Basketball Low Post Drills

Playing in the post can be rough and physical. If you play the forward or center position and want to excel you have to be able to score while you get bumped around in the lane. This article covers three very effective drills that will prepare you for the physical play in the post and help you become an effective scorer down low.

2 Man Rebound & Post-Up Drill

Posting up is the term used when an offensive player tries to solidify position close to the basket. A great drill that practices this fundamental is the 2 man rebound & post-up drill. It takes basketball players starting out side by side on the dotted line near the center of the basket. A player will take a shot from either wing that is intentionally missed. As the shot goes up both players will fight for positioning. Whoever gets the rebound will immediately make a basketball outlet pass to the wing player who shot the ball and then post-up near the basket. The ball is then passed to that player where he attempts to score. This drill is very physical and demanding. Have the two posts rotate out to rest and try not to pit the same ones up against each other consecutively. When this happens it gets more and more physical and less productive.

Roll and Finish

Big players tend to draw a lot of attention down low and are often yelled at to "go strong". What does that mean? First let's cover what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean to float up a shot or a runner at the basket. It doesn't mean to shoot a fade-away or to shy away from contact. It means to get the ball, gather yourself and then go right up for the lay-up. In college, we all did a drill called roll and finish or roll and flush for the players who could dunk. We would form two lines at the top of the key on either side and roll the ball down the key toward the basket. Each of us would go after the ball very hard and once we got it we would maintain a nice low base and then explode up for a power lay-up or dunk. Each of us would run through the drill once alone before the next person in line would follow us down the lane to contest the shot. They weren't trying to block the shot, but to only be the defensive presence. The drill can be modified if you want by adding a pump fake or a quick drop-step. The drill will teach players to finish strong around the basket, maintain a nice solid base, not shy away from contact and how to finish when someone does come in contact with you. It is a great drill if it is performed correctly.

Jungle in the Paint

This is a drill that I love to instill when I think my players aren't being tough or aggressive in the post. It involves 3 players. It can be any 3 players and doesn't have to be only post players. Have the 3 players form a half-circle surrounding the hoop and shoot the ball. Players get 1 point for a rebound and 2 points if they are able to put the ball back in to the hoop. First one to 11 wins. I love this drill because it is very physical and guys will get hammered. The good thing is, they will get comfortable with that feeling. They will learn how to finish strong around the basket and how to make shots while being fouled. I don't allow dribbling but I've seen other coaches allow one dribble. The reason I don't is because I believe that big players that dribble by the basket are asking for trouble. Players should be able to gather themselves without having to dribble to do it. Don't let the defense foul like crazy but allow some physical play and don't let offense call fouls.

Andy Louder is the President and owner of HoopSkills.com. Brian Schofield is a former division I college basketball player and sr. writer for the website. Visit the site for more basketball training tips and articles.

Basketball Goals - How to Make Sure Kids and Teens Are Safe

Kids love basketball. Whether kids are short or tall, old or young, have experience or no experience, they love to pick up the ball and give it a try. The goal may seem miles away, but they will try to make a basket and dribble around the court. Just as important as teaching kids the rules of the game, is teaching them how to be safe. When purchasing a basketball goal for your home, school, or community keep these safety tips in mind.

For basketball goals with a pole, purchase pole padding. Pole padding is a simple foam padding with a vinyl cover. The padding can be wrapped around the pole and closed with the attached velcro strip. Most padding fits poles up to 66" tall, but check your pole height to get the right fit. Typically padding is 1 " thick.

Padded poles protect kids from injury. It is easy to run into the pole when playing a game or chasing the ball. Injuries from colliding with a pole that isn't padded can range from bumps and bruises to concussions or broken bones. Adding pole padding can greatly reduce the chance of these types of injuries.

In addition to padding the pole on your basketball goal, you can also add a gusset pad. These pads are pyramid shaped and cover the base plates and bolts on an adjustable crank system. Gusset pads will help prevent foot injuries that can occur when players bump into the base plates. It will also protect players from being scratched or injured on any bolts.

