How to Improve Your Processing Speed in Basketball

"The mind is what makes the body." - Dean Karnazes

A couple years ago I was having an issue with my car.

Every time I would press the gas pedal, it would lag at first and then suddenly jolt into gear.

I went to the mechanic and he confidently diagnosed it as something that would cost me quite a bit of money.

Out of fear of my car breaking down randomly one day, I told him to go for it.

I get my car back and all is good again.

Until a day later, I notice the same issue happening.

I was extremely frustrated at this point, so I took it to a different mechanic.

This mechanic tells me that all my car needs is a simple tune up and it will fix the problem.

He does it in an hour (and of course) my car is good as new.

Moral of the story:

The answer isn't always our first guess.

And become a more athletic basketball player is the same way.

This is at the top of most players' list when it comes to what they want to improve.

They want to sky for rebounds.

They want to dunk on people.

They want to leave their defender in the dust whenever they make a move.

But there's two sides to the coin when it comes to becoming a better athlete.

One is the obvious side, the training.

Lifting weights, plyos, jump training, sprinting, etc.

That matters a ton.

BUT...

There's way more to it than that.

The players who we consider "the most athletic" have another huge thing going for them.

They are mentally quick.

Example 1:

They see a lane to drive half a second faster than other players, and that allows them to be a step ahead of everyone else.

It looks like they're just quicker than everyone else...

But the reality is that they actually saw the opportunity and acted before anyone else.

Example 2:

They know the player they're guarding always spins towards to the left when they drive right.

So they anticipate the spin and end up getting a steal.

In the moment, that seems like an athleticism thing.

But it's actually all about processing speed.

Point being, you can become more "athletic" simply be improving how fast you process the game.

If you want to improve your processing speed, here's what you need to do:

Pre-Script

In football, typically each team scripts their first couple offensive possessions.

Meaning, they come into the game knowing what they want to do.

In basketball, this concept can help you to play "faster".

The difference is, your "pre-script" is actually just looking for certain opportunities.

If you come into a game hunting closeouts to attack, you will be a half-second quicker when that situation happens.

Boom. You got faster.

Maybe you understand that most 3 point shots go long.

So whenever your teammate shoots a 3, you are running to the opposite side hunting offensive rebounds.

You now look like a more athletic rebounder.

In reality, you are just a step ahead of everyone.

Here's 4 things you should pre-script:

1. Hunt closeouts whenever you can

2. Crash to the opposite side whenever your team shoots a 3

3. If you are off-ball, cut to the basket whenever your defender turns to stare at the ball in help

4. When your team pulls a defensive rebound, make it your job to be the first person to half-court sprinting in transition

You can't separate the physical from the mental in a game like basketball.

And if you want something that will help you train both...

You'll love Basketball IQ Academy.

Not only is it the ultimate way to transform your basketball IQ, in-game performance, and confidence.

But it also comes with a year round strength and athleticism program AND a skills program.

It's built for players who want to be the best "athlete" possible.

If you're interested, you can check it out right here!

I've got a ton of exciting things coming your way this fall as we inch closer to the season.

More on that later.

Enjoy your Thursday!

- Ethan