Developing Mental Toughness in Basketball Players and Teams

Just like every other area of basketball, we believe that a coach must study mental toughness and have a well thought through plan to help players develop and improve their mental toughness.

There are hundreds and hundreds of definitions of mental toughness. Here is a place to start as mental toughness applies to basketball.

Mental toughness is the ability to control thoughts and actions and maintain a focus on what is truly important in a calm and poised way under competitive pressure.

It is important that your players know and can explain whatever you define mental toughness to be.

Bob Knight has stated on several occasions that the mental part of basketball compared to the physical aspect is a ratio of four to one. If the mental aspect is that significant, all coaches need to have a philosophy and a plan to improve mental toughness in all players.

Here are some ideas for things you can do to improve the basketball mental toughness in the players in your program.

1. Take time every practice to rehearse different pressure situations that arise in games. Having a definite plan that players have practiced will help them focus on what to do under pressure and basketball on the pressure itself.
2. Make it a point of emphasis that bad body language, moping, basketball displays of disgust with officials, and other negative behaviors are training the players for failure. Correct them any time they occur in practice, games, or in the locker room.
3. Be a role model of poise and self control. Players will feed off of you and draw confidence from your mental toughness.
4. Use the fact that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between a real and an imagined experience. Work with your players on visualizing success and performing skills the correct way.
5. Do not allow anyone in your program to accept or make excuses.
6. Point out times in your game films or games you record on TV when a lack of poise and mental toughness by an individual cost a team a chance to win.
7. Have some type of phrase you can use when a player makes a mistake to focus them back on mental toughness and what is happening next in the game. A simple phrase such as "Play through it!" can be your signal to them that we need to get on to the next play.
8. Teach players when they make a mistake to recognize it, admit it, learn from it so that it doesn't happen again, and then forget it so that it doesn't affect any more plays.

We all need to keep in mind that every bad habit that is broken and every good habit that is established takes an average of 21 days. So as we work to establish and improve mental toughness in our players, it is a long process.

Brian Williams is a former Indiana High School Basketball Caoch with 20 years of experience at various levels of coaching . His website, The Coaching Toolbox http://www.coachingtoolbox.net, is a resource site for basketball coaches and players of all levels. The site was launched March 1, 2008 and is just getting off the ground. A new tool is added daily, so we hope that you will visit us and continue to stay and grow with us!

5 Simple Ways to Grow Taller Naturally and Increase Height

There are many ways to grow taller and increase your height. Some of the simple techniques are - doing basketball exercises, swimming, playing basketball, taking herbal supplements, correcting your posture etc. A taller person has several advantages like a better chance of picking up modeling assignment, getting selected for games like basketball, a job in the military etc.

Growing taller may not be very difficult if you can recognize the importance of height before you attain puberty.

It is easier to increase your height before puberty because the growth plates that are responsible for height still have an opportunity to grow. Once you attain puberty these growth plates get fused with the longer bones and cannot grow any further.

Here are some super easy ways to grow taller.

1) Do stretching exercises like bow down, touch toes, wall stretch and cobra posture at least 3 times a week.

2) You can practice yoga to correct the curvature of your spinal cord. This correction itself should help you in increasing height by an inch.

3) Have a balanced diet that has proteins, carbohydrates, calcium and amino acids. This is one of the easiest ways to grow taller. These nutrients will help in proper secretion of human growth hormones. Human growth hormones are essential for the growth of your bones.

4) Avoid foods that can suppress or create a hormonal imbalance in your body. Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and several other drugs and medicines can have adverse impact.

5) Maintain a life that is free of stress and tension. Stress is known to create hormonal imbalance in your body. basketball imbalance impacts growth.

Want to discover details of a scientifically proven method to get tall by 3 to 6 inches in just 6 weeks naturally? Discover these excellent insider secrets to grow taller naturally by accessing - How To Grow Taller

Shooting The Perfect Free Throw

The free throw is quite basketball important part of basketball, showing a basic level of finesse and skill in the player making the shot. Proper free throw shots can make or break a basketball game, and improving free throw percentage is a must for anyone who takes their basketball skills seriously. In this article, we'll address some of the features of good free throw shooting and help you to find your perfect shot.

Consistency is the key to getting a good free throw percentage. The term consistency' does not mean that you consistently make baskets, but instead refers to the form that you use when you're setting up for your shot. The more discipline that you have in your set-up, the more likely you are to sink your free throws shot after shot. While every player sets up their free throw shot differently, it's important to observe your form carefully to note exactly what moves your body makes when you set up for your free throw. Every aspect of the shot needs to be considered, with little left to the imagination. National Basketball Association pros recommend that you get your form consistent in every aspect, right down to the timing of your breathing before taking a shot. Free throws are a mental aspect to the game just as much as they are a physical aspect; your state of mind can greatly affect how well you take your shot. It's important to take a second to cool down before you take the shot, ensuring that your mind is in a comfortable place.

When it comes to physically honing in on your shot, most coaches recommend that you take 10 to 12 shots in a row. This way, you can develop a good rhythm to your shot. After you take a shot, step away from the line so that you can step basketball onto it, confirming that you are setting up the same way every time. It's also important to practice the shot on several different baskets; playing on different courts, and focusing on different background distractions can alter your form, causing shooting issues. A good free throw technique should consist of the following: stepping to the line, bouncing the ball (if its helpful to your shot), taking the ball to the basic position, getting into a proper stance, concentrating on the target, timing the shot properly with the movement of your body, and finally, following through. All of these parts of the shot should be isolated and practiced to ensure that your on-court free throws will follow the same choreography.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Sports, Games, and Recreation

Dwyane Wade Dunking - or How to Increase Vertical Jump

Did you see Dwyane Wades dunk over Bruce Bowen, over Jamal Crawford or Kevin Garnett? Right, Flash got mad hops! In fact, D-Wade may be basketball of the best on-dunkers in the league! And in case you didnt know, the guy is only 6-4 but has a 38-inch vertical!

So, whats his secret? Just ask the shooting guard who's the best player in the NBA.

LeBron James. I like it better that way," says Wade. "I need a rabbit to chase. Because if I keep fighting, I'll only achieve greater success. Its all about dedication, about having goals in your life.

And thats exactly the attitude you need if you seriously want to increase your vertical. Because you cant do it over night. Its a lot of work. But its a lot of fun too. When you will dunk, when you will throw down a reverse, a 360 the first basketball you will understand why. But first, you need to work, to train real hard.

There are a lot of exercises that work. Here are some:

- Depth Jumps

Place a plyometric box in front of you (3 feet high). Get on it and step off with both feet. As soon as you land, jump back as high as you can. (4 sets x 10 reps)

- Burnouts

Go as high as you can on your toes. Now jump repeatedly no more than 1/2 to 1 inch off of the ground. (3 sets x 50 reps)

- Thrust ups

Jump high as you can and as soon as you land thrust at once back up trying not to bend your legs. (4 sets x 15 reps)

For more exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you dont do is more important then what you do do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend:

http://www.howtodunk.org

personal trainer

Women's College Basketball - History and Background

It is well known that basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Nesmith, but what is not so well known is basketball history of women's basketball. The inaugural womens college basketball session was actually part of a physical education class at Smith College for girls in Conneticut.

The very first womens college basketball game took place at Smith College for girls in 1893 where the freshman played against the sophomores. Unlike womens college basketball games today, the game actually took place behind locked doors and men were prohibited from watching.

The rules of this first womens college basketball game were altered from those of the original mens version basketball enhance teamwork. The court had 3 zones and three players from each team of nine were allowed in each zone but could not move out of their zone. Funnily enough, these early restrictions in the womens college basketball game are strikingly similar to the game of netball that is played by schoolgirls and women all over Europe.

Womens college basketball began to spread quickly and the first game between two different womens college basketball teams was played in April 1896 with Stanford beating Berkley. There were still 9 players on each womens college basketball team in this inter-college game but instead of keeping the original rule where a player could only hold the ball for 3 seconds and must dribble it 3 times before passing this was changed so that a player could not run more than 5 feet before having to pass the ball. Once again, however, as with the first womens college basketball game, men were not allowed to watch the game.

The formal rules of womens college basketball were first produced in 1901 and went through numerous changes before developing into the game that is played today. One of the most interesting aspects of the early womens college basketball games is that the basket was sewn shut so that the umpire had to remove the ball from it every time it was put through the hoop.

The familiar indoor basketball court that todays womens college basketball teams play on was not always made available to the women for a couple of decades after the sport began. Some womens college basketball teams had to play on grass courts outside and did not have the chance to play on an indoor court at all.

Jordan Dunham is an expert on college student loan consolidation, visit http://www.students-loan-consolidation.org/ today for details.

Friendship And Basketball

One of the best things about the basketball of basketball is that it is a team sport. If you want to win games you are going to have to do your part, but your teammates are also going to have to do theirs. For this reason, great bonds can be formed through the game of basketball. This holds true when players form friendships as well as coaches. The bottom line is that there is no better way to make friends than through sports; especially the game of basketball.

