Basketball and quickness training can be combined to help improve your in-game speed as well as your short burst acceleration. While quickness training can be performed individually, many basketball teams incorporate quickness drills into their practices. Quickness drills range from line sprints to full court dribbling drills. Although there are numerous quickness drills to choose from, it is important to only work on drills that complement your specific position and skill set.
Types
Quickness training breaks down into several types. Agility training focuses on your ability to stay coordinated while performing quick changes in direction. Shooting guards and point guards tend to focus more on agility drills because their skill sets are finesse-based. Jump training is another important part of developing your overall quickness and boosting your rebounding abilities. Many players perform jump training exercises during the off-season and in between practices.
Time Frame
Basketball and quickness training should be performed during the off-season and on off days. This is because isolated quickness drills often cause players to fatigue and keep them from practicing game situations at full speed. If you are looking to improve your quickness at the end of games, then it is best to perform quickness drills after practice to simulate end of game fatigue. Quickness drills should be performed for no longer than one hour and it is often best to take a day off in between routines to allow your body time to rest.
Benefits
Quickness training benefits players who are looking to increase their speed to the basket and develop top quality dribbling moves. Although the benefits of offensive quickness range from better shot opportunities to a better driving ability, quickness also benefits big players and defensive specialists. If you are looking to guard a top offensive player, it is essential for you to boost your quickness to keep up with him. In addition, quickness helps forwards and centers penetrate the lane and get open looks under the basket.
Injury Prevention
While improved quickness often helps players avoid injuries, there are some risks in performing quickness drills. To avoid muscle strains and overuse injuries, it is vital that you use proper form and posture while training. According to The Mayo Clinic, staying in control of your body throughout an entire exercise and not exercising for too long are the best ways to avoid injury during training.
Misconceptions
Despite being a popular type of training, quickness training is often misunderstood and improperly executed. Although many people associate quickness drills with running and jogging, quickness is an attribute that is only improved by short distance sprints and workouts. As a result, running and jogging will only marginally improve your quickness. If you are looking to improve agility and quickness, the best way to do this is to perform drills in a gym that isolate your fast twitch muscles and test your reflexes.
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