So, you are browsing your local bookstore, or perhaps an online store, and you are interested in picking up an instructional book on basketball. Maybe you are trying out for the varsity team in high school or your college’s nationally known team, or maybe you just want to brush up on your skills for the games at the local recreation center with your friends. Whatever reason you have for wanting to purchase an instructional book, you stare blankly at the available titles before you. You had no idea there were so many choices. How do you know which one or two you should pick?
For starters, you need to decide what area of basketball you need advice and instruction on. Are you going to be the new coach for the kids at the recreation center? Are you new to the sport? Do you want to work on your defense, offense, or both? There are books for just about any area you want to increase your skills in.
If you are going to coach kids, and would like some advice on coaching, try to find a few books with advice for teaching basketball and the fundamentals of the game. Ideally, the book will be written for the coaching of kids, and will have fun drills you can incorporate into your practices that will not only develop the kids’ skills, but will let them have fun instead of boring practice. Boring practices are the quickest way for anyone to lose interest, especially kids who typically have shorter interest spans. They just want to have fun. They do not really care if they carry the ball too many steps without dribbling.
Are you new to the sport of basketball? Try a book that covers the basics and, as with the coaching book, includes drills for you to try. These drills will give you practice with lay ups, foul shots, and just getting used to handling a basketball on the court. A general list of rules and guidelines will be helpful in figuring out the game and how it is played. You can get together with a buddy and try out the drills, giving you a chance to have some fun and increase your ability as well.
If you have the basics down, but those foul shots mess you up every time, or you just do not understand how to get man to man defense to actually work, then look for a more specific instructional book. For foul shots and lay ups, or tips on increasing your average of making baskets, look for a book on offense. Defense strategies, tips, and advice can be found in – yes, books on defense. That is simple, right?
The best way to find a good instructional book on basketball is to decide what you need instruction on and look for books that list that on the cover as a topic covered within. Check out the author’s credentials. Has the author been a coach of a top college team for 10 years? Or has the author been a hockey coach at the local rink, but decided to try his hand at writing?
There are many instructional books for basketball, ranging on very specific topics in great detail to more general fundamentals that cover the entire sport in a “nutshell.” Topics can include basketball for women, for men, youth drills, offensive drills, and even ways to condition to get in the proper physical shape to play your best. Now you can narrow it down to a couple of books with your new knowledge.