The reason that basketball brings people together is because they have to work with one another on the court. And over time as you work with somebody on the court, you will become closer to them in other areas of your life as well. And this does not just hold true for younger kids that are playing the game of basketball. Even grown men who play in the NBA make a lot of life long friends through the game of basketball. With basketball you do not have to be a certain age to make friends. As long as you are open to meeting new people the basketball is the limit. You can make friends with both your teammates and your coaches. And in many cases these are people that you will remain friends with the rest of your life.

Overall, friendship and basketball go together nicely with one another. There is no other game on the face of the earth that helps bring people together like basketball.

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NBA and NCAA Las Vegas Sports Betting System

Las Vegas has been termed as the gambling Mecca. Las Vegas is located southeast basketball Nevada and is situated near the California and Arizona borders. Various characters comprise the gambling scene. There are also many avenues for conducting gambling and one of them is sports betting. Specifically, one type of sports betting is that done over the NBA and NCAA basketball games. The NBA, of course, is the National Basketball Association and the NCAA pertains to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Games from these two associations are considered as major events that bring not only Americans but other people from around the world as well to Las Vegas in order to bet basketball their favorite teams. NBA is actually considered as one of the most popular games to place a wager on. Aside from this, the NBA and the NCAA basketball games prove to be very exciting for many people and are one of the most-watched games.

Las Vegas sports betting has its own set of rules that any prospective sports better should know. For instance, in Las Vegas sports betting, if any unanticipated event occurs which forestalls the beginning of the game, then wagers will have to be refunded. However, if the event has already started but has just not yet been completed, then there are some special rules that apply. For instance, in the NBA, a wager gains action if the game has already reached forty-three minutes of play for the NBA and thirty-five minutes for the NCAA. If it does not reach the required time, then the wagers are refunded. Overtime scores count in half-time wagering for NBA and NCAA but not during the Fourth Quarter. Overtime scoring is also taken into account when wagering on the on the game period spread, moneyline, or total.

In the Las Vegas sports betting, there are also what are known as sportsbooks can be viewed as accounts that manages wagers and gives vital information on betting essentials such as the betting odds, advices and tips on betting and point spreads and betting lines. This is an online system and, instead of having to go to Las Vegas, you can now place a wager and do sports betting from the comforts of your own home. A quick search online will open up a host of information about the different betting sportsbooks that can help you open an account and get into the Las Vegas sports betting scene. In fact, this is the first step that you need to take when you want to get into Las Vegas sports betting. For fans of NBA and the NCAA, there are sportsbooks that can give you insider information on betting odds that you can study to further improve your sports betting experience.

Choose a sportsbook that will guarantee privacy when it comes to your information. You must also ensure that the sportsbook where you will open an account will pay your winnings instantly. A good sportsbook will also outline for you what rules you are to follow when placing a wager.

Want to turn your hobby of betting NBA into making a guaranteed amount per month? It's easy following our proven Las Vegas sports betting system that focuses on our information combined with line movement and late information. Go to http://www.BasketballCrusher.com now to start your FREE trial today!! Come see just how accurate our system is!

7 Common Offensive Mistakes Made in Basketball

You can be the basketball athletic, talented basketball player in the world but if you don't know how to execute and basketball the game the way it should be, you'll struggle. There are players all over out there that are extremely gifted and as far as street-ball and pick-up games go, they dominate. The problem for some of them though is the fact that they never really had the patience to learn how to play in a system and excel in an organized league. Don't be that type of player. Continue to work on your skills but don't forget to study the game and improve your basketball intelligence. Coaches want smart players on the floor that don't make a lot of mistakes. If you're making mistakes you're riding the bench and not accomplishing anything.

This article touches on 7 of the most common mistakes players will make on offense. If you can cut down on these mistakes you'll be well on your way to getting more playing time so that you can showcase your skills.

#1 Too Much Dribble

It is much better to use the pass to advance the ball on offense. Never develop the habit of automatically dribbling once the ball comes to you. Look to pass to the open man first!

#2 Misuse of the Cross-Court Pass

A cross-court pass can be very helpful to an offense, especially when attacking a zone defense. It's also very dangerous and more often than not it is thrown prematurely and results in a turnover. If there is any doubt whatsoever, DON'T THROW IT!

#3 Taking too Early of a Shot

It can be very tempting sometimes to grab a rebound and then run down and spot up for an open three. The problem is it's not usually very smart. When the opposition has two or three defenders under the basket with good position and you still have teammates making their way down the court, it's just not a good shot to take. Slow it down and get in your offense. Make the defense work and give your team at least a chance to get an offensive rebound.

#4 Failure to Come to the Ball

When the defense is pressuring one of your teammate after they have picked up their dribble you must come to the ball to enable them to make the pass. Don't make cuts, don't go backdoor, come to the ball.

#5 Standing Still

Some players have only one thing that keeps them from being a dominant player, not knowing how to move without the ball. A good offensive player is constantly moving and looking to get into position to receive the ball. Don't run around like a chicken with your head cut off just make your defender work. Make cuts to the basket, come off screens aggressively and move around.

#6 Forcing Passes into the Post

It's always great to move the ball inside to your post players but too often the ball is thrown away while doing so. Make certain before the pass is thrown that it will not be deflected or stolen away. You can always move the ball around the perimeter until a post player opens up and there is no risk making the pass.

#7 Forgetting Plays/Offensive Sets

Forgetting a play or setting up in the wrong offense set once a season is somewhat acceptable. Forgetting a couple times per game is pathetic and will likely land you on the bench. You have to be aware of what's going on in the game at all times. If you have to constantly be reminded of what's going on, then you are a liability to your team. Your coach cannot afford to take the risk of having you on the floor causing chaos.

For more expert basketball instruction visit HoopSkills.com.

Basketball Tips - 7 Tips to Make You an Eighty Percent Free Throw Shooter

I get calls all the time from basketball players who want to improve their foul shooting. Some of these players basketball kids. Some are college players and some are playing at the professional level.

These basketball players call me because they realize that making foul shots has a lot to do with what is going on in their head before they get to the line and once they get to the line.

Shooting foul shots is quite mental, once you master the mechanics of holding the ball properly, aiming properly, using your legs, maintaining your balance and imparting some backspin on the basketball.

Remember, there is nobody guarding you at the foul line and you get the opportunity to get set, get comfortable and find your shooting eyes, your shooting touch and your shooting mind. The pace during a basketball game is very different than the pace when you are at the line.

Here are a few more tips to help you be more consistent and efficient at the foul line during game conditions:

1. Develop a consistent routine when you step up to the foul line. Your routine needs to enable you to be relaxed, confident and focused. Taking three deep breaths before you get to the line can be quite helpful.

2. Practice foul shooting with distractions. Some coaches teach their players to make foul shots with fans screaming and waving towels and banners behind the backboard. They stimulate these conditions in basketball Learning to manage these kinds of stimuli will help make you a better foul shooter.

3. Practice shooting with your eyes closed. This will help you to develop touch, feel and confidence.

4. Try to get your foul shooting to the eighty percent level in practice.

5. Spend some time every day imagining yourself sinking foul shots. If you like, imagine that you are your favorite basketball player who is at the line is an NBA game.

6. If you miss your first free throw, remind yourself that the most important shot is the next one that you are about to take in the game.

7. Learn how to place yourself into the zone at the line by mastering self-hypnotic techniques. These methods are described in my books and in my various programs.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com

He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com

His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers. Olympic athletes from Japan recently visited him so that they could learn more about his unique methods for improving performance in sports.

Cornhole - A Game Fun For People of All Ages

The name of the game is officially cornhole. It is known by different names basketball the nation. Some of these names include the following: corn toss, bean bag toss, baggo. Whatever it is called, it is popular. The game has recently received national attention through articles in the Wall Street Journal and other popular newspapers. The game is addicting. Just give a bag a toss and you will find out for yourself.

Cornhole is quickly replacing horseshoe at parties and events around the United States. You can find people playing almost anywhere in the midwest (block parties, backyards, tailgate parties, bars, college campuses). It is also catching steam across the rest of the US. What makes this game so much more fun and multigenerational then horseshoes? Cornhole is easier to play. All you need is two boards and 8 bags. The bags typically weigh between 14-16 oz. People of all ages can hold something that weighs a pound. You take the bag and pitch it (toss it) toward the boards that are set up 33 feet apart (from hole to basketball The one pound bags are a lot lighter then the heavy horseshoes.

Cornhole is also more portable. You can play it on almost any surface and any location. Most tailgate parties have a cornhole game set up as part of their activities.

Only time will tell if cornhole maintains its popularity. Although horseshoes have been around a long time, cornhole offers something new and exciting to people of all ages. if you have not tried the game, you should.

Rebecca owns and operates http://www.beccasports.com, a website dedicated to offering affordable, quality cornhole, corn toss, bean bag toss board and bag equipment.

Exercises to Increase Vertical Leap - What Should I Know?

Despite the fact that most people think that working your leg muscles is all it takes basketball improve your vertical leap, this is not the case. In order to jump higher and be able to dunk, basketball also need to strengthen your core muscles.

Working only your leg muscles is, with no doubt, a good way to increase vertical leap by a few inches, but if you really want to fly, you have to work on other parts of your body, too.

The secret is that when working your core muscles, you unconsciously work other parts of your body, at the same time. This way, instead of improving your leap by "only" 10 inches, you will be able to jump even 20 inches higher.

