Bounce Pass Exercise: Heart Push-ups

 Heart push-ups are named this for two reasons: (1) your fingers make the shape of a heart, (2) your hands are placed below your heart on the floor.

1. While doing these push-ups, the only contact points with the floor are your toes and hands. Keep your back straight and bring your chest to your hands.
2. Form is far more important than the number of repetitions.
3. If this push-up is too difficult, you can put your hands further from each other as demonstrated in the video. The farther your hands are separated, the easier it is to do the push-up. You could also do your push-ups from your knees instead of your toes.

Since the bounce pass involves the flexion and extension of the arms at the elbows, push-up are a great exercise to do. The closer your hands are to each other, the more you are working the triceps. I recommend trying to keep your hands as close as possible to simulate the closeness while holding a basketball and to gain maximum results. You would also want more strength in your triceps to have the ability for a quick, explosive pass before defenders can guard against it.

Bounce Pass Drill #2

1. You and a partner should be on opposite sides of the free-throw line and facing each other.
2. When ready, both of you can side-step up and down the court while bounce-passing the ball back and forth to each other. (It is important this is a side-step; do not cross your feet over! It may cause you to trip and lose possession of the ball)
3. Take breaks when needed.

There are several benefits to this drill. Obviously, the more practice one has performing a skill, the more automatic the skill will become for the player. This can also simulate a more game-like experience because you are moving towards and away from the basket. This drill also promotes teamwork and gets players acquainted with their teammates ability and style of play. In this video, you see the man on the left takes longer strides because of his height. The man on the right seems to have better control, probably due to having more experience. This drill is a good basis for more detailed passing drills. You could progress to adding obstacles to pass around, changing the angles you attack the net, and eventually put actual defenders into the drill.

Bounce Pass Drill

1. Put a target on the wall anywhere between the height of your thigh and your navel.
2. Take a few steps back and begin bounce passing at the target focusing on the spot on the floor you should aim at.
3. Rotate between which foot to use when stepping forward. This is done to become comfortable with both sides in a game situation.
4. This drill should start out slow and focus on proper form. Over time, you should speed up the drill to make it more game-like.

This drill is the first to several drills one can do to improve the skill of the bounce pass. Start here, and then progressively add more to the drill to make it more realistic of game situations. Things like moving up and down the court with a partner, adding cones as defenders, and then put actual defenders into the drill.

NOVICE VIDEO

EXPERT VIDEO

STANCE PHASE

 - Knees bent
- Feet shoulder width or staggered
- Hands up at chest level
- Palms facing each other and off the ball
- Thumbs up pointing towards chest
- Fingers spread
- Ball about 3 to 6 inches from chest

Scientific Terminology:
- Knees should be slightly flexed
- Legs should be abducted slightly in the frontal plane to have feet shoulder-width apart.
- Moving from anatomical position, you hands will be pronated 90 degrees with palms off the ball
- Thumbs will be  superior  the the remaining  phalanges and be pointing towards you pectoralis region.
- Fingers will be abducted

Definitions:
Flexion: a bending movement around a joint in a limb (as the knee or elbow) that decreases the angle between the bones of the limb at the joint.
Abduction: to draw away (as a limb) from a position near or parallel to the median axis (a center line that runs down the middle of the body long ways) of the body: to move (similar parts) apart <abduct adjoining fingers>
Frontal Plane: longitudinal plane dividing the body into front and back halves.
Pronation: rotation of an anatomical part towards the midline (an imaginary line that runs from head-to-toes through the center of your body)
Superior: situated toward the head and further away from the feet than another and especially another similar part.
Phalanges: fingers and toes
Pectoralis: chest muscles

PREPARATION PHASE

- Bring ball back to chest (like you're spring loading your arms)

- Lean forward at the hip

- Lift your leg in preparation for a forward step

            - you will be stepping towards your target

            - your step should be either with your dominant foot

            - or with the foot opposite from the side you may have recieved the ball.

Scientific Terminology:

- Bring the ball bask towards the midline in your chest

- Flex at the hip to lean forward along the mediolateral axis of rotation

- Elevate your leg in preparation for a forward step.

            - you will be stepping so make sure you are dorsiflexing for foot

            - your step should be from the contralateral you have received the ball from.

Definitions:

Midline: an imaginary line which runs from head-to-toe that splits the body into equal left and right sides.

Elevation: to lift up or make higher : raise <elevate a patient's leg> <exercises that elevate the heart rate>

Dorsiflexion: flexing your foot upwards.  Bringing your toes towards your shin.

Contralateral: on the opposite side of a reference point. In this case, the reference point is the side you recieved the ball from.

MOVEMENT PHASE

- Take step forward towards target.

- Extend arms at elbows

Scientific Terminology:

- Take step forward in the sagittal plane.

- Extend arms at elbows

Definitions:

Sagittal plane: a longitundinal plane dividing the the body into left and right parts. It is parallel to the midline.

Extension: an unbending movement around a joint in a limb (as the knee or elbow) that increases the angle between the bones of the limb at the joint. Basically, the opposite of flexion.

FOLLOW THROUGH PHASE

- Release ball with a snap of the wrist. (This creates a backspin on the ball)
- Thumbs should be pointing down after release.
- The spot where the ball should hit the floor should be approximately 2/3 to 3/4 the distance of intended target.

Scientific Terminology:
- Release ball with a snap of the wrist resulting with full rotation of the radioulnar joint.
- Thumbs should be inferior to the remaining phalanges

Definitions:
Rotation (of a joint): to turn the moving bone about its axis. In this case, it is medial rotation: rotating toward the body.
Radioulnar joint: any of three joints connecting the radius and ulna at their proximal and distal ends and along their shafts
Radius: One of two long bones that goes from your wrist to your elbow. It is located the thumbside of the arm.
Ulna: One of two long bones that goes from your wrist to your elbow. This is the thinner bone that is located on the pinkie side of the arm.
Proximal: situated next to or near the point of attachment or origin or a central point. In reference to another part, the proximal part is closer to the trunk of the body.
Distal: located away from the center of the body <the distal end of a bone>. In reference to another part, the distal part is further away from the trunk of the body.

RECOVERY PHASE

- Either return to athletic position or get back into the game. This pass is used while playing, so chances are you will still be playing after the pass has been made.

Scientific Terminology:
- Return to athletic position or get back into the game.

Definitions:
Athletic Position: Knees are slightly flexed,  legs are slightly abducted resulting in feet being shoulder-width apart, hands are in a ready position, and majority of body weight is on balls of your feet so you are ready to react.