Now we’re going to dive into what it really means to “practice.” I know that you know how to practice, but research shows certain methods to be more effective than others, and a greater conceptual understanding of practice is important. (Just ask Larry Brown about Allen Iverson.)
The problem is that practice is a relative term, like hard work, so let’s define it more narrowly. When we talk about practice as a concept (beyond merely running a drill in a specific practice), we are talking about “deep practice,” the first of Coyle’s three elements for developing skill.
There are three rules of deep practice, which are:
Chunk It Up (the Whole-Part Method)
- Explain
- Demonstrate
- Repeat
- Correct
- Repeat
- Compete
Repeat It: Find the sweet spot for repetition
Conventional wisdom states that shooting 500 jump shots is better than shooting 250. But spending more time is only effective if you are still in the sweet spot, at the edge of your capabilities, building and honing your circuits.
Kevin Eastman, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach and Nike Skills Academy director, says this about workouts: Two things that will kill your workouts are fatigue and boredom. You need to find ways to eliminate these.
Slow It Down: Be able to feel the correct form
I had a chance to watch Steve Nash go through a short pregame workout against the Milwaukee Bucks. He started in close at about five feet, going much slower than game speed, and working on having a perfect release— feeling perfect form. Even as he moved out working on a series of step-backs and pull-ups, everything was done slowly, focusing on perfect footwork and release. His feet were exactly the same on every shot, and he didn’t move on to the next spot until he had made five shots. This is much more about deep focus and the “feel” of perfection rather than going at game speed.
Traditional theories of “game speed, game speed!” are contradicted here. Instead of getting players to “go hard” all the time, we need to teach them to “feel perfection.” I always use the analogy at camps that if you are going 100 mph and doing a drill the wrong way, it doesn’t matter how hard you go since you aren’t getting any better. You need form first, proper technique, and only then add speed.
It’s important to optimize the time players spend in practice, and trying to present everything at once can be overwhelming and counterproductive. That’s why it helps to break the skill set into chunks—“Chunk It Up.” This is also known as the whole-part method, because you teach the entire game but through a series of practiced parts.
This is especially necessary with younger players. It’s vital to condition proper form early in player development so practice results in solid skills rather than bad habits. Break the learning into pieces so it’s easier for young players to absorb.
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Mike Lee Basketball Services trains thousands of middle school through NBA players across the country each year in their skill development training, camps and coaches Academies. The owner, Mike Lee, is also a former Nike Girls Skills Academy instructor and former assistant director for the Stephen Curry Skills Academy. Recently the company has authored 7 skill development DVDs and created miSkillz Online Basketball training.
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