As well, another thing people tend to forget about is the power of will needed to accomplish a major thing, like being able to dunk. No one has ever seen a 5 inch improvement after only one week of training. The truth is that an average man usually gains no more than 1 inch per week.

Therefore, in order to achieve your goal and jump a lot higher, you need to be really committed to exercising. As well, you still need to know what parts of your body you should work on, so that the results will be satisfactory. Many people waste time on working muscles that are not used in the process of jumping, and are afterwords disappointed with what they achieved.

Getting from an average leap to one that will allow you to dunk usually takes about two months, depending on how hard you work and what exercises you use. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you'll get to a 40 inches leap that fast. In order to accomplish that, you must go on with your training for at least two more months.

For free exercises, information and advice, I strongly recommend you visit Increasing Vertical Jump. Many other people managed to dunk before, so why wouldn't you?
http://increasing-vertical-jump.blogspot.com

Cornhole - A Game Fun For People of All Ages

The name of the game is officially cornhole. It is known by different names across the nation. Some of these names include the following: corn toss, bean bag toss, baggo. Whatever it is called, it is popular. The game has recently received national basketball through articles in the Wall Street Journal and other popular newspapers. The game is addicting. Just give a bag a toss and you will find out for yourself.

Cornhole is basketball replacing horseshoe at parties and events around the United States. You can find people playing almost anywhere in the midwest (block parties, backyards, tailgate parties, bars, college campuses). It is also catching steam across the rest of the US. What makes this game so much more fun and multigenerational then horseshoes? Cornhole is easier to play. All you need is two boards and 8 bags. The bags typically weigh between 14-16 oz. People of all ages can hold something that weighs a pound. You take the bag and pitch it (toss it) toward the boards that are set up 33 feet apart (from hole to hole). The one pound bags are a lot lighter then the heavy horseshoes.

Cornhole is also more portable. You can play it on almost any surface and any location. Most tailgate parties have a cornhole game set up as part of their activities.

Only time will tell if cornhole maintains its popularity. Although horseshoes have been around a long time, cornhole offers something new and exciting to people of all ages. if you have not tried the game, you should.

Rebecca owns and operates http://www.beccasports.com, a website dedicated to offering affordable, quality cornhole, corn toss, bean bag toss board and bag equipment.

Knee Pain Relief - Injuring Your ACL & Protecting Your ACL Afterward With a Well Designed Knee Brace

Has your knee ever made a Popping sound when you injured it?

If so you may have injured one of your main ligaments in your knee; your ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). Even if you did not hear that sound, you still may have seriously injured your knee.

ACL injuries can happen to anyone. Individuals that are highly active tend to have a greater chance at injuring this ligament, especially those that can cause a lot of force placed on the ACL. Gender also seems to play a role in the frequency of ACL injuries. In collegiate basketball, women players have been noted to have an ACL injury rate that is up to 8 times more likely than men in the same sport!

Usually high speed twists can injure the ACL. Moreover, high speed bending or extending the knee beyond its normal basketball of motion, or awkward landings can result in an ACL injury. Many people think that football players are the most susceptible to ACL injuries but people who play basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, tennis, skiers etc. can also injury this ligament with the wrong kind of movement. After the injury occurs, a significant amount of pain and swelling can occur. You may also feel like the stability of your knee is basketball like it is going to "give out" on you.

An ACL knee brace can be a highly supportive adjunct to your recovery process. ACL type knee braces are usually more sturdy than your neoprene style knee braces. What this basically means is that if you injured your ACL, you will most likely benefit from a knee brace that will help to stop any bending, twisting, or hyperextension movements of your knee that will further insult your injury. Furthermore, ACL knee braces, when properly designed, can help to stop side to side movements as well that when excessive in nature can re-injure your knee.

Many people have expressed a sense of relief when they get these kinds of knee braces, because they do not feel like their knee is going to "Give Out" on them when it is worn. They also express the fact that they can still move around and the brace does not inhibit their movement to the point were it is cumbersome.

If you would like free information just like this visit us online at http://www.drbraceco.com Dr. Brace Co. is an education based site that can provide helpful information and meaningful support for your knee.

Basketball - Things to Do Before Games

Before all training sessions and games where you know you are about to go out onto the hardwood and do some serious exercise, you need to do 2 things - warm up and stretch.

Anybody doubting whether the warm up and stretching period before exercise is essential should take basketball look at a NBA game next time. When the starting 5 from each team is called out, the players are already sweating from their warm up and stretching. Most basketball them have been at the courts for over an hour, getting ready for the game.

I guess the thing that people really want to know is why warming up and stretching is so important. Well, the answer is simple. Warming up increases the blood flow to muscles, warming them up and making them ready for exercises while stretching is a reiteration of the warm up, also working to get the muscles nice and limber.

A great analogy for this process is one involving a piece of rubber. A cold piece of rubber is not flexible, hard to deform and stretch. Going even further, cooling down a piece of rubber in the freezer makes the rubber brittle and easy for you to break. This is the state of muscles before warming up and stretching.

Warming up this piece of rubber makes it now easy to bend and stretch while very hard to break. Think of a blu-tack. When you try to rip off a piece from package it is relatively easy. But after stretching it over and over again it gradually warms up and you are able to stretch it quite far. A warmed up muscle will be like the warm piece of rubber. Now that it is warm, it is hard for it to stretch too far because the capacity for stretching is greatly increased. Risk of injury in decreased while performance in the game is increased.

Apart from getting your muscles in the mood for exercise, warming up is also important to get yourself into the game. After shooting around for a bit, not only does your body start warming up for the game but your mind gets into game mode. You will suddenly see the court through clearer eyes with your mind in the basketball zone.

Remember - warm up your muscles by jogging around or shooting the ball. After you start to sweat a little you should go into your stretches. Doing this will improve your game performance and decrease risk of injuries.

Paul is a university graduate involved with health sciences.
He has developed a basketball site catering specifically to basketball players and their needs http://www.basketball-step.com

How to Get Your Girlfriend Interested in Basketball

You love basketball basketball you love your girlfriend. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to enjoy those two things together? Wouldn't it be nice to stop having to hear her ask why you pay more attention to the game than her? One way to bring your two loves together is through getting your girlfriend interested basketball basketball.

It is not as hard as it may seem. No matter what type of girl she is, if you go about the right way you can peak some interest in basketball. When she's interested in it then you can find that great balance between watching the game and getting along with her.

To start with you have to understand the ground rules of getting your girlfriend interested in basketball.

- Make it fun for her. You can not just plop her down in front of the television and expect her to fall in love. You need to make the idea fun to her. You need to make it seem like a wonderful thing that she would really want to do. Put some thought into it and make her want to give this basketball idea a shot.

- Explain the game. You will need to explain about basketball to her. She may know some general things, but you have to explain the basics to her so she isn't sitting there wondering what is happening and why you keep jumping off the couch.

- Answer her questions. The worst thing you can do is hush her and not answer her questions. If she asks a question - any question - make sure you pay attention and answer it. Also make sure you answer it adequately. Make sure she understands the answer. This has an added perk of showing her attention, which will help keep her interested in the game.

- Encourage it as together time. The hook to get her to sit and watch a game is going to be explaining that it can be great together time. She wants to spend time with you and here you are offering that time, so chances are she will jump at it.

- Be Patient. It can be difficult to answer questions and have your girlfriends as a distraction during the game, but you have to be patient. She won't remain clueless forever. Once she learns the game you can then really begin enjoying it together. Make sure you never forget to be patient. The worst thing you can do is become snappy, which will just chase her away.

- Find common ground. Find a team to root for together. You probably already have a favorite team and you can probably find some way to make her like them. Maybe she'll enjoy the colors of the uniforms, love the city they are from or simply enjoy watching their players play. Just find some way to draw her in as a team fan.

It can be an experience to teach your girlfriend to love basketball, but it is an experience that is well worth it.

Find cool NCAA and NBA quality basketball hoops here. Whether you're a die hard player that's looking for a high end goals and hoops, or just enjoy casually shooting hoops in the driveway, you can find a hoop here. Find tons of hoops, like these outdoor goals.

Knee Pain Relief - Injuring Your ACL & Protecting Your ACL Afterward With a Well Designed Knee Brace

Has your knee ever made a Popping sound when you injured it?

If so you may have injured one basketball your main ligaments in your knee; your ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). Even if you did not hear that sound, you still may have seriously injured your knee.

ACL injuries can happen to anyone. Individuals that are highly active tend to have a greater chance at injuring this ligament, especially those that can cause a lot of force placed on the ACL. Gender also seems to play a role in the frequency of ACL injuries. In collegiate basketball, women players have been noted to have an ACL injury rate that is up to 8 times more likely than men in the same sport!

Usually high speed twists can injure the ACL. Moreover, high speed bending or extending the knee beyond its normal range of motion, or awkward landings can result in an ACL injury. Many people think that football players are the most susceptible to ACL injuries but people who play basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, tennis, skiers etc. can also injury this ligament with the wrong kind of movement. After the injury occurs, a significant amount of pain and swelling can occur. You may also feel like the stability of your knee is basketball like it is going to "give out" on you.

