the mental game

Just do what you do best.  I don’t know if you think this, but shooting is just part of the equation.  concentrate on your strengths and just stay away from everything else.  If shootings the problem, then get easier layups.  If its passing/ballhandling, play more off-the-ball, catch-and-shoot style.  If it’s defense, well, that’s kind of something that, if you’re not doing it well, then you may just not be very good at it.  And pray.

I used to lack confidence in my game to when I was younger.  It wasn’t that I wasn’t good, I just had a more passive mentality. 

I eventually decided that when I stepped on the court, in my head I was gonna say "I am the best player here, stop me".  It may not have been necessarily true at times (certainly not better than the pros I have gotten to play), but if you step on the court and think that you are gonna tear sh*t up, it seems to make my game a whole lot better, particularly my J. 

The only times I have ever pull a "Kobe" type moment (by that I mean, those time when u get the ball, walk down halfcourt, move to wherever u want, pull the trigger from wherever and it was all butter), is when I have stepped into the game with that mentality. 

Tell yourself the best, and you will be (well atleast you’ll be better).

^^^ I agree you have to pump yourself up, i mean i was a good shooter and horrible slasher…until i got mad, then i tore sh!t up.Also you might be nervous, maybe listen to some music before playing that might help as well

Don’t be passive about not focusing on being confident either.  I feel it is an attribute in basketball just as much as basketball IQ, shooting, passing, rebounding…etc. 

There is a reason if you watch or meet a lot of NBA players, they come off as very cocky, particularly on the court.

I remember the first time I played against Sam Young and one of his teammates said "Sam, you know your triple teamed" and Sam kind of scowled at him and said…"Yep I know" as he proceeded to drive and throw down a windmill.

I don’t know what position you play, but before you play hit some open jumpers, try some moves, make some layups, make a three or two, and your confidence should be at it’s normal level.

Find out EXACTLY what that negative voice is saying in the back of your mind and squash it. Find out exactly WHAT about your game is making you unconfident and then solve it.Write them down too and destroy them.

Is it fear? Because being afraid to fail affects confidence BIG time. You have to have the mentality that you’re playing to SUCCEED and not playing to avoid failing. Big difference. Always play to succeed.

To be honest, you just have to not give a F. Always think positive no matter what. Have that mentality that even if you come up short, you STILL win, because it’s a learning experience that’ll only make you stronger.

Another thing that’ll give you more confidence is to focus on and give yourself credit in your success. Don’t focus on the negative too much. Take pride in the things you’ve accomplished.

"You have to have the mentality that you’re playing to SUCCEED and not playing to avoid failing"

THE TRUTH 100%

That is honestly what held my confidence back until later in my HS days.  I thought if I missed a shot, I was just embarrassed.  It kind of hard to fathom.  Statisfically speaking, we are taught at a young age that 60% = D, 50%= F.  Its hard to get beyond that as a shooter, but if your shooting 60%, your balling pretty well, but the back of my mind was always thinking, I must be having a pretty crappy day if I’m missing nearly half the shots I’m taking. 

If they are good shots or your feeling something, like that itch in your hand or you caught a great pass off a pick and the shooting motion is just a part of the flow, go with it.  When you’re feeling that you can’t let your mind get the best of you. 

IDK if you are a PG or what, but I think that could partly be the case.  I too was a PG and for that position particularly, the game becomes very cerebral.  But, there are times when you just have to let the game flow naturally and go with your gut.  Don’t always second guess, and think oh that move might even be better.  If the first instinct is going to get the job done, go for it more often than not.

From the day I was born, I was taught that 90%="A", for "Acceptable", and that 89.9% and below="B", for "Bad"

Have you ever left a game and afterwards and said to yourself, wow talent wise i would whoop any of those guys in 1on1? That used to be me in grade 10 and I would say to myself what is wrong with you? You know you can do it so why arent you? You need to seriously analyze your game and your expectations… Once I did that I said fu-k it and went on from gr11 to gr 12 lighting it up and getting a scholarship.

I guess my advice to you man is have a fu-k it mentality….. because in the grande scheme of life what does a bball game really mean? Do you want to be a middle aged man saying damn i wish i could have had some swag to my game and shown what I could do or do u wanna reflect back and say wow i played how i wanted and proved to myself I have what it takes.

Maybe Im different but b4 every game I say to myself " in 10 years is any of this ish gonna matter?" it calms me down and puts things into perspective and i go out and do me…

Hope I helped a bit

I gotta say one more thing, cause i remember the feelings ur having…… i had just a shit game, it was on the JV team my freshman year and i was starting point and i was awful just awful maybe 10 turnovers a couple buckets if i was lucky and after the game i was devastated, ( i had quit hockey that year to play fball and bball my true passions) i started just crying and at the time my dad was upset i had quit hockey, but anyways my mom said its ok, this is ur passion just go out and play and ill never forget cause she told me the best advice i cud have at that time and she said in the grande scheme of life what is one bad basketball game to u? basketball doesnt define u as a person, in 10 years ppl arent gonna remember bad games or even good games…… Just take that advice man, bball is ur passion and go out and play it with no regrets, because one day ur playing days will be over and u wanna be able to reflect back and be proud that u played up to ur talents……

good luck

 I agree with Scottoant about the music. I’ve never had a confidence problem, but I sometimes couldn’t seem to get up mentally for certain games…especially when it wasn’t that good of a team, I’d kinda play down to my competition and just get by on guys that I should be killing. I put together a list of songs that get me pumped or motivated and listen to em before every game & I don’t really have that problem anymore.

 The main problem I’ve had was having too passive of a personality than what fits best with my style. I was always quiet on the court during like grade school and stuff but then once I hit high school I had to be a leader on any team I played on. The best advice is to just play cocky. If you doubt that you can make a shot, you won’t be playing well. Basketball is such a mental game because its natural to fail half the time but you have to push through the barriers and come out and stay cocky and know that even if you miss, the next shot is all yours. The minute I started playing with a little extra swag in my step was when I started hitting game winners and putting up the numbers that my skill level shows.

 Some sound advice here. The only thing I’d add is that you should really step up your practice methods. For example: If you’re working on a crossover and you NEVER lose the ball, you’re not working hard enough. Intense, difficult practices make games — especially pick-up games — seem easy. 

 I have the same problem when I play. I am a very good natural jump shooter, and I sometimes struggle with consistency and attacking and being aggressive on the court. What you have to do is REALLY believe you will make every shot you take. Take some smart shots, but also take some heat check shots (make sure you limit them though, they can be low %) but always think you will make the shot, it makes you that much better. It sounds easy, but remembering that "I WILL make this shot" every time you play can be pretty tough. But you HAVE to believe that and eliminate that doubt in the back of your head to be as effective as possible. It can be tough, but having inner confidence is the most important part of basketball to me. It’s what separates the good from the great, unless you just elite physical or athletic tools, and even then it does to an extent.

Same exact thing for me too. I’ve been told I am more offensively skilled than some professional basketball players and I always knew I was more skilled than all of my peers, but for some reason when I should be killing lesser competition I only play okay and I don’t take over as much as I should. I know that I can score on pretty much anybody with my quickness, ball handling, and shooting ability, but for some reason in the games I don’t have the confidence to just break down the D. I have however gotten better at this, but right now I feel like that’s the only thing separating me from being a really good player like I am now, and a great player which I could be if I had maximum confidence in myself. Sometimes you may feel like you’re being a ball hog, but you just have to say, "f*ck it, I’m taking my shots and I’m taking over this game."