12 Tips to Effective Practice
- Be Consistent-One of the keys to effective practice is being consistent with it. As a former player I quickly realized the importance of consistently practicing my weaknesses and strengths.
- Get Rest-Recovery from workouts is a necessity not only to make gains as fast as possible but also to prevent injuries.
- Warm-Up and Cool Down-Warming up and cooling down properly is a key component of an effective workout. The warm-up prevents injury and helps us get our mind right. The cool-down aides the recovery process and builds flexibility.
- Start Each Workout With a Routine-This allows players to reinforce foundational concepts and also aides in getting your mind right.
- Plan-Always have a practice plan to maximize valuable time on the floor.
- Make Mistakes-Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in your workout. It goes back to the old saying if you are not making mistakes in your workout you are making a big mistake.
- Be deliberate-Deliberate practice is proven. Each and every drill should have a key point of emphasis. Identify the key point and work on refining that particular skill.
- Invision the Situation-It is important that during practice we can visualize the game situation in which we are performing the drill. For example if a player is doing a drifting drill it is important that he or she envisions those drifts in game situations.
- Always Begin with Foundational Concepts-All workouts should start with foundational concepts. If a players foundation is neglected he or she will begin to slowly regress.
- Self Reflect and Log Progress-It is important after workouts that we self reflect thinking about how we could do better. Log your thoughts and numbers to maximize improvement.
- Think Team-It is often forgotten with players in individual workouts. Make sure your workout also embraces your role on the team so you are always making your team better even in the off-season.
- Eat Well and Have a Proper Pre and Post Workout Meal-Nutrition is huge not only for recovery purposes but also giving us enough energy to work to our maximum level during our workout.