Hot Feet Workout

Over the last few years we have done a lot of different exercises before and after practice to increase stamina and team morale.

For instance we did an incredible amount of work with the Jump Rope program. We had 10 different jumps and we posted it and scored it for each player and they became very efficient with the rope. They all carried ropes around with them in their gym bags that the coaches made from ropes they got at the hardware store.

Did it help?

I believe all my ex-players would tell you that it absolutely did help! We had an All- WCC point guard at Pepperdine University named Ricardo Brown, who was later All-Pro in the Philippines, who was so good at Jump Roping that the other 14 players would stop to watch him make the “rope talk”

We did other things like run up the sand dunes on the Malibu beach. We also did a lot of exercises with weighted vests and weighted ankle weights. We also started practice on Oct 15 with the famous mile run according to their position.

Our staff liked all of the exercises but the one thing I personally liked was the Three Stages of Hot Feet at the end of practice which I still do with my basketball classes at UCSB. You can do this drill in 7 minutes or less and it is a great conditioner and a big morale boost at the end of a practice.

HOT FEET WORKOUT

1. All players spread out over the gym floor and get in a defensive stance with legs bent and palms up. Now on the whistle they run in place as hard as they can go for 10 seconds. We stop for 10 seconds and rest and go again for 10. We repeat this for 10 repetitions. They clap,yell or whatever during these patter steps.
2. Immediately after the “hot feet” they lay down on their backs with knees bent and do sit-ups for two (2) minutes.
3. Immediately after the sit-ups they roll over and do push-up for 30 seconds. Note: On their finger tips if they can. Total time less than 7 minutes. Conditioning is a “home run”
4. Immediately everyone runs to the center circle at half court and put their hands in the middle and someone counts to three and they yell “Go [Insert Your Mascot]”

I have found that practice always ends on a high note doing this exercise.

5-3-2-1 Push-Push Drill

Dr. David Cardenas, a visiting Professor from Spain at UCSB, has a world of knowledge on the game of basketball with a great philosophy on the fast break.

The number one statistic he gave me is that in the World Championships, fast break shots taken after a make are made at a very high percentage! That’s right, teams make a high percentage converting after made field goals. This blew my mind. The only team I could think of that has done this successfully (running off of field goal makes) is coached by Roy Williams at North Carolina.

Dr. Cardenas tells me that the key is execution and constant practice of the details. This must be done daily and correctly. He teaches footwork on taking the ball out of the net and getting out of bounds (very quickly) with strict footwork and releasing the ball with a two handed chest pass or more of a whip pass with the strong hand being prevalent. The point guard must try to get open at the free throw line or further up the floor as quickly as possible. PUSH-PUSH!! Only dribble if the lane is not clear to pass ahead.

Dr. Cardenas also says that there is “slight relaxation” on the part of the opponent for a second or two after scoring and that is when we attack with the PUSH-PUSH philosophy It is important to practice inbounding the ball quickly every day.

5-3-2-1 Push-Push Drill

• Frame 1 – Run offense against no defense. When offense scores 5 takes it and passes it to 1 going down the sideline. 1 looks ahead and tries to chest pass it further down the court. We are in a PUSH-PUSH with a possible Yankee ending.
• Frame 2 – 5 takes the ball out of the net and chest passes to 1. 1 should be at least to free throw line extended. We are now in 5-on-3 and run Yankee.
• Frame 3 – 5-on-3 until they score or the defense gets the ball on a steal or rebound. They will attack 3 on 2 which will be our 1 and 2 who transitioned back on defense.
• Frame 4 – 3-on-2 and whoever shoots first is back on defense vs 1 and 2.
• Frame 5 – We finish the (5-3-2-1) with 2-on-1. The next 5 set up at the other end to start 5-on-0 and continue the drill

Adding Accountability (with Peer Pressure)
The one thing I never did was have some kind of accountability for our team in our 10 to 12 minutes of this type of drill. Today, I would keep track of the number of shots taken and tell the whole team that they had to shoot at least 50% or suffer a consequence such as starting over or sprints at the end of practice.

The Eternal Quest for My Philosphy

Tags

aggression level, Execution, peer pressure, philosophy, Simplicity

THE ANSWER: Simplicity and Certainty

I truly believe you have to have a sound, well-tested philosophy regarding your profession.

My dream profession, since my youth, has always been in coaching. It was my choice all the way, even though I was tempted elsewhere by my parents and my brother, but getting my Masters Degree at Vanderbilt opened up so many doors in the coaching profession.  I have never looked back and have absolutely no regrets.

What was the toughest part of coaching?  Finding a sound, lasting, fun, exciting philosophy that covers all aspects of the game.  I am convinced I found it.

Now, let me make this very clear, I do know “there is more than one way to skin a cat.”

I do know there is nothing more important than having “good players’, but number 2 is a solid philosophy.

A few years ago we finally put it all together and came up with two defining words – Simplicity and Certainty.

What I am about to tell you is so simple, and I know for sure that it will certainly work.  Please have an open mind as I continue, and I am always open to debate on any level of my findings.

