Payday Loans Payday Loans

Bookmark and Share

Are You Hoopin’ or Hopin’?

Posted in New Posts, News on August 3rd, 2010 by Troy Miles

Tragically many players stand around watching (spotting up) or waiting for their turn to get the ball ?!! Is it the mission of the other players to get you the ball?

Overton receiving the Ball by johncuthbert43.

 

Venoy Overton receives a “quality touch”?

If you’re not open,  you’re only hopin’ – to get the ball.  Being kinda open won’t cut it either.  Get yourself obviously open or don’t  expect to get the rock… especially  amongst top players. Read more »

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I know You know But…..

Posted in New Posts, News on July 29th, 2010 by Troy Miles

I know you know … but  what if, all you know is only a portion of what you need to know or could know. Would you still play the role and continue to act like you know anyway, or would you seek out the information to move forward? What? You would just keep doing what you do … huh….? Really?! Okay, I get it. You must be a BASKETBALL PLAYER!

It’s unbelievable  how so many basketball players think they already “know”- at least enough (especially older players).  On top of that, they refuse (somehow ?) to believe that what they don’t know not only shows, but is ultimately vital to their success. It’s craziness. But in the world of basketball, that’s how it is for the most part, even non-players think they know. This is delusion of the most high.  No other sport is quite as bad. Sh!  If only basketball was as simple as: a ball , a hoop , a couple of crossovers, a made three-pointer here and there,  and KABAM … give me the jersey –please!

Hoop is such a glamour/warrior driven sport  that egos are clad in tuxedos. Help is for others, but not me though?

Even if you can play , you probably can’t really play anywhere near where you think you can.  The vast majority of  players think their capacities are  120+ % of their actual self. That is, they think their capability (in a certain area or overall game) is at 100, but their actual proficiency  or ability  is closer to 80 in this scenario. I will say however, that a person with true ability who thinks this way is quite dangerous, especially in comparison to capable players who think 70 or 80% of self (think they’re at 70-80 % when they’re actually at 100%) — but that’s another issue.

Many ballplayers would rather be “…ruined by praise than saved by criticism.” (Norman Vincent Peale). In fact, many people do everything in their power to  surround themselves with people who will always say positive things about them and give them approval. Understandably, people generally don’t like being criticized.  But in order to truly improve, you must find a way to embrace it, rather than run away from it. Getting approval is very easy.  Getting the “real talk” can be tough, but worth the effort.  You can always find at least one person who will tell you exactly what you want to hear.

In order to improve, you need to ask yourself what you can do to grow, evolve, and excel.  You also need to seek people  who have solution-based information.  Since everybody knows something about basketball, you must develop an effective filtering method for the information you move forward with.  Ask: Does the information giver offer a Verification Model ( Information, Demonstration, Explanation and confirmation) ? Keep in mind, that when you do receive constructive criticism (quality information),  be certain to  listen to it and apply it to your program (skills, methods, and understandings).  Otherwise, it becomes a wasted opportunity.     People who “Listen to the Message” grow.  Most players fail to learn from criticism (see: “The Brain Game” chapter 2 in the Sampler) and therefore cannot adapt in response to it.

Bottom Line: Seek optimization where you can find it and  please….

“DON’T COMPROMISE YOURSELF… YOU’RE ALL YOU GOT!”Janis Joplin


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A is the Answer

Posted in New Posts, News on April 27th, 2010 by Troy Miles

On the way to NBA Success…

There’s no denying environmental factors play a role, but all things equal (physically , technically and environmentally), why does player A find consistent NBA success, while player B struggles?

 

I’ve been bombarded recently with questions on the distinguishing factors of top players in the NBA.  Of course, top players are able to focus on what’s necessary for success in the moment of exchange. Looking around the league, there are so many players with physical and technical gifts. Why is it that some players – regardless of their talent, find it difficult to have consistent success.

So many  mega-stars lose their luster once they hit the league.   There’s no denying environmental factors play a role, but all things equal  (physically , technically and environmentally), why does player A find consistent NBA success, while player B struggles?

It all comes down to application or execution of skill sets… the A in PTAG (Physical skills, Technical Skills, Application of both, Grit-focus factor).  Physical and technical skills are great if properly applied… period.

Related: PTAGThe Virtual Game of Basketball of Basketball

I’ve said before that many of the top players in the NBA ( and all levels for that matter) do the same things.  I’m going to list the Top 6 defaults most consistently successful players incorporate into their play.

1) Successful  players are “Stay-first” artists, which means they understand the A-B-C’s of play.  The Law of Leadership grants the offensive player the right the be A or first and thus force the defender  to respond to an action as B; then the offensive player gets to “C” what to do and be continuously contrary to manipulate.

2) Top players typically have outstanding ROM (Range-of-motion), with the body and extended ball-side arm. ROM (body) is the range of movement forward with the head and shoulders without committing to actual movement with the feet. This mechanism  slurs the motion of offensives players forward and gives them more time to process the “B” movement of the defenders. ROM (ball) is the range of movement with the arm towards the lane , without committing to the dribble.

