HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE OFF-SEASON

The off-season is a period of downtime for basketball players. Some players use it to relax and take their minds off the game. Others use it to get ready for the next season. The best approach is a mixture of the two. Start training hard after your last game, and you’ll probably burn out mid-season. Don’t train at all, and your teammates will overtake you. Here’s how to make the most of the off-season. 

Ask your coach for an honest evaluation

Criticism can be hard to hear. But if you’re serious about improving your game, you need to hear it. No basketball player is perfect, and even LeBron admits that he made a ‘ton of mistakes’. So, if you’re going into the off-season on the back of your best season yet, it’s still good to get an honest evaluation. Look for stuff you can improve on and add it to your off-season training regime. 

Evaluate your own season 

Another important part of your off-season is evaluating your own performance. Take an honest look back at your bad games and look at what you can do better. Talk to your teammates, watch game videos, and make a lot of notes. The best players in the world are constantly evaluating their game, so you should too. 

Practice game-specific moves 

Type ‘best basketball plays’ into YouTube, and you’ll see some amazing stuff. Most of them look like they’ve been dreamed up on the spot, but the truth is, most of them are practiced on the court. Add to your arsenal of game-specific moves - like the reverse pivot or the proper bounce pass - and you will have something to call upon when you need those extra points. 

Improve your fundamentals 

No matter how good you get, you should never stop working on your fundamentals. Lay-ups, shooting, dribbling, and passing are the things you use in every game, so working on them in the off-season is bound to improve your performance. 

Make the gym work for you

The off-season is the perfect time to hit the gym. Whether it’s working on your cardio or improving your explosive power, you need to spend time in the gym to improve on the court. Practice the best exercises for basketball players, and you will come back stronger, faster, and better than ever before. 

Take some time off

You also need to rest in the off-season. If you go too hard at the start, you’re going to burn out pretty quickly. Take some time off, put your feet up, and relax, whether that’s sipping cocktails on the beach or playing at an online casino - like Rubyfortune.com - from the comfort of your bed. 

Eat well

The off-season is a time of temptation. The season is over, the games have been won or lost, and it’s time to relax. It’s okay to treat yourself (especially straight after season-end), but you need to quickly get back to your diet. If you only start eating well a week before the season starts, you’re going to feel sluggish. 

 

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