Where did we get this philosophy?  From the very best people around the world, and we have tweaked their thoughts  somewhat and feel we have taken it to another level.  I won’t mention all the great people that have shared their wisdom and experiences with us because there are just too many wonderful people to name them all. Someone once said that you should “hunger and thirst for knowledge,” and we have done just that.  Hours, days, months, and years of research and development.

The number one mechanism we adhere to without a doubt is:

PEER PRESSURE DRILLS

To summarize somewhat, we will say we are talking about 6 basic drills with a  number of 20 or more in a row made before advancing on to the next drill. We added a very aggressive Rebound drill, a five-in-a-row individual Free Throw shooting drill with 5 minutes on the clock to round them out. That’s it…everyday!!!

Note: Coach Kelly Graves (Gonzaga) told me he thought they had the “best passing team in America” and when I asked why he said, “We do peer pressure drills everyday”

Here are the fundamentals covered in the peer pressure drills:

1. Mental – We have found nothing builds “mental toughness” like Peer Pressure. This is most important.
2. Passing – If you are a good passing team your team is unselfish.
3. Dribbling – spin moves, behind the back, between the legs, jump stops.
4. Rebounding – the key to aggression and finishing defensive stops.
5. Conditioning – Usually 45 to 60 minutes of hard running.
6. Catching and shooting at game speed.
7. Free Throws under pressure to make 5 in a row with in a 5 min allotment.

We found a lot of coaches won’t take the time to do it right, or back off of the magic number for the day – never back off! Build mental toughness.

I once asked Coach Ralph Miller at Oregon State what they did if they didn’t get the number done and he said,”Gary we don’t have anywhere to go do we?”

My observation of Peer Pressure Drills is that the drills become the bad guys. It’s all up to them as a team.  The first time we did this drill at New Mexico it took 25 minutes to just do 20 layups in a row on the right side.  They became very upset, but it pushed them to focus and execute.

The best advice I can give to coaches is to spend the time developing a philosophy that you will enjoy and can share with others. Peer pressure drills have been the vehicle by which we have been able to share our philosophy of Simplicity and Certainty.

 

Lobo Star Program

Tags

Bill Foster, New Mexico, star program

We used this program at New Mexico after borrowing it from Bill Foster, who was at Virginia Tech, Miami, and Clemson.  We also got some of our ideas from the football people.  You remember how the football people used to put stars on their helmets when they wanted to glorify a kid that made a lot of tackles in a game, etc.?  We personally think this is one of the best things we do to help motivate our players on the peer level.  Some football people give gold, blue, or whatever color stars to any player who sacks the quarterback or makes so many tackles.  In basketball, we also give stars which are put on their personal lockers and also posted on the star board which was outside our office.  Here are the ways a player can earn stars:

1. If a player can attain a certain GPA that was set as a goal by himself and the coach, predicated on past performance and present class load. (Note:  I think a player will not be just going to school every day, but he will be shooting for an overall goal, such as a 2.5 or a 3.6, whatever it may be.  At University of New Mexico, we publish the GPA of the team, not the individual, in the school paper.  If a player can attain his goal, he receives three stars per semester.)
2. We run the mile as part of our pre-season program.  We contract with each player a certain goal.  If he reached the mark set, he receives a star.
3. During any game or full scrimmage, if a player does any of the following, he receives a star:
   • Takes two charges.
   • Three recoveries, deflections, steal, etc.  equals one star.
   • Five assists equal two stars.
   • Ten rebounds equals three stars.
   • Fifty percent field goal made (minimum five shots) equals one star.
   • Seventy-five percent free throws made (minimum three shots) equals one star.
4. Perfect attendance in classes over a semester equals three stars.
5. Any super effort in practice or a game by an individual chosen by the coaches equals a star.
6. “18 in a minute” with 25 lb. weighted vest on.  Run the width of the basketball court touching each sideline with a total of 18 trips in a minute.  We also ask our players to dive across the last line.  This effort equals a star.
7. Chosen as player of the week for effort and hustle earns a star.

In summary, let me say that I, as a coach, will notice if Johnny Doe has 20 stars at midseason and Bill Long, who is starting ahead of him, has only 8 stars.  I might just re-evaluate the playing time from just looking at the star board.

We also give a very nice plaque to any team member who acquires 35 stars during the season.  We also give only three trophies away at our banquet.  All of the trophies are over 4 feet high.  One is for the best defensive player, one is for the best rebounder, and the last, but not least, is for the individual who has achieved the most stars in a year.  Note:  Most stars usually equals to the MVP.

Shooting: Simplicity in Motion

Tags

drills, Execution, philosophy, Shooting, Simplicity, summer basketball

Here are some of my thoughts on teaching/learning to shoot the basketball. Remember to keep it simple and get lots of quality REPETITION!

FLIGHT OF THE BALL

1. Must have back spin (back spin is softer)
2. Ball in flight must have a “RAINBOW” look. I never saw a flat rainbow
3. “Capture the mind and the body will follow” You must believe!
4. FOCUS. According to the “Inner game” books by Tim Gallaway you must TRUST your body. One goal only.
5. POSE, “Hold your pose” until the ball hits the rim or net. Arm straight up with “goose” like wrist.

