footwork in basketball

Basketball is a lovely sport. It engages the many abilities of the individual. One has to have presence of mind, stamina, skill, strength, be tactile and work together as a team. Today's game is less physical but just as engaging as the 2000's or the 90s. Now for today's post let's concentrate on foot work and its importance in the sport. To set it straight, footwork is the bedrock of basketball. The dribble is governed by the movement of the feet and where and when the player wants to direct his her movement. The feet and how one moves whether gracefully with balance or haphazardly can dictate the effectiveness of play. In relation to the dimensions of the court our feet give us orientation. The true geniuses of footwork like in Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Luka Doncic, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant etc win the battle with the opponent even before the first dribbble. The distribution of the body weight, the direction of the toes, how the knees bend and explode, stop on a dime, hesitate etc are of great importance. The dribble always has to play second fiddle to the feet hence footwork is the kind of metronome, the heart of the sport. When we study players who are excellent with their back to the rim this is most evident. Somebody who is most comfortable with his or her back facing the rim is kinda on a different level of mastery then the rest. Using ones steps and movement judiciously and rationing the time on the clock is all about the feet and how they obey and dance according to the strategy concocted by the mind. No surprise so much attention is paid to footwear. Well on a sombre note that's why an achilles injury is career threatening. So let me conclude by saying we must pay special attention to our footwork and keep our legs healthy and fit in addition to other parts of our body. Next time you watch your favourite team on the telly observe the footwork of the players. That's all for now.

messi

magician the best

wizard of the pitch

fast feet, nimble & swift

floating like a gazelle

high frequency steps

low centre of gravity

economic movement

feign, fake, ambush

dancing, floating, gliding

turning, twisting, moving

the ball is on a yoyo

the opponents spectators

the audience mesmerized

the official nervous

the keeper jinxed

artist extraordinaire

cameras follow

shutters click

the trophy awaits

immortality beckons

Ray Allen

A thing of beauty
In slow motion more so
Jesus Shuttlesworth = perfect form
Muscles and physique so good
Elevate hang shoot
Cock fire
Smooth criminal
Nothing but net
What a ball player
Motion and form to be studied
Us pupils
You & rim have an understanding
An assassin silent, clinical and steady
A hunter stalking prey
Positioning himself downwind
scenting the inevitable kill
The camera lets us copy you
Thank you master Ray Allen 🏀