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7 Tips for Small Basketball Players

It only took you a short while to get here and shortly I will be providing you with 7 tips for shot basketball players. Ok enough with short puns. Who are these tips for? Anyone that can gain an advantage over the taller competition.

If you’re not at a point where you feel comfortable playing basketball against the bigger and taller competition, then I am here to help you boost your confidence and help you with your game. Keep in mind, often we look for a quick fix as humans to solve our problems.

This is the wrong train of thought to have when it comes to basketball.

If you think you can read through the list and not practice and apply what you learned in this article, thinking it will magically happen then just press the back button.

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, get ready to learn, and work hard. Take it from me I am 5 feet 9 inches and have played against the taller competition my whole life that it feels normal.

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Here is what I did to gain a leg up on the competition.

 The pump fake is your best friend

Your best friend is always there when you need them, so is the pump fake…

After being able to show your opponents that you can actually shoot the basketball and make a shot, the pump fake opens up a world of opportunity. The pump fake is so crucial to a shooter to get off the shot you want because it keeps the defense guessing.

Tip: After you hit a jump shot from 12 feet or further out, you should always try to pump fake next time you get the basketball. The defense is likely to bite on the pump fake and then you can go blow by them.

Taller players love blocking shots, and because you are smaller they tend to seek that thrill even more. Blocking shots in basketball is already difficult to do, so when it does happen players feel instant gratification, enough to seek another attempt even if it means getting beat in the process.

Use this to your advantage and be strategic when using the pump fake. Do not pump fake every time you get the basketball unless it calls for it, otherwise the defense will read you and your pump fakes will be useless.

Floaters

Floaters are a must if you are small, if you look at the smaller NBA players such as Chris Paul, Isiah Thomas and Kyle Lowery they have a floater that they use often in games.

Keep in mind, it isn’t just small players that use floaters, the floater is a great shot to get off when driving to the rim and are faced one on one against a shot blocker.

They are difficult shots for the defense to stop and are excellent in getting the basketball to sit on the rim softly. 

There are two types of floaters;

The first one is the two-foot floater and it’s the easier of the two which allows you to control your body and the shot more effectively. You basically jumper off two feet as if you are dunking the ball but shooting a floater instead.

The second type of floater is the one-foot floater, it is less successful than the two-foot in my opinion and much more difficult to make. I only recommend it if you have mastered the two-foot floater first.

The floater is a smart basketball shot, even after beating your opponent, you may be faced with a couple of trees waiting for you underneath the basket.

The floater is a great way to shoot the basketball from 5 to 12 feet out without getting blocked.

This type of shot allows you to shoot high over the defender without the fear of getting blocked. No need for mid-air adjustments, it keeps the shot simple.

Speed kills

You don’t have the height, so you need the speed. The reality is if you are small and slow the game is going to be very difficult for you to play unless you’re playing a lower level of competition.

Your short, I know I keep saying it but you need to have an advantage in your game that you can use in order to be a threat on the court. What is your advantage?

You being quick will give you respect from the taller defenders which means you can get your shot off at anytime you want due to the space they give you.

It also means you can beat them in one on one situations if need be.

If you are just another basketball player who isn’t very fast don’t sweat it, you can gain the speed you desire but it will come at a cost.

Hard work and dedication in the weight room. Not only was I average in height as a basketball player but I wasn’t very quick, I had to hit the squats.

I knew I had to get faster to keep up with the competition because I definitely didn’t have the length to do so.

Squats, deadlifts, and plyometrics were a good start to increasing my athletic performance on the court. There are some free programs on this site in case you need them, check out THE- VAULT, have a look around.

It’s not enough to just be quick, but how you use your quickness to your advantage is the key. On to basketball IQ.

Basketball IQ

What is basketball IQ?  When it comes to basketball it can be anything. Taking smart shots, making smart passes, understanding the game when it’s tied and what the best decision is for that moment.

Basketball IQ should be treated as a workout on its own. This is something I wish I could have added when I was younger. 

If I were young, I would hop on Youtube or Google and look up videos/articles on basketball I.Q. I would study and watch how players play and what they do in certain situations in a game.

I would do this every night for 15 to 30 minutes a day.

Most players underestimate basketball I.Q. a classic example of two players with high basketball I.Q is Luka Doncic and Nikol Jokic.

These are some of the slowest players for their positions and look at what they are capable of doing in the NBA.

If you are looking for an excellent book on basketball and want to increase your basketball I.Q. buy Stuff Good Players Should know by Dick Devenzio. It is a must…

 

 

Being in Shape

You’re small I said it again, your one-step maybe half the size of your opponents. This means you may be taking double the amounts of steps your opponents do during the game. 

This is why it is important to be in shape for basketball on both offense and defense. You need to be the energizer bunny, tell yourself you don’t get tired.

You are always fresh and ready to go, this is a trait that good players have. They seem to never appear tired or even get tired especially in crunch time. 

If you are a smaller player, the perception may be that smaller players shouldn’t get as tired as bigger players. If your finding yourself getting tired easily, you will need to work on getting in better shape. 

Tip: If you want more playing time, a coach will look at a player and see they are tired and will sub them out. Get in shape and don’t look tired, this could equate to more playing time.

You need to be able to make shots

Chances are that if you are small getting to the basket can be difficult unless you have a monster vertical jump to help you leap over defenders.

Making shots is going to be crucial in order for you to score points, obviously. Working on your shot tirelessly is going to take time and effort.

It is not enough to just play basketball games, in order to improve your shot. You need to get into the gym and put up volume shooting, 200 to 500 a day.

When you think about it, if your playing basketball games whether pickup or for your team how many shots do you take a game or in total for the day? Not very many is it.

In a week, if you only play games you probably didn’t even shoot a couple of hundred shots. So how can you sit there and expect to be a good shooter if you are not practicing outside of your games where the real work happens.

Now that I pointed out the not-so-obvious, add a step back to your game. A step back will help you separate yourself when you want to get the shot off from the taller competition.

Only attempt stepbacks after you are consistent with your jumper and are comfortable doing stepbacks, then practice stepbacks tirelessly on the court exactly where you think you are able to get your shot off.

Defense

There is no easy way around it, if you want to get noticed in basketball not only do you need to score you have to be a lockdown defender at your height.

What is the difference between you and someone who 6 inches taller than you and scoring the same amount of points as you? It’s your defense.

Coaches will pick the taller player over the smaller player if they have the same skill set. Give a coach a player who can play lock-down defense on top of being able to score, you will have coaches salivating over you.

The reason is these small players are sometimes a defensive liability and cover less ground when it comes to double-teaming helping and recovering on the defensive end.

This is why you need to be quick,  in-shape, and give no reason whatsoever for a coach to pull you out of the game in crucial moments.

When we talk about defense I don’t mean you need to steal the basketball five times a game.

I am talking about forcing your man to do the things you want him to and make his life a miserable hell on the basketball court with your controlled physicality and hard-nosed defense.

You want to be a pest on the court, you want to be in the face of the man you are guarding. So much so that they cough up the basketball willingly because of the pressure you are applying on them.

In return, you will be rewarded with your efforts. Steals in the open court leading to easy layups and points.

You will also get more playing time in crunch time to stop the best player out on the court and especially be feared to play against.

Many small basketball players miss their opportunity to fulfill their dreams when it comes to basketball thinking they need to score X amount of points in order to be successful or recruited.

But the reality is that taller basketball players can do it also with less energy helping them focus on other parts of their game.

Do not rely on just scoring points to make it to the next level, be a player that is well rounded, passes, defends and has a high IQ, and you will see that you will get much farther in life with basketball.