An ACL knee brace can be a highly supportive adjunct to your recovery process. ACL type knee braces are usually more sturdy than your neoprene style knee braces. What this basically means is that if you injured your ACL, you will most likely benefit from a knee brace that will help to stop any bending, twisting, or hyperextension movements of your knee that will further insult your injury. Furthermore, ACL knee braces, when properly designed, can help to stop side to side movements as well that when excessive in nature can re-injure your knee.

Many people have expressed a sense of relief when they get these kinds of knee braces, because they do not feel like their knee is going to "Give Out" on them when it is worn. They also express the fact that they can still move around and the brace does not inhibit their movement to the point were it is cumbersome.

If you would like free information just like this visit us online at http://www.drbraceco.com Dr. Brace Co. is an education based site that can provide helpful information and meaningful support for your knee.

Dr Naismith and College Basketball

Since the early days of the basketball century, people have enjoyed playing the game of basketball. Indeed, basketball the United States, college basketball has gained quite a following nationwide. Now, with the immense popularity of the NBA and its superstars, many students are looking to get noticed in college basketball recruiting, to play in college teams and even perhaps in the NBA.

Dr. James Naismith is recognized as the inventor of basketball. Naismith was born in 1861 in Ramsay, located near Almonte in Ontario, Canada. The concept of basketball was derived from a child's game known as duck-on-a-rock, which he played during his school days outside his schoolhouse. The game involved attempting to dislodge what was called a "duck" off the top of a large rock by tossing another rock at it.

Naismith served in McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as its Athletic Director. He then moved on to the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in 1891, which is where basketball eventually was born. During his stay in Springfield, Naismith became immersed in finding a sport for the students at the School for Christian Workers that was suitable to play indoors during the winter. He wanted to create a game that relied on skill as opposed to one that depended exclusively on strength.

In addition to the creation of the sport, Naismith graduated as a medical doctor, focusing himself on sports physiology and (which would later be known as) sports science. He was also a Presbyterian minister, with a deep curiosity in philosophy. The first basketball game was played using a soccer ball and two peach baskets as the goals.

Naismith was able to witness basketball being brought into in many nations through the YMCA movement, which began as early as 1893. In 1936, basketball was introduced at the Berlin Olympics. Today, college basketball is played in campuses throughout the Unite States, and basketball has come to be known as one of the world's most popular sports.

The Internet has proven to be a useful venue for both students in college basketball and coaches involved in the process of college basketball recruiting. There are many websites and online forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact. D1Athletes is an online community wherein high school athletes and coaches alike can share and exchange information they need during college basketball recruiting. D1Athletes offers them a place to build an online presence and gain important public exposure.

To learn more, visit D1Athletes.com or just click college basketball recruiting.

Vertical Jump Workouts - Increase Vertical Jump

There are plenty of basketball that can basketball people get faster and stronger. People usually look for these workouts so that they can gain an advantage in whatever it is that they want to do. Whether that is running, swimming, basketball or football, it is important. Vertical jump workouts are usually very important to many of these sports.

These are the best vertical jump workouts to increase vertical jump:

Side Box Jump

What you need for this workout is a box or some type of obstacle for you to jump over. This box or obstacle needs to be high enough to give you some type of challenge, but also not too high so that you can't jump over it. Place the box to your side and jump over it to one side, then back to the other side. Do 20 repetitions of this workout and as you get better, increase the repetitions to make it more challenging.

Weighted Box Jump

This is basically the same workout as the Side Box jumps but more effective. This is one of the more effective vertical jump workouts. This time, instead of placing the box to your side, place the box in front of you. Now in addition to jumping over the box and back, you need to hold a pair of weights while doing this. Holding the weights forces your body to become conditioned to you jumping with added weight. This increases your explosiveness for when you are not wearing weights. This is called a power workout.

Weighted Squats

The most important part of this workout is consistency. What you are basically doing is holding weights in your hands or wearing some type of weight vest and performing squats. Be sure to perform the squats correctly because doing them wrong will not get you what you're looking for. Squats just might be one of the most important vertical jump workouts to help you increase your vertical. That is why it is essential that you perform this workout correctly.

Is it really possible to add 6 inches to your vertical jump in the next 60 days? Check out my reviews of the top Vertical Jump Programs on the market.

Cuba - A Nation Of Olympic Slaves

Dieudonn Lamothe, who was a sports person from Haiti, finished lost basketball the 5000-meter race at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.He lose the Olympic competition, but Lamothe was not assassinated by president Jean-Claude Duvalier, the dictator who became known throughout the world as Baby Doc Duvalier. Over the next years, Lamothe revealed that Jean-Claude Duvalier had threatened to kill him if he failed to finish the raceAmnesty International reports secret police,known as Tonton Macoutes, practice torture, assassinations and disappearances including killings of prominent opposition leaders.

Like Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (Cuban dictator) and Idi Amin Dada (Ugandan dictador), Jean-Claude Duvalier loves sports.Certainly, he popularized the sport of soccer, or football, in Haiti, an ex-French colony in the Caribbean. Under his leadership,Haiti qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup tournament in Munich (West Germany). It also won the Junior World Soccer Championships in 1975 in Mexico City, Mexico.Soccer is now the national sport of the country.
Between October 12 and October 26, 1975, the Haitian delegation participated in the Seventh Pan American Games held in Mexico City. The national delegation had 12 athletes competing in three sports: track and field (7), boxing (2) and tennis(3).Furthermore, Haiti sent a national team to the 1976 Olympic Games, which were held in Montreal (Canada).Haitian athletes also competed in several events sponsored by international sports organizations, including basketball, golf, judo, volleyball and boxing.

Indisputably one of the worst dictatorships of all time, Fidel Castro Ruz enjoys all types of Olympic sports, including basketball and baseball, and his proudest moment was when his country hosted the Pan American Games in 1991. The people that dont know Cuba very much think that Cuba is an olympic paradise.

Like Iran, Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (or North Korea), Cuba is a terrorist state in the 21st century. Fidel Castro Ruz is not Pol Pot (Maoist dictator) and Enver Hoxha (anti-Soviet dictator), but he is a dictator in the Third World. The country has never known a period free of tyranny, repression and political conflict.

A revolution in 1959 transformed Cuba into Latin Americas first socialist republic. From 1962 to 1989, Cuba was a Soviet colony. In 1962, Cuba looked to the USSR (currently Russia,Ukraine, Belarus,etc) to help it consolidate its sport.Sporting projects were strongly emphasized during this decade. The Soviet Union sent Olympic advisers to La Havana and agreed to provide sporting aid to Cuban dictatorship. Recognized the importance of sport to Cubas dictatorship, the Soviets construted several sports schools, best known as Escuelas de Iniciacin Deportiva Escolar (EIDE, Schools for the Initiation into Scholastic Sport), modernized gymnasiums, and built stadiums. This invaluable sporting support continued through the 1970s and 1980s.

Sport in Cuba continues to be strictly centered in the hands of Fidel Castro Ruz. Castro has instilled a mental toughness in the Cuban athletes. The athletes are forced to deny to the United States, Czech Republic, Hungary, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, South Korea and other countries.

Ongoing violence has forced more than 300 athletes to flee to neighboring countries including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and the United States.

From the outside, the Lenin Sport School is certainly impressive. No all the dictatorships have the same situation. Under the dictatorship of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Zimbabwes sport is a disaster. Yoel Lpez always arrives at Lenin Sport School early.He says: I usually go to sport school by car but sometimes I walk. In Cuba the sports schools usually open 7.30 in the morning. Yoel never watches television. He sleeps seven hours a night. He works very hard. Like many Cuban children, he is a new slave of the Cuban Revolution.Certainly, Yoel Lpez is a volleyball player.

Cuba won the baseball Pan American gold medal in Santo Domingo 2003. Hundreds of Cubans watched TV coverage of the Pan American Games. During the final baseball game, soldiers in camouflage stood around the Cuban dugout and guarded much of the section where Cubas delegation was seated. Even credentialed media were kept off the field and guards with loaded assault rifles protected the Cuban national bus. One soldier told a journalist he estimated there were around 400 security workers at the stadium and said if any Cuban got away it would mean jail time for the Dominican patrol. Our mission tonight is to ensure that no Cuban defects, he said on condition of anonymity. If one defects, theyve threatened us with jail, and said they would dismiss us from the army.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a basketball writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He studied political science and journalism. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Furthermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist". Some of his favorite books are The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan Gasparini) and Murder of a Gentle Land (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the beauty o f their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Increase Vertical Leap Get A Monster Vertical Leap!

Wouldnt you want basketball increase basketball vertical leap by 12 inches or more? Have you always wanted those extra 4 inches to your jump that would allow you to carry out one of Lebron Jamess trademark breakaway dunks? As you read this article youll begin to get certain feelings of excitement as you realize that you can now increase vertical leap that will simply explode your basketball game. Better still, youll learn how to use the 7 free exercises. Thats right! FREE! Think about it. You can use these specialized techniques in your training today!

What do you think you can do to magnify your vertical leap today? In a nutshell, youve to work out every bit of muscle in your legs, core (abdomen) and arms even. You can catch an entire power-packed training program at my website, but first here are 7 simple yet devastatingly powerful exercises you can use immediately:

1. Leapups - Stand with your feet shoulder width appart, and jump up looking
straight ahead. Come down about 1/4 of the way and jump right back up. This completes one leapup. Leapups train muscles to remember how to jump, thus drastically helping to increase vertical leap.

