Want to switch up your style and play more of a fundamental basketball game? Here are some drills that will teach you how to play the old man game in basketball.
To play the old man game in basketball, you need to be an efficient basketball player.
You have to be efficient and effective on a consistent basis.
This means that you have to be able to make plays and shots regularly throughout the entire game.
And to do this, you need to master 2-3 fundamental old man basketball moves. You need moves that are efficient so that you don’t have to expend a lot of energy and play poor basketball in the final minutes of games.
But how can you accomplish this? Easy.
To work on your old man game, you have to do old man basketball drills. You need to do drills that train the fundamental basketball moves.
The simplest way to do this is by practicing with a basketball dummy (or mannequin).
The Old Man Game Drills
Drill 1: Practicing Old Man Game Moves
The first drill requires you to practice old man game moves (or fundamental shooting moves) against a basketball dummy (or mannequin).
So, what you have to do with this drill is pick 5 scoring moves, get the basics of it down, then practice it against a dummy.
You’ll do 2 sets of 10 reps for each move.
For instance, let’s say you want to practice Chris Paul’s elbow jumper.
You would set the dummy near the elbow, then practice the move. You would dribble up to the elbow and then practice shooting the shot over the dummy, trying to get more and more comfortable doing the move with an obstacle in front of you.
Drill 2: Practicing Scoring Moves on Dummy
Also, here’s my favourite shooting drill with a dummy.
What I like to use the dummies for is to work on my triple threat.
So, what I do is place the dummy right in front of me, as if it were an annoying defender. Then, I just work on my ball fakes and footwork.
I will work on getting past it with spin moves or crossovers and attacking the basket. And/or jab stepping then shooting over it.
I also like to work on shooting over the dummy as it helps me get over the fear of getting my shot blocked.
I’ll either do this drill for about 20-30 minutes or until I make a certain number of shots.
You can also do the Steve Nash Basketball Workout against the dummy as an alternative.
I find that basketball dummy drills are a fun way to practice by myself (I would imagine it’s a fun way to do individual basketball workouts, too).
It also adds difficulty to the solo workouts because the dummy acts as a training partner.
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If you want to try these basketball drills out and work on your old man game, I highly recommend you buy a basketball dummy.
The best one you can grab on Amazon right now is the GoSports Basketball Xtraman Dummy Defender, which you can click here to buy.
What I like about this dummy defender is that, with a little modification, you can adjust it to work on different skills (or increase height). This will better cater to your height, abilities, and goals.
Additionally, it is durable (as the reviews say) and comes with a carry bag so that you can easily take it to and from the basketball court.
However, if you plan on using this dummy outdoors a lot, I suggest you only use it when it isn’t windy.
The dummy will flop all over the place and get knocked down if it is.
But you can counter this by putting a cinder block (or something heavy) on the base of it to keep it down.
Final Thoughts
Possessing the old man game is important.
The reason why is because it’ll give you an efficient basketball skillset that you can rely on.
So, start practicing and mastering old man game moves.
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