The Simple Guide To Watching Film For Basketball [How To Get Better Every Day No Matter Where You Are]
Forget Netflix.
If you’re a true hooper & want to be entertained, then look no further than seeking the improve your game in your spare time.
I’ll have to admit, I got the idea from Kneesovertoesguy.
It was mentioned at the end of this recent article from him.
Yet it was such a critical concept, expressed in such an amazingly simple way, that I figured it needed its own article to properly do it justice.
Here’s the quote:
“For younger basketball players I recommend watching an even mix of 3 parts: 1) full games, 2) your favourite player’s highlights at 25% speed on YouTube, and 3) your own footage.”
This is the type of simple expression, summarising incredibly important concepts concisely that comes from YEARS of in-field experience on trying to become the best basketball player possible (this is what I find pretty much everything that Kneesovertoesguy writes on to be like if I’m honest. His work is incredibly well researched & has done wonders for me personally. This is why I have no shame in recommending his stuff as the go-to physical preparation resource for athletes looking to optimise their performance).
If you want an even better form of Netflix, then look no further than this tool.
I would go as far as saying, by implementing a good film analysis strategy you can 2–10X your growth as a player.
Separate Yourself From the Rest & Reach Your Dreams
The real secret behind why this works so amazingly well is simply because most players don’t do it!
They don’t commit themselves to watching film often enough to notice the benefits.
Maybe it’s because they don’t believe it will work.
Maybe it’s because they aren’t organised enough (here is a rough look at how I would I like to get it done, if you want a run-through of how I set things up I would recommend reaching out directly). Whatever it is, it’s another example of players not being serious enough about being as good as they could be.
This is where you will be different.
Call it whatever you want, but Science is Science. This stuff works.
The Top 3 Ways To Watch Film To Level Up Your BBALL IQ
1. Full Games
This is the first place to start as a player who wants to level up their BBALL IQ. It’s such a useful tool to help train your perception to begin recognising basketball situations in real game contexts.
Most of basketball is a game of repeating patterns & reactions. Situations unfold in predictable ways, requiring a reaction at each step of the way. By watching film you can help to ensure that you start to train your mind to recognise these patterns, as well.
I would recommend watching equal parts:
- Games at the highest level of your specific age group OR category. These can be hard to find, but a good place to go can be the FIBA channel for the highest levels of competition available. A quick Google search should be able to show you what’s available.
- Another resource that should be used sparingly is hooping highlight channels (Sparingly because they can be fairly unrealistic & usually contain NBA level prospects which can be a little discouraging). While it’s hard to find full games, it can give a glimpse as to what top High school level players are doing.
- Games at the top level of the sport. I look no further than FIBA 3x3 for these.
2. Favourite Players Highlights at 25% Speed
This can be a total game-changer for your individual skillsets & should be the framework of how you start to build your game over time.
You want to slowly analyse what the best do, picking up on the small things they do in order to allow them to perform so effortlessly at what they do. It could be a movement of the head one way, or a shift of the feet the other. As you gain more experience & watch more breakdowns, you’ll start to learn what to look for.
A good rule of thumb is choosing to watch & follow players that are more like you. Over time you will slowly become familiar with what makes the best tick. Some rough examples are below based on heights:
< 6'2
- Isiah Thomas
- Jason Kidd
- Steve Nash
- Steph Curry
- Kyrie Irving
- Dusan Bulut
- Damian Lillard
- Gilles Martin
6'2–6'5
- James Harden
- Jrue Holiday
- Dejan Majstorovich
- Michael Hicks
- Nauris Meizis
Taller than 6'5
- Luka Doncic
- Kevin Durant
- Lebron James
- Karlis Lasmanis
Post Players (Bigger in width/ more muscle) 6'4+
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Charles Barkley
- Zach Randolf
- Delgernyam Davaasambuu
3. Your Own Footage
This is where the growth truly happens.
By having a good frame of reference from the study you’ve done in the prior film analysis, you can start to see where you stand in relation to where you ideally want to be.
If you didn’t get a chance to see our section in the elite athlete blueprint on creating your skill matrix, it’s worth considering a look (In the Blueprint we use the principles of skill acquisition, along with key self-assessments to give a score out of 100 for the key skills of basketball). Having an honest appraisal of where you’re at currently is key to being able to develop over the long term. It’s important to be critical here & compare your score to the players that you’re watching on film. That way you can be easier on yourself when watching your own film, as you’ll have a clear comparison between you & the best.
Structuring Your Week With Film
In the same way you would structure your training, I would highly advise you include film sessions.
- Before games: A great way to watch film before games can be to try & embody a particular identity in-game. This is where watching your favourite player can be really great. A bonus tip on this is to only focus on 1 or 2 things you want to improve in every game you play. This will help you to really nail that thing. Using film to guide to quality you want to embody is great for this.
- Before training: This can help to prime your motor cortex for performing a skill optimally via the mirror neurons.
- After games: Looking at where you went well & not so well. Can really help to solidify the learnings & experience from your performances.
- Independent film sessions: Simply sitting & observing, making note of what you notice. Basketball is an art form with hundreds of things happening in each second of gameplay. Each time you watch you will compound your knowledge & notice something different.
Call to action: Level Up You BBALL IQ & Become The Smartest Player on The Floor
By taking this advice to heart & starting your film journey, you can start your way towards becoming the smartest player on the floor. After a few months of doing this, you will notice the clear separation between you & your peers.
Forget Netflix. The Elite Athlete Blueprint is where it’s at!
If you want a complete guide to levelling up all aspects of your basketball game, why not spend the $20 per month you spend on Netflix on something that will actually help you reach your dreams….