2. Calf raises - Stand on something so that your heels are not touching anything,
stairs, a book etc. Go all the way up and come slowly down. Do one leg, then the other, this completes one set.

3. Step ups - Get a sturdy chair or bench, put one lleg on the chair, and push
yourself off the chair with your one leg. While in the air, switch legs, put the leg that was on the ground on the bench, the leg that was on the bench on the ground. Do the specified number of reps on each leg.

4. Thrust ups - Stand with your feet shoulder width appart, and lock your knees.
Then jump up just by using your calves, only bending at the ankles. As soon as your land, go right back up. This completes one thrust ups. You can use your arms if you want.

5. Burnouts - Stand in the same position as thrust uups, and go up as high as your
can on your toes. Then jump up only using the sides of your thighs and your toes - you must stay as high on your toes as possible throughout the exercise. You can use your arms too.

6. Squats These are the King of leg exercises and a must to increase vertical leap. They work out almost every muscle in your legs and will allow you to max up your quads in no time. Stand shoulder-width apart and bend your knees to go down, keeping your back straight. Stop when the back of your knees form a 90 degree angle. Come back up explosively. To increase power, try doing squats with weights.

7. Sit ups Sit ups are an excellent way to strengthen your abdominal core which is essential for explosiveness and stability in your vertical leap. Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent. Bring up your torso fast and hold momentarily before lowering your torso down slowly.

These are training methods used by college and even NBA basketball players to dramatically increase vertical leap and explode your all-around game. From rebounds, to blocks, to jumpshots, to dunks, your leap determines it all. Think about it.

Damien Ng played for Aramis Taylor that clinched the state championships in Malaysia in 2002. He now plays for the Cambridge University Lions. Visit http://www.leaplikelebron.info for a complete training program to increase vertical leap. Think about what you'll be able to achieve.

Increase Vertical Leap

A Change of Plan

When basketball is around the corner, we know that a potential new NBA champion is on the rise. June marks the last month of the NBA playoffs, a four round series in which eliminated teams are sent home. In each of these playoff series, the winner moves on when he has won 4 of the 7 games. The 7 games are played accordingly to who had the better record, with the weaker team having one less home game. But is this the best for everyone? Should there be a playoff format change when 7 games are just too much? A lot can happen in 7 games and it puts pressure only when 2 games have been lost by a particular team. The NBA playoffs are too long in my opinion and it can be very boring at times.

To further explain my point, the NBA playoff is like a show that is run basketball and over. There is a pregame talk about the players and more, when it can all be done in several games at most. While hyping up the playoffs is okay, there should be fewer games. There should only be 4 or 5 games so that the pressure is quickly on a team to win. It also makes each game count more and is more interesting when there are fewer games played. The NCAA is very interesting because there is a one rule elimination game. In order to become the champion, you have to win all of your games without dropping any of them.

The NCAA is very interesting as a result of their format. It puts that much more pressure on things to be done well the first time. There is also more meaning to each game because it counts. Meanwhile, the NBA has so many games that it makes each game almost meaningless unless a team is close to losing the series.

If the NBA playoffs format is changed it will not benefit any team. It will be the same rules and formatting for each and every team in the playoffs. They will have to adapt to the rules and will have to play more effective. It will make the NBA something to watch again.

NBA fan
By Jonathan T Chin

Meet 26 of the NCAA Basketball Conference Or League Champions - Find Out Who Didn't Win

Twenty-six of 31 NCAA Basketball league or conference titles were settled Monday (3-9-09). Twenty-three teams won outright championships, 3 wound up in ties with other teams, and playoffs will decide the other 5. Here is the scorecard:

The Dominators

Teams that won outright league titles by a 2-game-or-more-advantage included 2nd-ranked North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 13-3 mark and an overall record of 27-3. The Tar Heels were 14-1 basketball home. Two other teams also only lost once at home-Wake Forest and Duke-but neither could begin to match North Carolina's 8-2 road performance.

Eighth-ranked Michigan State took the Big Ten title with a 15-3 mark and a 4-game winning advantage. The Spartans were 25-5 overall with a 12-2 home showing and a killer 9-1 road record. Indiana was 1-17 in conference play, begging the question: Where are the real clowns who sent Bobby Knight packing?

Fourteenth-ranked Gonzaga ran the table in West Coast Conference play with a perfect 14-0 mark and a 4-game winning advantage. The Zags were 25-5 overall with a sterling 9-1 road record.

Utah State won the Western Athletic title with a 14-2 mark and a 3-game winning advantage. The Aggies were 27-4 overall with a perfect 17-0 home record.

Weber State (21-8 overall) won the Big Sky with a 15-1 mark and a 4-game winning advantage. Radford (21-11 overall) won the Big South with a 15-3 mark. Butler (26-4 overall) took the Horizon title with a 15-3 record. Cornell (21-9 overall) won the Ivy League with an 11-3 mark and a 3-game winning advantage. Siena (25-7 overall) won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 16-2 and a perfect 16-0 home record.

Morgan State (20-11 overall) won the Mid-Eastern Conference with a 13-3 mark and a 3-game winning advantage. Robert Morris (23-10) won the Northeast with a 15-3 mark and 3-game winning advantage. American University (23-7) won the Patriot League with a 13-1 mark. North Dakota State (24-6) took the Summit League with a 16-2 mark.

All You Need Is One More Win

Teams that won outright titles by a 1-game advantage included 6th-ranked Louisville in the Big East with a 16-2 mark and an overall record of 25-5. No. 3-ranked Pittsburgh (28-3 overall) was a runner-up with a perfect 19-0 record at home but could not match Louisville's 8-1 road mark. Top-ranked Connecticut was also a runner-up and had a 27-3 record, but Louisville took home the trophy.

Ninth-ranked Kansas won the Big 12 with a 14-2 and an 18-1 home record. The Jayhawks were 25-6 overall. Fifteenth-ranked Missouri was third with a perfect 18-0 mark at home but could not win when it really counted.

Sixteenth-ranked Washington won the Pacific 10 (Pac 10) title with a 14-4 mark and an 18-1 home record. The outright championship was the Huskies' first in 56 years. Washington was 24-7 overall. The basketball started the year at 3-3 and then went 21-4.

Seventeenth-ranked Xavier (24-6 overall) won the Atlantic 10 title with a 12-4 mark and was 14-1 at home. Dayton, a runner-up, was a perfect 18-0 at home but the Flyers lost more games than they won on the road.

Jacksonville (18-3 overall) won the Atlantic Sun with a 15-5 mark. Cal State Northridge (15-13 overall) won the Big West title with an 11-5 mark even though Cal State was 5-11 on the road. Virginia Commonwealth (23-9) won the Colonial Athletic Conference with a 14-4 mark. Runner-up George Mason (22-9) was a perfect 14-0 at home but lost more games than it won on the road.

Tulsa (22-9) won the Conference USA title with a 12-4 mark. Tennessee-Martin (22-9) won the Ohio Valley championship with a 14-4 mark. Alabama State (19-9) won the Southwestern Athletic title with a 16-2 mark. Runner-up Jackson State was a perfect 9-0 at home but a terrible 6-13 on the road.

A Tie Is Better Than Runner-Up

Among the teams that tied for a title were Brigham Young (24-6), Utah (21-9) and New Mexico (21-10). All three went 12-4 for a 3-way tie in the Mountain West Conference.

Vermont (23-8) and Binghamton (22-8) both went 13-3 to tie for the America East title.

Creighton (26-7) and Northern Iowa (23-10) both went 14-4 to tie for the Missouri Valley championship.

Several Titles Are Still Undecided

Among the conferences with divisional champions but not league or conference champions are the Mid-American Conference that has East Champion Buffalo (19-10 overall) and West Champion Ball State (13-16 overall). The Southeastern (SEC) Conference has South Carolina (21-8) and Tennessee (19-10) as East Champions and LSU (25-6) as the West Champion.

The Southern Conference has Chattanooga (17-16) as the North Champion and Davidson (26-7) as the South Champion. The Southland Conference has Stephen F. Austin (21-7) as the East Champion and Sam Houston State (18-11) as the West Champion. The Sun Belt has Western Kentucky (22-8) as the East Champion and Arkansas-Little Rock (23-7) as the West Champion.

League playoffs are underway and the NCAA National Championship Tournament (better known as March Madness) will start March 19 after a play-in game to determine the 64th team to complete the bracket for the single-elimination tournament.

Copyright 2009 Ed Bagley

Read my articles on track and field, cross-country and distance running, including:

"Updated USA Prep Track & Field Records and the New Best 2008 Top Performers"

"2009 Simplot Games Showcase the Nation's Top High School Track and Field Talent"

"National Indoor Middle Distance USA High School Track Records - What It Takes to Be the Best"

"Several Track and Field Girl Athletes Prove Their Great Sportsmanship and Substance - Playing Sports Builds Character"

"Running: There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Your Weight and Your Cardiovascular Efficiency - Part 5"

"Arthur Lydiard, the World's Greatest Middle Distance Coach, on How to Train Effectively"

"Washington's 2 Freshmen Lead Women to the 2008 National Cross-Country Title"

"Kathryn Martin Dominates on the Track at the 2008 USATF National Masters Meet"

"USA Middle Distance Outdoor Records for Male Super Master Runners Ages 50-74"

Find my Blog at: http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

Is Your Comfort Zone Clouding Your Vision

We are creatures of habit. From the moment we wake up and start our morning routines, we go through certain paces that are programmed into our brains. In fact, if you stopped basketball think about what you're doing, you might throw everything out of whack. What if you reversed the order or your morning hygiene or put on a sock and a shoe, one at a time, instead of both socks and then both shoes - or vice versa? What if you took an alternate route to work? Would life as you know it be completely changed? Probably not. In fact, you might enjoy shaking things up here and there.

