The other day, a friend asked me if I felt like basketball had become “paid drudgery” for me now that I'm a pro. I thought about it for a few moments and said no. I still love playing basketball despite being paid to do it. But the reason why I work so hard has shifted since turning pro.
Read MoreFear of failure can be helpful in the right situation. It drives a relentless work ethic and preparation. But it's crippling to performance in games. This post explains the double-edged sword nature of the fear of failure.
Read More“Teammates of the hockey star Wayne Gretzky would occasionally witness a strange sight: Gretzky falling while he skated through solitary drills on the ice. While the spectacle of the planet’s greatest hockey player toppling over like a grade-schooler might seem surprising, it actually makes perfect sense..."
Read MoreMost people don’t even know they’re workout robots. They arrive at the gym, go through their training routine with minimal struggle and leave. All done on autopilot. Pat on the back. Job well done.
Here's how you snap out of it
Read MoreWhen pros get paid to play, they unwittingly fall prey to the overjustification effect, which can be summarized as; rewards turn play into work.
Read More"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons." -Jim Rohn
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard the phrase, "give a man a fish and feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” Well, this relates to skill training as well.
Read MoreWhen choosing their goals, most people ask themselves, "what do I want to achieve?" Seems logical, right? But the real question you should be asking is, "what am I willing to sacrifice to reach my goals?"
Read More"There would be no problem with competition if one's self-image were not at stake." -Timothy Gallwey
Read MoreIn the movie American Sniper, Bradley Cooper is a Navy Seal Sniper going through sniper training when his instructor gives him a piece of advice that stuck with me, “aim small, miss small.” In this post I describe a training technique that I use that follows the "aim small, miss small” advice.
Read MoreBuck is a legend in my hometown and a tremendous player back in his day. He played at Idaho state and professionally in Mexico. So when a camper asked him what the best part of his game was, my ears perked up. Buck replied simply, “my best skill as a player was my conditioning.”
Read MoreIn any drill, the first shot and last shot are the most important because they’re the most similar to game shots. Here’s why...
Read MoreHoopGains is your ultimate guide to basketball skill improvement and becoming mentally stronger. Accelerate the effectiveness of your training with tips from a professional basketball player.
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