3) Top players use “hover” and  “false-leg” maneuvers (off-the-dribble) and quick-sticks and up-fakes (off-the-catch) to stay first and contrary.

4) Top players represent themselves with their shoulders or “Blades” during play and flex on contact.

5) Top players use “fractions-of-steps” to manipulate and play at a moderate to slow pace.  These players are rarely out of control and exploit defensive foibles with explosive and decisive action.

6) Top players have a broad “Scope-of-vision”. This is the ability to see up from the floor and the rim at the same time.  This provides early  vision of the environment and slows the action of the game down (perceptively) making processing and decision-making much easier.

There are optimum defaults for every facet of the game. Make a point to start identifying how certain player “go” (are having success) and how certain situations are handled in the flow. The more you watch, the more you’ll realize what I already know:

OMG (bling, bling)... “they’re all doing the same things”. 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Are Pros Just Ho’s

Posted in New Posts, News on March 27th, 2010 by Troy Miles

I tried to warn  you m@#%f’s (I guess I can say that in a Blog) ineMPTy Without It. Maybe you got the  message … maybe you didn’t. Ok. Sorry for the harsh tone, but it seems to be the kind of verbage y’all  can relate to.  I guess it’s true… pimpin ain’t easy.

Everybody seems to have a personal trainer. But… the question is… is he or she a developer (“Gainer”) or like most–a “Maintainer?” Like I said before, “maintainers” have a certain value, only they’re just what the term implies– maintenance people. Can’t have a fancy high-rise without a maintenance plan . The structure would lose its value before its time ( I agree). That’s why Maintainers are great for what they do and necessary for top-level competitors. But who in the world would hire a maintenance person to build an annex, a new floor or even remodel a facility.  Maybe an architect, or developer… but a maintenance person only!?  WTF#@$?!

So I ask. Why are so many top-level players hiring maintenance people for “additions” to their game? I’m curious what the maintainers are saying to these guys and gals to get them to believe they are actually changing skill levels. Unless, it’s the players simply taking advantage of the “luxury” of not having to change too much and being satisfied with where they are (maybe scuurrred….. of work of this type– at least). I understand the reluctance. Being good, outrageous and ridiculous already makes it even harder (psychologically) to initiate change and get better beyond that. Plus, programming new information into your  (brain) and in many cases, over-writing existing programs, is no joke.

On top of that, it seems that too many top-level Maintainers are “Pimps” who have positioned themselves with ridiculous “game” of their own.  I know of one “top flight” maintainer who never played or coached… but he did go to law school and presumably slept at a Holiday Inn?  Maybe that’s when he came up with his workouts and the lyrics needed to sway his faithful following.

So if Trainers or Maintainers are “pimps”, doesn’t that make the players with maintainance people Ho’s? I mean they are giving up that booty and Maintainers do fly around city to city collecting checks. I’d like to get my hands on an audio of one of the sessions…

“Say Mayne… look here! I need you ta dribble down to da blue right der there three times, wit two basketbawls. Ima strap diss here harness around yo sculptid lil waist… hah, hah. Then I want you to make six jumpas wit me holdn owne to da pulley. Nahmean?

Now if you can make jumpas with me hangin on yo ass… you can dam sho make em when it counts in da in the game wid ain’t nobody holdn you ….hanhanhan!!!!! Nahumsayn?”

I don’t understand why so many players accept staying the same or settling for the marginal gains of the common “workout.” If you’re a level 80 player, It IS still possible to get better, and I don’t  just mean in better shape. Getting in better shape will enable you to demonstrate your current skills more easily– perhaps; but it won’t get you to level 85 or beyond in terms of your skill development.

I  hope you haven’t been duped to believe you’re maxed out (skill-wise) and all you have to do is get a little wiser…the 100th percentile of function, across all skill sets, is a long way off— even if your name is Kobe or LeBron. Tragically, convincing most players they’re “there” isn’t that hard since so many players have a higher opinion of themselves than the level they are actually on.

The maintainer swoops in and convinces you they are the answer to keeping you where you are (in the league?) a few years longer? I don’t know. I don’t claim to understand the Pimp game…but it seems to work quite well on the street and in basketball . You would think at some point the Ho would call BS on the arrangement. Yet it remains a thriving industry… for the Pimp.

Is there a solution? Is there anyone  or any model– other than Virtual Play, that verifiably pushes any player to the next level (regardless of what level he or she  may be  on). Most of the time people  pick up a drill here and a drill there…maybe they ‘re even privy to “top-level” workouts. After they’ve collected enough drills, they start calling themselves “Trainers.”  But at the end of the day what they offer is … Yep– a workout.

Either you have a optimization plan to move your game towards the 100th percentile of function (the basketball Matrix) or you don’t!!!!! Any thing short of that is just good “game.” What you really want is a good “Gainer.”

Related: Virtual Training

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER ARTICLES ON THE SIDEBAR UNDER NEW POSTS!

Tags: , , , , ,

Virtual Player's Blog