So here's a suggestion. Step outside your comfort zone and read something other than the regular type of comic book you are accustomed to buying. Pick up something that you would never have considered before. A friend of mine told me that, a few years ago, he bought a copy of "The Walking Dead". This is definitely unusual for Nathan, who swears (and I believe him) that he is not a zombie-loving kind of guy or even a horror fan. So why would he invest his precious time in something so far out of his regular genre? Well, Robert Kirkman, one of Nathan's favorite writers, and Tony Moore, a great illustrator, was the team for the series, which was launched in 2003 (Image Comics). So he grabbed "The Walking Dead #1". And he has been hooked ever since.

In the case of "The Walking Dead", you really can't judge the book by its cover, or, well, its title. While many of you might assume that the title refers to zombies, Kirkman says he was actually referring to the living people who are always on the move from one destroyed city to another, trying to find more of their own and escape the zombies who are also roaming the post-apocalyptic planet. You can actually read a couple of issues without ever stumbling across one of the living dead creatures. It's about survival in the darkest of circumstances, when the people who have been part of your life become a mortal enemy and you don't know whom to trust.

Nathan discovered that this series was more about people, relationships, and adventures than about any superhero or flesh-eating creature. He trusted the skills of Kirkman as a writer. And he was rewarded with a gripping read and a set of characters (living and dead) that he could really enjoy.

What do you automatically reach for on the shelf? Do you pay attention to the authors and artists behind the stories? Would you be willing to make a commitment to a 22-page test drive with the possibility of uncovering some new story line that pulls you in like a super-magnet? Maybe you should start thinking like a comic book character and do something unexpected. Let's face it. Comfort zones rarely basketball in these books we love, right?

The author is the Admin of Herobits.com at http://www.herobits.com, where you can read about super heroes and check out the latest hero based card game and accessories. Enjoy the fantastic art of Herobit super heroes.

Florida Cruise Ships

MS Oasis of basketball Seas
Currently under construction, SM Oasis of the Seas is called to be the largest passenger cruise ship in the world. She will have 16 passenger decks, with 2,700 rooms and 28 state-of-the-art loft suits, which will host around 5,400 passengers. She also introduces the neighbourhood concept, similar to a theme park planning with seven districts to entertain different audiences: the Boardwalk, Royal Promenade, Central Park, Vitality, Pool and Sports Zone, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. The main attractions featured are the amphitheatre, a carrousel and a zip-lining. Oasis of the Seas will be operating in the Caribbean, has been registered in Port Canaveral in Florida, and belongs to Royal Caribbean International.

MS Monarch of the Seas
Built in 1,991, SM Monarch of the Seas carries up to 2,800 passengers and at some point was considered the biggest in the world. She features two outdoor swimming pools and a basketball court, twin cinemas, a rock climbing wall and a spectacular sea atrium with glass elevators. The Monarch basketball half-week Bahamas cruises from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and is one of the three Royal Caribbean International's Sovereign class cruise ships.

MS Liberty of the Seas
The Liberty, a 4,370 passenger ship, currently sails the Caribbean from Miami, Florida. Finished in 2,007, she is one of the Freedom class and belongs to Royal Caribbean International. Amongst her main attractions, the full-size boxing ring, a surf park, volleyball/basketball court, an ice skating ring and an interactive water park. All rooms on board have been provided with flat panel TVs and the entire ship offers Wi-Fi access.

MS Freedom of the Seas
For several years, the MS Freedom of the Seas was the biggest cruise ship ever built, with 18 total decks. She could host 4,300 passengers plus 1,400 crew members and normally covers the Caribbean sailing from Miami Dade port. She features the first ever built Surf Park at sea, a massive rock-climbing wall, the H2O ZoneSM water park with ground geysers and cascading waterfalls. Freedom of the Seas is operated by Royal Caribbean International and belongs to the Freedom class.

Ocean Florida specialise in cheap, affordable cruise and stay offers to Florida, with our website updated frequently with exclusive deals and offers.

Marketing On MySpace

I'm sure you been on the biggest social network on the internet by now, or if not you have at least heard about it.

Myspace, "A place for friends".

But myspace is not only a place for friends. Myspace is a place that many internet marketers are flocking to like the birds flcok to a warm area in the winter time.

So what is so special about myspace? Why are so many internet marketer's flocking their? What makes it so easy to make money on myspace?

First off, myspace now has over 110 million account sign-ups. Not to mention the tens, if not hundreds of thousands of different groups in the myspace network.

So you may be telling yourself, so what, myspace has hundreds of thousands of different groups, so what?

A bunch of people in a specific group means something though. It means that the people in that group are most likely interested in that group topic.

So if I am big into basketball, I would probably basketball an invitation to join a group called basketball lovers - I want to socialize with people who have the same interest as me.

Internet marketers should be jumping for joy because of this. It is basketball for an internet marketer to go to these groups in myspace and send out messages or friend requests to just this group of people.

What I mean by this is that an internet marketer may go to this group of people, and send them all a message. In that message contains an affiliate link to a product that shows them how to add 4 inches to their vertical leap in just 2 weeks. Do you think a bunch of basketball players are going to be interested in learning how to jump 4 inches higher?

You better believe it.

And with hundreds of thousands of these different kinds of groups, and the thousands of different affiliate products out there, it is possible to make a lot of money doing this. You just have to know the little hints, steps and secrets to do it properly.

And more and more internet marketers are learning this information each day.

The author is an avid internet user and an experienced internet marketer. She is the owner and operator of http://www.themyspacebank.com.

Why Players Fail at Defense

I've seen many players who have got amazing offensive skills and should be proud to have such amazing skills. They're the envy of many players. Some players are even cocky enough to show off and taunt the other players. But I honestly could say, that many of those players could have a real touch up on their defense.

Why do players have so much trouble on their defense? Well there are several reasons:

• Too lazy to move their feet quickly
• Uncoordinated
• Think that their teammates can pick up their slack
• Defense is useless to them
• The believe that offense is more important than defense

The last point is basketball the basketball common excuse I've heard. I was talking to a bunch of my friends who play basketball and they kept on talking about how they need to fix their shot, or how many points they scored in a game, and I never hear my friends mention anything about how they played defense. Now, I know that defense isn't the greatest part of the game, and it can be the most boring part to some people, but if you shine at defense, people will start appreciating at how you play the game.

If laziness is your issue, then you have to start realizing that defense is as important, or even more important than offense. If you tell yourself that, then your laziness may fade away since you actually want to play defense.

If you are uncoordinated, then it's not entirely your fault since you can be born uncoordinated. Try improving your balance since this could be the main reason if you are uncoordinated and slow on your feet.

If you think that your teammates can pick up your slack or if you think that defense is the least important part of the game, then you have got a completely wrong mindset to the game. Your goal in basketball is to give your best effort and help your teammates out, not let them work for you. And every part of the game is essential to succeed, so you have to start realizing that defense is important.

Balanced Skills One of the biggest things I hate to see is somebody thrive at one part of basketball, but fail miserably at another part. Keep in mind that you should be improving your overall basketball skill, not just one set of skills. It's kind of like when you are weight training. Don't lift weights on just one side of your body, or just a certain muscle group, because you will grow muscles in one area of your body, and in another part you'll be weak.

For more great basketball tips, check out JM NBA Source

Sporting Goods

Sports equipment includes any object used for sport or exercise.

The first sports equipment can be traced all the way back to the first Olympics. The Javelin was one of the ancient Greeks favorite pieces of sports equipment because it was also a tool for war. As the centuries passed sports equipment evolved and as it did so safety increased.

The varieties of sports equipment available are nearly endless, you have baseballs, basketball, running shoes, Frisbees and even knee wraps are an important part of your sports equipment arsenal.

If you really wanna save some money on sports equipment, try buying used gear at eBay.

The number of people with disabilities who engage in sports and other physical activities has increased dramatically in the past decade, due to the growing field of assistive sports equipment. Whether for competition or simply recreation, however, the sports equipment market is overflowing with devices to get fans off the sidelines and into the sports arena.

Sports equipment of any kind is designed with the users safety in mind, but it must be fitted and employed properly.

Sports can provide physical activity and recreation that yield psychological and physical benefits.

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Graphic Novel Reviews - The Problem With Comic Book Critique

Comic book and graphic novel criticism is rarely found outside of niche publications such as Wizard, or the many fan-driven sites that litter the web. Occasionally a mainstream newspaper will publish an article on the medium as a whole, or offer a retrospective on an under appreciated author, usually Alan Moore; but for the most part it is rare to come across comic reviews in any shape or form. I used to believe that this was simply down to media prejudice - and largely it probably is - but when I decided to dedicate my precious spare time to the basketball of graphic novel criticism, I soon learnt that the "funny books" were far from the easiest medium to offer an objective evaluation of.

In the era of Stan Lee, comic plots rarely extended beyond an issue. The Fantastic Four would thwart Doctor Doom's plans for world domination and still be home in time to laugh at the Thing's working class idiosyncrasies. While this limited the writers somewhat, it did allow for episodic adventures that were entirely self-contained. Casual readers could pick up the occasional issue and never be far behind the soap opera antics of their favourite characters. Of course, pre-80s basketball were considered an enjoyable but disposable pastime. Most were binned after being read, and forgotten soon after.

Naturally, things have changed. Sequential art is now accepted as an art form, though whether such an acceptance entails any benefits is another matter altogether. The contemporary comic book has become a far slower affair, with the sort of storyline that would have filled a single issue back in the sixties now stretched across several. While this makes for far superior graphic novel narratives, it does alienate the casual reader, and leaves the regular collector dangling on tenterhooks before the serial has had time to resume. More importantly, this approach to serial storytelling has rendered the reviewing of individuals comic issues a little pointless - who reviews the first half of a film, or a television drama only up to the first commercial break?

Of course, we could leave the reviews until our favourite series are collected in trade paperback format, but this approach is equally problematic. Many series have reached double digit number of volumes. Should each volume of The Sandman, The Walking Dead, or Y: The Last Man be reviewed individually, or should the series be critiqued as a whole? If comic book critics were to wait until a series had concluded before laying down their position, then very few new books would get the endorsement that quality appraisal offers.

Of course, there are no answers here. The comic medium will continue to suffer the prejudice of literary circles, and isolate those with only a passing interest. But I love the fact that any individual can have his say on the internet, and would rather be guided by the opinions of another comic enthusiast than the tepid, uninspired drivel from a mainstream film or videogame magazine that has temporarily jumped aboard the superhero zeitgeist. With or without mainstream attention, the comic book appears to be stuck comfortably in its niche. Is that such a bad thing?

Carl Doherty occasionally assumes the guise of a freelance writer specialising in cultural nonsense of the pop and junk varieties. For more of his pungent diatribes on the twisted world of comic books, including a daily graphic novels review, and his weekly webcomic The Scribe, visit holycr4p! Graphic Novel Reviews

Sports Handicapping Picks - How to Win

Plain and simple, all over the internet basketball basketball find free sports picks. Let me tell you something. Anyone can pick sports events. You can even toss a coin if you want to when picking pro basketball picks or any pick for that matter by point spread, straight wager, handicapping or whatever. No matter what, you have a 50/50 chance of winning a sporting event but. With that said, betting on sports especially online is one of the best things you could ever do from a gambler's perspective. The reasons:

1. No phone call needed to your bookie

2. Cashing out is easy, place your bet at anytime around the clock

3. Lots of sign up bonuses for new players. There are hardly ANY bookies that offer this.

4. No pressure to quit when your winning. When a huge game and a lot of money and you can get out any time. You don't have to feel obligated or feel pressured because you just took the bookies money and you won't give him a chance to win it back.

I have picked my own college basketball picks, nba basketball picks, and my own basketball bracket pick in the earlier period of my life and I found out I lost a good bit of money, that I was not very good. Even though I could pick around 45% of my games correctly, I was still losing roughly 5%. At this time I new I needed a change.

After weeks of researching, I found my sports handicapping picks through a professional expert. Professional picking experts are a great source for picking the winning teams and making a profit betting sports picks. You need to be careful though when choosing your person or company that will make the picks for you. They need to be trustworthy handicappers that do exactly what they say they will do such as offer a 100% money back guarantee if you do not make money for the month. That's what I did. After weeks of researching non-stop, I found a very cheap handicapper that guarantees me I make a profit (enough to live off of by the way) or they refund my money 100%! It is a win win situation not only for me, but for the professional handicapper.

Professional handicapper's can be quite expensive, so please do not let them rip you off also and charge you outrageous amounts for losing sports picks! I am sure there are many people out there that are suffering a great lose because they got caught up in a scam. Don't get me wrong there are some great sports picks blog out there that go over some great sports picks such as fox sports picks, but they will never give you enough picks to make a constant living off of.

Just remember, finding the right sports handicapping picks by a professional can be the most profitable thing you ever do. I found the right one and it has led to me quitting my 9-5 job, a brand new house, and enough money to put my kids through college. It feels real good and a lot of times you can now find me relaxing on the beach at my beach house in Miami.

Chris Grisham is the creator of Sportsbook Investing, the premier website for making money betting online sports.

He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top sports handicapping picks based on lines, trends, angles, and years of experience. Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.SportsbookInvesting.com

NCAA Men's Basketball - Road to the Final Four Means March Madness For Venues

On Selection Sunday, March 15th, sixty-five teams are selected for basketball 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship tournament. This begins March Madness and the drive to see who makes it to the Final Four tournament at Ford Field in Detroit.

The NCAA basketball tournament means it's show time for the venues who host the games. Attendance is expected to soar to over 700,000 this year, making March Madness basketball a mini stimulus package for the host city and a chance for venues to shine on a national stage.

The Road to the Final Four plays through 13 cities. Here's a tour of the first and second round venues on the Road to the Final Four with basketball games taking place on March 19th and 21st.

Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
Host: Atlantic Coast Conference
The Greensboro Coliseum is an integral part of the city and the entire town will be working to make fans feel welcome. Fans will have no problem with parking and Greensboro Coliseum has an RV parking area for overnight stays. Don't miss a trip to the Yum Yum for a hot dog and ice cream.

Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO
Host: Big 12 Conference
The Sprint Center was named one of the top venues in America in 2008. It's home to the College Basketball Experience, an interactive playhouse for fans. Its excellent location in the city offers ample parking and restaurants near the venue. Inside the Sprint Center you'll find bargain prices on munchies and drinks at the QuikTrip Convenience Store.

Rose Garden in Portland, OR
Host: University of Oregon
Guests attending NCAA games at the Rose Garden Arena may be surprised at the enthusiasm the locals have for basketball. They are loud and you can expect the arena to be filled. You may want to take the local light rail train MAX to the venue for ease and to save on hefty parking prices close to the Rose Garden.

Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA
Host: St. Joseph's University
This arena is set up for fun. With excellent memorabilia displays, bands playing and air hockey tables inside the arena basketball can play second fiddle. Diehard fans can rent state-of-the art electronic binoculars to get an up close view of the court basketball anywhere in the venue.

Taco Bell Arena in Boise, ID
Host: Boise State University
The Taco Bell Arena is located on the campus of Boise State University. It's one of the smaller arenas to host the NCAA Men's basketball tournament games, but it has a long history of success. 2009 will be Boise's 8th time hosting NCAA games tournament games.

UD Arena in Dayton, OH
Host: University of Dayton
Host to championship games for years, UD Arena has a wonderful old school basketball feel. It's loud, intimate and the fans know their basketball. UD Arena made history in 2001 when they hosted 10 post-season NCAA and National Tournament games in eight days.

American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL
Host: Florida International University
Spring is the perfect time to be in Miami and NCAA basketball in American Airlines Arena is the perfect destination for high-octane hoops and holiday. Head to the game, but hang for the sun and fun. With many restaurants and bars in and around the arena it's sure to be the hot spot in a hot city.

HHH Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN
Host: University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities
The Metrodome usually host football and baseball, but nearly every year it's given a round of NCAA games, and for good reason. This place knows its business and since they host over 300 events a year fans can depend on the Metrodome to put on a good hoop parade.

Look for more on the 'Road to the Final Four' venues featuring regional March Madness tournament sites and the Championship tournament at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

KnowYourVenue.com is a one stop spot for information on stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, amphitheaters, performing arts centers and more. We have parking information, seating tips, directions, easy to find list of prohibited items and venue policies, restaurants and hotels near the venue and more.

Know Your Venue.com Home Page:
http://www.knowyourvenue.com/

Know Your Venue Spotlight Page featuring the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball venues: http://www.knowyourvenue.com/Spotlight.aspx

How to Become a Great Basketball Player

If you dream of being the best basketball player in your league, or at the gym you play at then listen up! To be the best you have basketball train hard, practice with perfection, and play strong.

Basketball skills like shooting, ball handling, rebounding, stealing the ball, setting picks and screens, defense, keeping the post or boxing out, passing, blocking shots, moving without the ball, and foot-work are going to be your foundation especially a good jump shot.

Now if you want to get to the next level of competition you must perfect your basketball skills and practice drills like you were playing in a game. Dont ever get sloppy in your training or practice; its better to have quality practice time than slopping quantity practice.

Here are some great practice tips to make you the best you can be:

1. One-Spot Shooting Shot continuously from one spot on the court until you hit 90% of your shots, then move to a new spot and repeat. Eventually you will be able to hit shots at incredible accuracy from anywhere on the court. Practice jump shots, lay-ups, hook shots, fad away jumpers, and standing shots with each hand. Practice dribbling before the shot, fake before the shot, basically shot as if you had a defender in your face.

2. One-hand Dribbling use one hand to dribble with, go through your legs, around and behind your back, over your shoulder, back and forth, side-to-side, high powerful bounces and low fast bounces. Do this with one hand at a time.

