My Tennis Ball Theory:

So if someone was to stand in front of you and toss you 5 tennis balls, how many would you catch?

Probably 1... maybe 2.


The human brain definitely works the same way.  If you give a person too many things to think about at once, something is always forgotten.  Over the years as I've worked with kids, one of the things that has become very clear to me is that you can only give a kid one or maybe two things to think about or focus on at once.  If you give them too much to think about they are never going to be able to remember it all.

So... same as the tennis balls, when you want someone to remember something, just give them one or two things to think about.  With basketball training we are constantly asking players to do specific things with their bodies (footwork, knees bent, follow through, eyes up, etc).  If we ask too much of them they are never able to remember it all.

The way to deal with this is simple... focus on 1 or 2 things at a time.  In the case of of teaching shooting (which is one of the most detailed parts of basketball) we have to really break it down and focus on one part of the shot at a time.  For example, just focusing on the follow through until a player can get  comfortable with that piece of their shot where they no longer have to think about it (it just becomes habit).  Once they are comfortable with the snap of the wrist and the follow through, you can add another aspect to the shot.  Little by little you will build each part of the shot and put it together until they are shooting the ball properly.

On occasion I will have a parent or coach ask me when watching a kid workout a question like, "Don't you want them to rip through below their knees?"  I have to gracefully answer them and explain that, YES I do want them to rip through below their knees, but I'm not telling them that now because I've already given them one or two other things to think about.  Once they get comfortable with those other aspects, then I'll ask them to rip through below their knees.

This is not just specific to basketball.  It works the same with the rest of life too, sort of like why I have to put reminders in my phone all the time...


Alex Harris
Evolution Basketball Training
www.evobball.com 

Want to talk about this topic?  Email me: alex@evobball.com