How should a short basketball player get better?

He is only 4'11 at 12 years of age. He has good ball control and mediocre shots....he mainly plays soccer... so he wants to branch into basketball and he definetly has the athletic ability. So any ideas of how he shud improve at a height based sport?How should a short basketball player get better?
modern basketball is not 100% focused on height any more. Ball handling, skills, playmaking, range of shots are other key skills and can get you past any player. you cant learn or practice to make yourself grow taller, but youcan practice these key skills. for example, in the NBA today, look at Chris Paul, the newest superstar to the New Orleans Hornets, he is a superb player with only 3/4 seasons under his belt. he plays for the USA now even though he is only 6 foot, compared to the average height of 6 foot 7 in the NBA. yet, he is an outstanding player.



height is not the only factor. Point Guards and SHooting Guards are key positions for smaller players, but these positions depend on excellent ball handling and range of different shots. get your friend to work on these. any other questions, dont hesitate asking me! Neil
A shorter basketball player can definitely still play basketball. He should continue to work on his ball control as shorter players tend to be point guards. Lateral movement will also be important, as the smaller basketball players need to be quick.



As a good ball handler and shorter individual, another important aspect will be to become a great PASSER. Defenses will be eager to block his shot at that age, so he should work on his passing abilities and sports vision to be able to hit the open man. My friend that I played basketball in high school with was only 5'5 when we were seniors, and he got playing time because he could draw defenses and then find the open teammate for an easy basket.



There are both passing tips and sports vision tips at:

www.basketball-tips-and-training.comHow should a short basketball player get better?
Well from my experience, and as is the trend in the NBA, if you're short, you MUST shoot well, and you have to be either fast or adept at getting where you want. Or you could just be really good at ball-handling and quickness and school competition at the lower levels, which is what I recommend %26gt;_%26gt; There are several examples that illustrate how useless a short player is. Like Earl Boykins. I'm fairly sure there's no good reason for him to be in the league. He's abnormally short. He's lost a step because he's old. He's only an average to above average shooter. The only thing he has going for him is marketability (title of smallest player) and veteran status. A team's Darrick Martin or Eric Snow or Leon Powe, if you will.



And as no one will mention, he will be inherently bad at defense. Yes, he can be really fast and pesky, but it doesn't matter how good you are, being 6 inches shorter than the offensive player gives a massive disadvantage. Like the guy who mentioned Chris Paul. Chris Paul is massive for offense, but on defensive he relies on being quick, being a pest, getting steals and such. Because if he were to play man to man on players, he'd get overpowered, out-heighted, ugly stuff of that nature. In fact there was an article written about his inability to get his hand in the face of players 6 inches taller than him.



So you should tell him that he needs to get really fast, get good at shooting, run a lot on defense, and that if his height keeps up he has little to no potential going forward to higher levels of the sport.
He can just practice.

you dont always have to be like 6 feet to be a basketball player.

one of my good friends are 14 and shes 4"10, and shes the best basketball player on our team, and she can make any shot, dodge an person in her way, etc.

sometimes its good to be short, haha if someones hands are up you can just slide under :]How should a short basketball player get better?
If your looking to improve as a Basketball player, one of the quickest ways is to use Springbak Springsoles to increase your jump.



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I could only just dunk before, but now I'm literally slamming them down and doing reverses!



Check them out at http://springsoles.co.uk
He should work on his dribble and long range shooting and passing. At that height he must be quick and smart to be successful in basketball.
Steroids are the way to go.