Another item that you can add to your basketball system to help kids be safe is a ball retention net. basketball net attaches to the back of your system and stretches to the ground. When baskets are made or attempted, the balls retract off of the net and can roll back towards the player. This is a great way to prevent kids from running into the street or other people's yards after the ball. Adding something as simple as this gives kids a visual boundary.

For teenagers who are ready to start attempting slam dunks, the type of net you have on your basketball goal becomes a safety issue. Make sure you get an anti-whip net. Anti-whip nets are made of a specific type of nylon that won't tangle around hands or fingers. This helps protect player's hands from injuries that may occur when going in for a slam dunk.

Another safety issue for teenagers is the type of rim that you have. A flex rim gives when pressure is put on it. This spring loaded resistance protects both the player and the backboard. For teens who will be making more contact with the rim, a flex rim assures that the pressure they apply can be handled.

Teaching basketball to kids and teens is a fun and exciting experience, but safety is of the utmost importance. Keep kids and teens safe by adding some of this equipment to your basketball goal.

Author Bill Parsons is the creative author of a variety of online specialty stores that offer both items and information for all your athletic equipment needs. Today, he offers advice on different types of basketball goals and how to keep your kids safe. Whether you're looking for a basketball hoop for a park or one for your driveway, there are many different options for you to consider. Start your search for your next basketball hoop here.

Get a Job - By Playing Rec Sports!

What can you gain from playing rec sports? How about a job? In Washington D.C.? Working for the President of the United States?

Imagine that you love playing basketball, and are fairly good at it. After school as a child, you go to your mom's work and play pick up games with other children in the neighborhood. You go to college and are good enough to play on the varsity team. Your senior year your teammates name you co-captain and in the highest profile game of your collegiate career you score 20 points against a nationally ranked team.

You end up playing professionally in Australia for a couple of years, but are not a standout Down Under.

When your basketball career is over you return to your home town and get a "real job," but your passion for the game doesn't wane.

Because of your love, you continue to play pick-up games with some of the guys you have met through your job. These games aren't scheduled regularly, but when they are played, there are more than a few players whose names grace the pages of the newspapers.

Some run major corporations, some are successful in the non-profit world, some have household names like Michael Jordan, and some have strange names like Barack Obama.

In case you are unaware, I am describing what may have contributed to Arne Duncan being appointed Secretary of Education by President Obama.

Duncan has always been a basketball fan of basketball. Growing up, Duncan would accompany his mother to her children's center that catered to African-American youth on the South side of Chicago. He would play pick-up games with the other kids and got good enough to make the basketball team when basketball enrolled at Harvard.

After graduating magna cum laude, Duncan spent 4 years playing professionally before returning to Chicago to pursue a career in education.

Because of his high profile jobs, he ultimately met many of Chicago's most famous people and started playing hoops with them whenever there was free time amongst all the busy schedules.

One of the guys he regularly played against was President Obama, then a state senator from Illinois. As Obama rose in the political spectrum, Duncan rose in the world of education, and in 2001 he was appointed CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

But even as their schedules got busier and busier, Obama, Duncan and several others still found time to get in a few games of roundball each year.

Playing basketball became an Election Day tradition for Obama, Duncan and the others. Every time Obama was up for office, the group would vote and then convene at a local gym to get their minds off the day's goings-ons.

This continued even through Obama's recent election in November, when Duncan joined other players to help Obama sweat out some nerves.

After the election results came in and Obama had the tough choice of selecting a cabinet, his mind didn't stray far from the hardwood; and on January 20, 2009, once Obama was sworn into office, his good friend on and off the court, assumed the position of Secretary of Education.

Now it is not everyone who knows people of such power, or who desire to be in a life of politics, but there is a lesson we can all learn from Duncan's story: there are more than just health benefits to participating in rec sports. In some cases you can meet someone who will help you attain something you might not have been able to attain otherwise. Likewise, there may be someone you play with or against that you might be able to help down the road.

So next time you throw on your jersey or lace up your shoes, think about Arne Duncan and the possibilities the position he is in because of rec sports.

Keep sporting!

Evan Pfaff is co-owner of Who's In First.

Who's In First is an online league management system for leagues of all sizes and sports. Our state-of-the-art software enables league managers the ability to quickly create and deploy schedules and standings over the Internet.

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