lift your game to the next level, what is the most important thing to work on physically?
For example, is it strength? (upper/lower body)
Flexibility?
Endurance?
Efficiency of movement / gait
Posture?
Would be curious to know.
TH62
Years ago
All those you mentioned go hand in hand, as Anon said you can't isolate them.
Without "flexibility" you won't get "posture" and without those two you won't get endurance.
At the same time you need flexibility to achieve core body strength otherwise soft tissue injuries will be an every day headache.
Don't concentrate on any specifically, depending on the age let the kid grow up naturally, make sure he/she does warm up before stretching, by doing that flexibility will follow.
Not sure what age we are talking here but as an adult I noticed huge positives from getting my whole body stronger through lifting and gym exercises. Basketball might not be a contact sport, but you need strength for boxing out, being explosive, pulling in a rebound, jumping, keeping your body straight on your shot (core strength) etc etc. I was super skinny and didn't realise how much it would help my game to increase my strength all over until I did it.
You can isolate them, though. It doesn't mean you should, and there are baseline levels you'd want in all areas, but some are more important than others, which is the point of the question.
In general, basketball is not an 'endurance' sport. It is a sprint-stop activity, so from a cardio standpoint, HIIT will be more effective than jogging 6kms. Similarly, power is more important than raw strength in basketball so there is a lot of value in explosive lifts rather than slow ones.
Beyond that, what is most important for a player to improve will vary between individuals based on their current strengths, and what they need for the position they play.
Flexibility will help with reducing injury risk and improving athleticism. Movement technique can also reduce injury risk and make players quicker by making them more efficient. Agility is more important for guards than bigs but with more defensive switching, has value for everyone.
It really boils down to what areas of the game you want to be better at.
Proud
Years ago
I'm also guessing that learning to catch the ball is also something to be worked on or you'll never get the ball or the trust from your team mates
D2
Years ago
Depends on the individual.
It's not strength or endurance.
Used to be guys spent a lot of time in the gym, but not so much any more. (Although I suppose if you were a weed starting from scratch...)
I think stretching and flexibility is important, simply to avoid injuries.
But I think the biggest thing is skill and coordination. If you were starting from a low base, I would put most emphasis there.
No Clue
Years ago
I love a topic like this to see what all the "experts" know... You guys have just confirmed that you are all pretenders
I do enjoy the "why not work on everything" comment the most. Like please, be more vague...
For junior athletes the main thing to focus on would be core strength.
The stronger they can build their core, the better balance and strength they will have to perform basketball specific movements.
After that, there should be a focus on developing the lower body (i.e. quads). Whether you are on offence/defence you are required to be in a low stance which activates your leg muscles - stronger these are the more comfortable you will be in a stance and more explosive you will be.
But apart from that, just work on everything Hahahah ;)
A coach
Years ago
Definitely core body strength and explosiveness in upper and lower body. Power training which is strength and quickness would be best for basketball. Flexibility exercises help this also.
chewie
Years ago
I do love knobs that come on complaining about generalities and vagueness, and then taint the thread with "you are all pretenders"....generalize much? Gave me a laugh.
Question needed more information, but core strength is the general "get out of jail free answer".
Totally depends on the individual. Age, gender, athletic disposition, injury history all play a part in a tailored program. Why give an athlete a flexibility based program if they already are +37cm or have an athlete with a history of knee injuries perform road based running?
Id suggest the majority of basketball coaches are exactly that. It would probably be beneficial to discuss this with professionals in the many differing sports science areas through either a GP or club physio to get you started.
The discussion on sustained load is an interesting one for juniors, particularly those performing in multiple sports or that are in state/national programs.
One solution to this. Olympic weightlifting, It addresses all these areas.
This I noticed after I started training
-Flexibility (less injurys)
-Low post strength.
-Legs did not get tired anywhere near as fast as they used to
-Increased vertical leap. Added about 5" of vert.
Dont want to Oly lit? Squats, deads and power cleans.
Plyometrics would have helped more again but only so many hours in the day.
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