Perfect 2-Hour Practice: Drills, Part 2

Tags

3-lane rush, drills, lobo rebounding, peer pressure, perfect practice

 The ‘Perfect 2-Hour Practice‘ series continues with more Peer Pressure Drills. We always felt very strongly that our Peer Pressure Drills were the key to our successful seasons. By letting the drill become the ‘bad guy’ by demanding precision, hustle, and execution, we noticed that our players banded together against the drill, and not the coaching staff. This allowed our coaches to offer positive encouragement and teaching points during times of adversity in practice.

The drills helped galvanize the team while working on key fundamentals that we felt were necessary to master in order to have success on the court. ‘Drills, Part 1‘ covered, passing, catching, and finishing, and the next two drills cover rebounding and our fast break fundamentals:

Perfect 2-Hour Practice: Drills, Part 1

Tags

drills, FastPlan, Layups, Passing, peer pressure, Split the Post

 The ‘Perfect 2-Hour Practice‘ has been our most popular blog to date, and we received so many great questions about it that we are going to expand in great detail over the next week.

We start today by bringing you FastPlan Drill Sheets for each of the first three drills in the Practice Plan.We always felt very strongly that our Peer Pressure Drills were the key to our successful seasons.

By letting the drill become the ‘bad guy’ by demanding precision, hustle, and execution, we noticed that our players banded together against the drill, and not the coaching staff. This allowed our coaches to offer positive encouragement and teaching points during times of adversity in practice.

The drills helped galvanize the team while working on key fundamentals that we felt were necessary to master in order to have success on the court. The first three drills in our plan set the tone for intense focus every day in practice while drilling the fundamentals of passing, catching, and finishing.

Perfect 2-Hour Practice

Tags

2-Game, drills, Larry Shyatt, New Mexico, peer pressure, perfect practice, Practice, Yankee

With so many Fast Model coaches either starting practice or about to start practice, we thought it would be beneficial to share the ‘Perfect 2-Hour Practice’ here in ths blog.

Today, we will focus on the overview of the practice, and then next week, we will provide details of each drill, along with drill sheets.  All handouts will be created in FastPlan, the complete practice management tool released by Fast Model this Fall.

Upon our arrival at New Mexico, my assistants (Larry Shyatt, Scott Duncan, Ira Zeff, Keith Carridine, Bob Thate, Lee Reed) and I decided that we wanted to accomplish very specific goals in every practice we ran.Practice was built around what we did offensively (The 2-Game, Yankee, etc.) and defensively (Surprise and Change, Rebounding and Aggression, etc.).  We wanted immediate focus at the start of every practice, and felt that our Peer Pressure Drills were the best way to accomplish that.

Jump Stops Correlate with Jump Shots

I don’t think there is much debate over the shooting ability of Ray Allen (Celtic) or Mike Miller (Heat).  Let’s take Ray.  If you will notice the he gives a little hop (Jump Stop) prior to receiving the ball.  “Ball is in the air and his feet are in the air”. Catch and shoot (Its’ quick)! It is quicker than the other way.  I don’t believe you can change the method over night…it is going to take a true commitment but it is definitely worth the change.

Most coaches teach from the shoulder up etc.  I personally think it starts with the feet (Balance).  “Don’t sacrifice balance with the jump shot!!”

My best pupil was Nelson Franse at the University of New Mexico.  He was taught as a youngster the two step jump shot but it was too slow and he couldn’t get off quick enough.  So we changed his shot over the summer.  Nelson would go to the “Pit” everyday and spin the ball out in front of him and step into the ball with a jump stop and catch and shoot.  He MADE 100 everyday from the 3-point range and won several ball games for us with his outstanding shooting. Note: When we did the R/F/S  Rebounder/Feeder/Shooter drill daily Nelson would knock down 20+ shots in a 60 second turn.

Watch Ray Allen (Boston) or Mike Miller (Heat) when he recovers from his injury and let me know what you think.  “Ball in the air feet in the air”.

It’s all about JUMP STOPS (hops) and being on balance squared to the basket.

Peer Pressure Drills with a Magic Number

We ran 8 Peer Pressure Drills everyday with a number of lay-ups to make (no less than 20 in a row) for each of the drills. See below for examples of some peer pressure drills. We felt the NUMBER was more important than the drill, and that there was a direct CORRELATION between the drills and the number which led to us becoming better offensively and defensively. So you can see there was a three way correlation all tied together. The key word here is CORRELATION.

 

We found that there are a lot of coaches that do not quite understand the correlation between the drill and the number. We go further to say that the NUMBER to make in a row is more important than the drill itself. Peer Pressure Drills designed to accomplish a certain number in a row keep players concentrating and focusing on the task at hand. It is very exciting to watch the interaction when a player misses on number 19 when the number for the day is 22 etc…We are “training the mind” with PP drills.
 

 

In our 8 drills we do everyday…we teach: