You must believe to achieve success. Without belief performance shifts into the realm of should’ves and could’ves. Without belief even the most talented can fall by the wayside in the moment of truth;  lost in the quagmire of external factors and other superlatives reeking havoc on internal features (skills and mindsets).

When an individual’s skill level is greater  than  his or her self concept, performance is compromised.

To stay balanced (in any field):

KYC (know Your Capacity), KYL (Know Your Limitations), KYE (Know Your Environment)  and of course, KYP (know Your Personnel) 

Understand your strengths to operate inside them–  constantly

There should also be some type of analysis to identify   weaknesses (which is a major strength in itself). After that it’s a matter of  impetus and resolve  to follow through on those improvements. Otherwise– inside the spirit of resistance to change,  delusion( about prowess) sets in (quickly). We all know far too many of these cases.

The ability  to  operate constantly inside your strengths creates expectation (to have success) and develops extra confidence of application (swag). Confidence is the key that opens the door to  skill sets.  It helps you operate in stressful environments and in the face of other detractors/distractions ( negative opinions/feedback, doubters/haters, whatever it looks like).  

You’ve seen performers (maybe you’re one of them) that  seem to be on a mission to conquer the task at hand–period.  These types not only can see themselves perform (in a certain way), they actually saw it done before it started.

This understanding is the product of visualizing or seeing the action in your mind’s eye; which after all, is the precursor to actualizing  or producing performance.

That’s what it’s about … seeing, believing and receiving the fruits of  your labor and talents.

Brain and will power squared

Skill acquisition is a matter of the mind… over and over again.  It requires extreme focus and an intentional act of exercising dominion over the brain. As a human being you have the capacity to do unbelievable things. What you need to do is convince your brain that what you want to achieve is possible. In order to believe , you have to envision it or experience it …  You must continually interject commands to your brain to make it perform in a particular manner until it is fully automated.

You can train your brain for gain in the direction you choose. It is a struggle at first. The brain fights hard to hold on to the established function (old program)… I tell players all the time not to be discouraged by the discomfort of change – particularly if it is a change for the better… You can expedite change by doing both physical and mental reps. Mental-repetition is the process of visualizing performance without physically doing the function…  However you slice it, it still equates to a lot of hard work on the right materials. Every rep you perform counts. You are either moving in a positive direction toward perfection or a negative one towards a world of higher degree of difficulty.

When you are called to action – to shoot a basketball or execute a dribble maneuver – your brain spins and it lands on one of the programmed slots for performance.  In this case you would typically shoot exactly according to your existing script. With enough positive repetition your technical wheel for shooting can be filled with slots of the optimal way to perform .

It is a tough task to make changes to your system.  But once change is programmed in, however the struggle, it will be just as difficult for your brain to operate outside of the “new” programmed material… Still, you must believe that you will be able to perform regardless of the environment or pressure of the moment.

This level of confidence and “swag” does not come cheap. It will cost you literally thousands of positive repetitions to create the proper defaults and emotional resolve for consistent quality performances.

Many of us have seen the movie the Matrix… this film will help you understand programming (skill acquisition) as it relates to Virtual Play.

In the movie, acquisition was a matter of plugging into the chair and having information downloaded directly into the brain. The information downloaded was designed for optimal performance. Programming in Virtual Play is very similar, only there is no chair and you are required to download the information manually – repetition by repetition. The television game show “The Wheel of Fortune” outlines the principles of programming.

On the show, the slots on the wheel are full of dollar amounts and prizes. The contestants spin the wheel and it lands on a certain slot. It rarely lands on the same slot more than once, but it always lands on a slot. Your brain, similarly, is “The Wheel of Function” (Diagram 2A) with slots full of programmed information of how you perform or do certain things. 

 

The bottom line:  you must pay to play in a special way. Everyone wants to, but who actually gets to?

-The Virtual Game of Basketball-

I love basketball.   I’m in love with basketball .  As a matter of fact, I’ve been to bed with my ball and proud to say it. We can’t seem to get enough of each other! I can’t even remember a time when we weren’t  in a relationship.    Our affair has been a match made in heaven.  Sure,  we’ve had our ups and down over the years, but… we’re still together.  Ok, maybe it’s not like it once was, but in some ways its better.

What about you? Are you in love with basketball, or are you just a player? There is a difference.  If you love it, you are willing to make sacrifices (big or little) to make the relationship flourish.  For the players… it’s  just something they do on the side. They don’t want to get too serious, whether they’ll admit it or not.  Many times they’re confused. They say they’re in love. They think they’re in love; but it’s only lust.

Don’t get me wrong, they love  playing (the game), but their level of commitment to the other parts of the relationship leaves a little something to be desired. They seem to be  in it for the benefits. When things get a little rocky, they’ll tell you they’re  serious about making things better, but typically they have  too many  “other” things going on outside of basketball to make it right.  People usually do what they do.

I ask players all the time,  “why are you in this  relationship… there are plenty of other fish in the sea?” Follow your heart or something. No matter which way you  go,  there’s still going to be hard work involved-if you plan on being successful.  Be patient too. You can’t just stick your pole in and expect every thing to work out. Success comes before work only in the dictionary.  Too many players think  just having a pole or any other physical tool is enough… please!   Too much lying down, not enough standing up and being accountable.

In the end, it really comes down to what you are  truly passionate about.

Passion is the fuel that helps you motor through the tedium of all that is required of you on your journey to where you want to go… It allows you to manage the discomforts of change and facilitate growth. —

The Virtual Game of Basketball

 

eMPTy: devoid of at least something. No fuel to go to the places you want to go.   Nowadays it seems, nobody knows which way to go anyway.  Sure there are basketball gurus on every corner; all with their dizzying “world is coming to an end mantras” about basketball.  Do we dare trust what  they say. Most giving information  freely, but not always for free.

Oftentimes it’s very difficult to decipher between the facts and fiction.  Since there is no diamond without MPT (right Materials, proper Pressure and ample Time), it is critical to attach to some type of verification model, if you plan on shining.  If the information you are receiving is not verifiable , your information  is only the stock understanding of your source– coach, trainer or whomever the person is helping you.   Even hold the things you’ve done yourself  to the test.  Take shooting, for example:  If the ball doesn’t typically return to your shooting hand after a made-shot, then it’s a good chance your shot is not mathematically sound or “clean.”  The ball will generally filter out of the basket, exactly opposite of how it enters.

If what you’re  doing in the gym isn’t moving you toward optimizing your skills sets, then you are the victim of an eMPTy workout … and nothing works out on empty. These type workouts are merely empty promises of how much better you’re going to become — at some point.  In these scenarios, everyone is giving all they have to give.  It’s simply that not everyone is  equipped to get you to a higher place, let alone a high enough level to satisfy your hoop dreams.  Of course, if you are a level 10 performer (a beginner), then there are ample environments in which you can get better. The truth is… the higher you progress up the scale as a player, lets say to  level 40, 50 or beyond, the harder it will be to find people to help you.

At the professional level, players (at level 70 or higher) have an even tougher time finding opportunities to get better.  It’s tough  because “everybody” has a workout to share, but not necessarily a sound model for growth.  So quite often that’s just what happens– the player gets worked out. Unless the workout is based on the math of basketball play, it’s most likely not an optimization model. Anything less does not offer the 100th percentile of function.  Not that any player is at that level; but it’s certainly something guys like Kobe, Lebron and other  already ridiculous (level 80 types ?) need to move their skill sets forward.  How highly “machine-like” are you?  Are your defaults set for consistent and “clean” performance?

So the question is… are you growing at the gym or  just going to the gym?  Just going to the gym doesn’t make you a top player.   If you’re a top player… when was the last time you experienced “chartable” growth as a player?  So what if you’re all-conference.  What’s wrong with being conference MVP?   You’re in the league already?  Ok.  What’s wrong with being an all-star or all-pro then?  Oh …you are?  Well, you’re the s**t!   But don’t you want to become a hall-of-famer?

Don’t get me wrong.   A workout is great for maintaining what you have and staying sharp.  But in the end, it’s just a routine.   Live in the gym- if you can.   Just make sure you spend time in the “Lab” as well, with someone who can feed you more than just the ball.

The art of basketball performance is ever changing.  However the mathematics of optimal physical execution remains static. If you watch closely you will begin to notice the mechanical commonalities of  successful players.   Each may have his or her own distinguishable charcteristics, but in the end it’s the same math. Consistent success is rooted in the consistent application of  such “basicologies (TM).“

“The truth is the math and science of the game never changes when it comes to successful play.  In fact, most successful players do the same things. Oftentimes these players are not aware of or even concerned with the mathematical or scientific realities of their actions.  They have success doing what they do, so they continue to do it…”
—The Virtual Game of Basketball