| I get asked this question all the time...the question is this: | | | | exert when you are standing in a certain spot on the |
| "How often should I practice? And for how long?" | | | | court, just how much arch you should put on the ball. |
| It's a very good question, and it is absolutely essential | | | | You don't realize it, but that's all just memory. The |
| that you understand the answer if you want to | | | | harder you practice, the more you memorize those |
| become a basketball superstar. | | | | movements, or to put it in more scientific type words, |
| There's only one thing that separates the winners from | | | | the thicker that string in your brain gets. |
| the losers. And not just the winners from the losers, | | | | So you are really just building muscle memory. When |
| but the winners from the superstar winners. That one | | | | you achieve muscle memory, you can shoot a |
| thing is practice. | | | | basketball and make a basket without even thinking |
| And not just any practice, but focused, and determined | | | | about it. Why? Because the string in your brain is thick |
| practice over a long period of time. Almost all sports | | | | and hard, the memory is stored for good. You can do |
| come down to one thing. I don't care what the sport is, | | | | it with your eyes closed. |
| it can be basketball or baseball, soccer or football, heck | | | | This works for lots of things, not just sports. Guitar |
| even badminton. That one thing is this: Muscle Memory. | | | | players, for instance, don't know what they are playing |
| What is muscle memory? When you learn something | | | | most of the time, they just pick up the guitar and their |
| a little neural pathway opens up in your brain. Think of it | | | | fingers go to the right spot without thinking about it. |
| as a string that connects different parts of your brain. | | | | Muscle memory. |
| The more you memorize a thing, the thicker and | | | | So it is vitally important for you to practice to build up |
| stronger that "string" becomes. If you don't memorize a | | | | your muscle memory. But not just any practice. It has |
| thing very well, the string dries up and goes away, or in | | | | to be pure repetition. Make fifty free throws every |
| other words "you forget!". | | | | single day. That builds up free throw muscle memory. |
| On the other hand, if you memorize a thing really really | | | | Make one hundred three pointers from the top of the |
| well, so that it is stuck permanently in your memory, | | | | key every day. That builds up muscle memory for |
| then that "string" becomes thick and hard. And | | | | three pointers at the top of the key. |
| permanent. When it becomes thick and permanent, | | | | But keep in mind, muscle memory for three pointers at |
| you have achieved muscle memory. | | | | the top of the key is NOT the same as muscle |
| SO what the HECK am I talking about? Good question. | | | | memory for three pointers at the baseline. Different |
| In sports, you are really just memorizing things though | | | | angle, different memory that needs to be built. So |
| you may not realize that. | | | | make one hundred three pointers from the baseline to |
| In basketball, you are memorizing something very | | | | build up that specific muscle memory. |
| specific. Namely, how to make a basket. Your mind is | | | | That's all practice comes down to, but if you don't do it |
| subconsciously memorizing just how your hand is | | | | you will fail. |
| supposed to be, just how much force you need to | | | | |