3. Plyometrics You must be able to jump. You will most likely get a lot of jumping practice while playing, but to really unleash you full potential do some plyometrics. Try repetitive jumping from one spot bend down to your jumping angle and explode back up as high as you can, stay on the ground for only enough time for you to gather enough energy to jump as high as you can.

4. Squats and Leg Presses You basketball major strength in your legs if you want to jump higher, hold the post, set better picks and screens. So you will need to be able to lift 2-3 times your body weight for squats and at least double that for your leg press. This will be painful, but you will gain tremendous strength, which will elevate your game quickly.

5. Upper Body Press and Pulls Dont forget about your upper-body. Fast hands means better dribbling, more steals and blocked shots, and a quick release shot. To increase your hand speed do push-ups, chin-ups are excellent for hand speed, shoulder presses, handstands, and shadow boxing. Now go out there and grab the rock!

6. Sprints The best way to Increase HGH (Human Growth Hormone) is by running 5-10 second sprints. Sprints or any intense exercise will increase your HGH by as much as 300% for a few hours. What this means is that you will get faster, stronger, bigger muscles to take your basketball skills to the next level.

Now go practice your skills with perfection and build you speed, and strength. You are well on your way to dominating in your league or local gym, Good Job!

Dr. Basketball Basketball Tips and Information

Basketball - Changing Bad Habits to Improve Free Throw Shooting Mechanics

You may be surprised to know that once again it is the 'mind' that dictates the changing of any bad habits. First of all the habit must be recognized as one that causes a problem, causes pain, inefficiency, inconsistency or it may be a habit that is unappealing etc. In all the basketball shooting clinics that I orchestrate, I always ask the question "what do you think about at the moment you release the ball from the hand"? 99.9% of the time I get this answer. Either "Hope the ball goes in" or something along those lines and this is completely and utterly an incorrect thought pattern.

Most of the time the pain that comes with the old habit becomes gain with the new habit. Obviously when consciously working on breaking an old habit there will be mental and physical pain. That's why many of us would rather accept the old habit. It takes courage to break a habit, discipline to end the unwanted habit and it takes desire and motivation to fuel the process.

The following poem illustrates our friend "habit".

I am your constant companion
I am your greatest asset or heaviest burden
I will push you up to success or down to disappointment
I am at your command
Half the things you do may as well be turned over to me
For I can do them quickly, correctly and profitably.
I am easily managed, just be firm with me.
Those who are great, I have made them great.
Those who are failures I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a
Machine and the intelligence of a person.
You can run me for profit, or you can run me for ruin.
Show me how you want it done. Educate me. Train me.
Lead me. Reward me.
And I will then... do it automatically.
I am your servant.
Who am I?
I am a habit.

The reason I get these incorrect answers is because the players don't recognize incorrect shooting mechanics which are a direct result of errant shots. Once you understand this concept you will become more 'mindful' of anatomical inconsistencies and you will be able to unravel destructive behaviors. This applies not only to free throw shooting but to biting finger nails, judging people, overeating, cursing etc. As I said earlier we need to become mindful by first recognizing all of our flawed shooting mechanics and I would always work on correcting my biggest problem first. In other words if your pinky finger drops one half inch on the release is not as big a problem as your shooting wrist moving sideways or laterally on or during the ball release, or a swaying sloppy elbow.

Recognizing and correcting old or bad habits stems from studies of neuroscience, cognitive therapy and cognitive science. By becoming mindful you help the brain shift from disturbing to positive behaviors. The brain actually has elasticity throughout our lives and actually changes itself as we challenge old habits. A visual would be like molding putty with our hands. (There's the reference to the "hands" again.)

The field of Neuroscience portrays to us that there is a point where we have to make a crucial choice and it must be made within the blink of an eye or about a quarter of a second. It is during this crucial moment that we choose to reject any self-defeating or poor shooting mechanic or movement.

Mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy focus on repairing maladaptive or flawed shooting mechanics. Remember that "science rules" when it comes to shooting excellence. If we defy the laws of nature or the laws of science we lose and our efficiency is compromised. The closer we comprehend these laws the sooner we align ourselves with perfection. My whole objective behind this book is to improve your awareness of each anatomical error that causes missed shots. Remember that a missed shot is a direct result of incorrect physical action directly caused by lack of concentration or more specifically not knowing or consciously thinking of correcting a problem area like bent knuckles or floppy wrist etc. These movements result in inconsistent results.

Becoming aware of incorrect shooting mechanics or bad shooting habits is the first step, and unless we can be aware of them and challenge them before they happen, they will dictate why we shoot the way we do. And the more imbedded they are, the more they will keep returning unless we apply mindfulness and awareness of these generally mediocre mechanics. Remember that the National free throw percentage for High Schools in the US is around 65%, Colleges and Universities hover around 68% and the NBA jumps a few notches to around 72% from the line which in my estimation is still mediocrity. It is hard to believe that the best players in the world only average about 5 percentage points better basketball the National High school average.

A majority of this book is about seeing ourselves through our statistics as a shooter, categorizing ourselves as horrible, mediocre or excellent and making the necessary changes to elevate our status. We will explore by practicing 'mindfulness'- which is a method of training the mind to expand the scope of awareness while refining its precision- we can reach beyond the limiting or detrimental ways we constantly and unconsciously promote. You will learn how to basketball from the flawed shooting habits that undermine your potential confidence or the confidence of your players. Let's face it, every player wants to be a great shooter and scorer. Or at least they want to be recognized for their efforts and hard work. Top scorers get all the recognition unfortunately but this is a true fact. You will also learn how precise mindfulness will seek out bad habits, which will add new insight and clarity that will help you distinguish between what appears to be and what actually is. For example, I had my shooting technique filmed with a camera at 1,000 frames per second. When I reviewed this, I could tell right away the difference from what seemed to be and what really is, or the actual reality.

Moshe Feldenkrais became a pioneer in the workings of the body, specifically body movements. His method of working was through physical movement; many of his brilliant insights came from his own personal struggle to regain control of his own body especially after it was paralyzed by polio. His studies could be referred to as 'movement awareness'.

The habitual ways in which we move our bodies are ingrained or embossed into the part of the brain referred to as the 'motor cortex' which is responsible for controlling motion or body movement. Most of us have a few habits of holding or moving that limit our potential or even cause pain. For people to reach their full potential they have to break out of the rut of bad habit and this means that changes need to occur within the motor cortex, so that new neuromuscular patterns can be formed that maximize rather than limit our ability to use our bodies . When it comes to free throw shooting there is nothing more important than being aware or mindful of moving body parts. Especially the finer muscles that are responsible for moving these body parts. One major example is to be aware of the finger joints and how they are moving as the shot is released. You will be amazed at how poor the average person is at recognizing this let alone adjusting any flaw.

Listed below are areas of potential problems of shooting flaws that need to be addressed, corrected or restructured:-

1. Feet spacing too wide, too narrow, not squared which can cause alignment problems.
2. Too much or not enough knee bend.
3. Grip on ball- too much palm on ball, fingers too relaxed. Need to be firm and as wide as possible without straining. Pads of fingers ball contact only
4. Elbow too wide, either inside or outside. Usually thin, wiry or very flexible players have inside elbow.
5. Out of alignment elbow causes mis-aligned grip and vice versa.
6. Index finger not in center of ball.
7. Guide hand above ball, or anywhere but at 90 degrees to shooting thumb
8. Shooting pocket locations everywhere but in front of forehead about 2" above the head and between the eyes.
9. Lack of strength of finer muscles affects shooting pocket. Weak players shoot from chest or chin, making shot a longer release.
10. Guide hand assists the shooting hand causing skewed rotation, or even kills any rotation
11. Ball release too flat.
12. Follow through fingers point to floor.
13. Follow through fingers closed not wide as at start of shot.
14. Wrist moves in different directions at end of shot.
15. Eyes focused on rim during entire shot.
16. Shooting hand slaps guide hand after release.
17. Knuckles bend on follow through. Only joint on the hand that should bend is the wrist. Hand is frozen during whole shot. It is the control center. How can it control the shot if it is out of control itself. This fact alone is the biggest problem area affecting millions of players worldwide.
18. Angle of release is either too high or too low. Elbow touches ear(too high) or wrist is level with head after shot (too low)
19. Guide hand closes during shot release signifying 'help' action on the ball.
20. Dropping follow through before ball reaches basket. Especially from free throw line out.
21. There is more. This is enough to work on. Remember that each one of these potential flaws can cause up to a 5-6% deficiency in accuracy. If you have 5 of these flaws that you don't even recognize then you already are shooting around 70-75%. And by my standards this is as bad as shooting 50%.

I realize the information above is not super detailed but it does provide food for thought. There will be more information in future articles that may further assist your needs.

Ed Palubinskas
http://www.freethrowmaster.com
President of National Basketball Shooters Association, Inc
1976 Olympic scoring Champion. 2 Time olympian
All-American, All-World selection.
Led all Colleges and pros in free throw percentage in 1972 with 92.4%.
Played at LSU.
Still in top 20 all time NCAA Free throw shooters.
Guinness book world record 2005 with 1206/1265 free throws made in one hour.
LA Lakers shooting coach 2000-1. NBA Ring.
Several State championships in Louisiana.
See more accolades on web site bio.