Basketball Balance by Michael Lang
Webster dictionary define Balance as to make the two sides can account add up to the same total. When I think of balance I think of a well balance meal. The people who normally get a balance meal are really healthy. Also think about a graceful ballerina dancer in order to perform at a high level balance is very important. Next every marriage needs a balance usually if there is no balance in the marriage will dissolve. When I think about the game of basketball one the key ingredients is balance. Balance is very important in basketball without balance I don’t believe that you can execute the fundamentals of basketball. This article will talk about the concept of balance. The five principles of balance and drills for
Balance | Basketball Balance
I. Concepts
A. Balance leads to Quickness.
B. Most players violate the 5th principle of Balance and thereby greatly impede their quickness.
C. Balance, along with Footwork, must precede all fundamental teaching.
D. It is interesting that the only coach who seems to have really emphasized the Principles of Balance in his teaching arguably the most successful coach in the history of college basketball, UCLA’s John Wooden. Coach Wooden wrote, “Any physical activity and particularly basketball, starts from good balance. If you don’t have good balance and body control, I don’t think you can effectively execute the fundamentals. And the playing of basketball, in my opinion, is merely the quick and proper execution of the fundamentals.”
II. Fundamentals of Balance | Basketball Balance
A. The five Principles of Balance
1. The head must be directly above the midpoint between the two feet.
2. The chin must be parallel to the floor.
3. The feet must be at least shoulder- width apart.
a) On offense, for both shooting and the ripple threat position, we like the non-pivot foot slightly advanced.
b) On defense, when guarding the dribbler, we want the feet as wide as possible while still maintaining quickness.
4. The weight must be on the balls of the feet and the heels must have floor contact.
5. The trunk of the body must begin in a medium center, with emphasis on bending at the knees, not the waist.
a) Too many players continuously operate in a high center and take too long to get into motion.
b) Initial quickness comes from beginning in a medium center and exploding to a LOW CENTER.
III. Drills for Balance | Basketball Balance
A. Gymnastics Drill
1. Stand on one foot, raise the other leg behind you.
2. Progress to jumping from one foot to the other foot.
3. Do the above with your eyes closed.
B. Stance
1. Go from high center to your stance, either triple threat for offense or your one on one defensive stance.
2. Coach can push your shoulder to test the strength and balance of your stance.
C. Weight Lifting
1. Free weights are the best because every time you lift the weight, you must get to a balance position.
D. Jumping Rope
2. This exercise also demands adherence to the five principles of balance for proper execution.
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