What is Quickness?
In most sports, both quickness and speed are important to perform really well. Often times they’re both considered as being identical skills. Let’s get into what exactly basketball quickness means and why it matters.
Speed is when you move your body in one direction as fast as you can. So think of a track athlete sprinting 100m as fast as he/she can. It’s the ability to cover a distance in the shortest amount of time. The link provided is an example of what a speed workout should be.
While QUICKNESS is instantly reacting to change your body position to make a move or a series of movements. Typically it happens at a shorter distance, for example, it’s when a defender has to quickly react to his opponent’s moves and counters to make a series of stops.
Why is Basketball Quickness Important?
Having quickness in basketball is really important because you are constantly reacting and positioning to make a series of movements the entire time you’re playing. The quicker you are in games, the higher your chances of performing well on the court. Whether that’s being able to finish and score by quickly blowing by the defense or shutting down a player trying to score the basketball. Overall, a quicker team usually has the best chance of winning the game because they have more opportunities to make a play or stop in basketball.
What are the Benefits of Quickness in a Basketball Player?
Footwork
Players with good footwork will have a quicker first step to get by defenders with or without the basketball.
They have great jab steps to create separation and bait the defenders to move away from them.
They have amazing balance and stability to reposition their feet to get squared up for a jumpshot off the dribble or catch and shoot from a run.
Acceleration
They are able to quickly burst off of their first step and get to their top speed faster.
They can get up and down the court quicker to finish or make a defensive stop.
Reaction Time
Basketball is unpredictable, so a player that can react quicker has more chances of succeeding to score or make a stop.
They have better decision-making because they’re able to react and counter effectively.
Here’s a workout that you can do at home without any equipment and requires minimal space.
Workout Overview:
Basketball Game Format – 1st-4th Quarter | 3 Rounds of 10-20seconds each quarter | Rest: 30s after each exercise and 1-2mins after circuit.
A. Dynamic Warmup
- Lateral Bear Crawl
- Worlds Greatest Stretch Pike
- Lateral Lunge Complex
- Superman High Knees
- Skipping Series
B. 1st Quarter – Rapid Response Series
- Forward and Back
- Ali Shuffle
- Hip Turn
C. 2nd Quarter – Line Hop Series
- Double Leg Lateral
- Single Leg Linear
- Single Leg Lateral
D. 3rd Quarter – Quickness Series A
- Kneeling Broad Jump
- Vertical Jump Shuffle
- Tuck Jump Double Shuffle
E. 4th Quarter – Quickness Series B
- Hip Turn Crossover Shuffle
- Hip Turn Jump Stop Run
- Split Stop Turn Pivot Jump
Hope you enjoy this workout! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me a DM on any of my social media channels below