Ever wondered how to play Pressure? Well, this basketball game is great for practicing 3-point shooting and shooting under pressure.
Do your nerves get in the way when you try to make crucial 3s? Or are you just bored of shooting around with your friends and need a game to play?
If you answered “yes” to any (or both) of those questions, I have a solution for you.
Now, this activity I’m going to tell you about is not well-known. People have to travel around the world to learn about this.
But I’m a nice guy and will let you know everything about it.
Ready?
This secret, ancient activity is called Pressure.
What is Pressure?
“What the heck is Pressure?” you’re probably thinking to yourself.
Well, first off, don’t be rude.
And secondly, Pressure is a simple schoolyard basketball game that, when played often enough, will help you with 3-point shooting.
The first time I played pressure, I did horrible. I sucked at it. It was because I wasn’t a good 3-point shooter back then (I’m still not but I’m much better now).
I much preferred attacking the basket. And so, I was often the first to get knocked out.
But the more I played, the better I became. I went from losing all the time to coming in second or third last on a regular basis.
This is really nothing, but it was a huge improvement for me.
I went from not really being able to shoot from beyond the three-point line, to being able to shoot it (albeit with a bad percentage).
I also become more comfortable with shooting from distance and with my shooting form.
And that’s really the main benefit of playing Pressure -it gives you an opportunity to get comfortable.
You’ll feel at ease when you shoot from beyond the arc and when there’s a lot riding on that shot. The anxiety will vanish because your nerves will be desensitized to that pressurized feeling.
You’ll feel as if every shot is weighted the same.
Additionally, Pressure will force you to work on and master your shooting form and fundamentals, which will aid you when you get older (i.e. Mike Miller and his ability to shoot).
How to Play Pressure
So, if you want to be Zen on the basketball court (like Damian Lillard as he shoots and makes clutch 3s), here’s how to play pressure:
Okay, the goal of this game is to get as few points as possible.
The first thing you and the other players have to do is to decide who will shoot first. You can do this via “do or die” or by flipping a coin or by each players’ height.
Now, let’s assume I get to go first. If I make my shot, one point will be added to the pot of gold. But if I miss it, nothing happens to me.
The next player will then get to go. Depending on the result of my shot, the second player will either:
- add a point to the pot (I made my shot and he makes his too)
- take all the points in the pot (I made my shot, but he doesn’t make his)
- nothing happens (we both missed our shots)
These steps then apply to the third and fourth, (and so on) players.
If all the players keep making shots, then the points in the pot will continue to rack up until someone misses and takes all the points.
So if there are 7 or more points in the pot, the current shooter will automatically lose the game if she misses the shot.
It’s brutal, but that’s how the game is played.
The first players to get 7 points losses. The winner will be the last player standing (or the one that doesn’t reach 7 points).
You can also increase the number of points too if you wish. Normally, I would keep it as is. But if you have a lot of people playing, then increasing it will probably make it more fun.
And that’s how you play Pressure.
Like this game? Click here to learn how to play HORSE next.
Final Thoughts
Pressure is a great basketball game to play if you want to improve your 3-point shooting or if you want to practice calming your nerves.
So play this game the next time you head to the court.
There’s really no downside to doing so. At worst, you’ll have a fun time playing some basketball with your friends.