Rebounding: Four Steps to Dominating the Boards in Basketball

When you think of basketball what do you think of? The three pointer, the big dunk, the steal? That is what most people think are the most important parts of the game, which is not true though. The single most important part to the game of basketball is the rebound. So why is the rebound important and what is the best way to get one?

You may not believe me on the importance of the rebound, but lets look at some facts. About 75-80% of games won are won by the team with the most rebounds. A rebound essential sets you up for a three-five point swing. This is possible because you stop the other team from scoring, -2 points they would have otherwise had, and, unless you turn the ball over, will be set up to either score between 1-3 points.

That is why the rebound is important, but how do you get a rebound? What is the best way to get a rebound. That is what this article will talk about.

Step One: Desire

Most coaches will say that step two, position, is the most important part of the rebound, I do not agree with most coaches. Desire is the single most important part of the rebound. If you have desire you can get over half the rebounds that come your way.

Step Two: Position

If desire fails you then this next step will definitely help, position. If you have desire and position no one will be able to out rebound you. But what is a good position for a rebound?

The best position for you to be in is with your body between the man you are guarding and the basket. This is not only good defense but is an important part to the next part of this step.

Once you are between your man and the basket you need to box that man, or anyone else, out. When you go to box someone out do not watch the ball, find a man to put your body on and then look for the ball.

Your probably asking, how do you box out? To box out you will need to turn and make sure your opponent is behind you. You will get yourself into a stable position, I recommend a half-squat with your legs spread and your arms out to trap your opponent where he is. It is important that you squat a little otherwise you set yourself up to be pushed to the floor.

Although boxing out may seem like such an easy thing to do it is very important. If you box your man out and are unable to get to the ball it is okay because you have stopped your man from getting it as well.

Step Three: Jumping

Jumping is one of the hardest things to do. Not only do you need to know how high you are able to jump, but how fast you can jump, when you will need to jump, and where to position yourself to jump. It is important that you grab the ball with two hands, this helps you to gain control of the ball and get a tight grip so your opponent can not steal the ball from you, this will be in the next step though.

When you go for a rebound you will want to time yourself so you jump as high as you can as quickly as you can at the exact moment the ball reaches it's apex, or the highest point the ball can reach before it falls. This is hard to do though, I recommend that you practice frequently on this step. A way to practice would be to throw the ball off the backboard and rebound it. Do this 50 or so times to start and more as you improve.

Step Four: Grab the Ball

Everything above is worthless if you do not get control of the ball. You will want to grab the ball with two hands and bring it into a tight grip above your strong side shoulder and just to the side of your chin or below your chin and at the middle of your chest. These are strong positions for the ball to be in as you can pivot to get any opponent around you away from the ball without them being able to hit the ball out of your hands.

If you are not very good at getting a good grip on the ball or you are afraid an opponent will steal the ball away from you, you should take one or two dribbles to get out of traffic but immediately bring the ball back to that strong grip position.

Remember safety when doing the above steps. One of the most common injuries in basketball is ankle and leg problems. When you go to get a rebound you have to watch your landing, you are setting yourself up to roll, sprain, or break your ankle.

If you follow all of the above steps you should be setting yourself up to get all the rebounds that come your way.