Man, today I put myself through the wringer trying to train like those slick All-Star point guards. Woke up early, way before my alarm – kinda felt that buzz knowing I was gonna really push it. Drank some water, choked down some toast, and dragged my bleary-eyed self down to the empty court. Quiet out there, just me, the basket, and the birds chirping. Figured that’s where the magic happens.
Starting Simple (But Not Easy)
Didn’t even touch a ball at first. Got my body moving:
- Light jog around the court perimeter, trying to loosen up those stiff legs from yesterday’s beatdown.
- Some awkward sideways shuffles – felt like a crab at first, gotta be honest. Wobbly ankles and all.
- Backpedaled slowly, remembering that clip I saw about defensive hustle – felt weird looking over my shoulder!
- Threw in some half-hearted jumping jacks just to get the blood pumping harder.
Whole “warming up” thing took maybe 10 minutes, felt longer though. Started sweating already – sign I needed it.
Handles Drills: Gotta Control That Rock
Picked up the ball. Felt good, grippy. Time for the basic beatings every point guard master talks about:
- Stationary pound dribbles: Just hard slams right in front of me, felt silly but kept it low and heavy, right hand feeling kinda strong, left hand feeling like a wet noodle. Switched it up, alternating fast until my wrists started grumbling.
- Big circles around my legs: Standing wide. Tried weaving it around my legs – slow circles. Knees started barking quick. Speeded up a bit, ball almost whacked my kneecaps a few times! Kept going, pushing the speed, feeling the burn in my calves.
- Walking crossovers down the court: Started shuffling sideways slowly, dragging that right foot, trying to get the ball low and snapping it through my legs to the other hand. Looked way smoother in my head than it felt. Practiced that snap until my palm got that sting.
Focus was killer here. Just listening to the ball hit the floor, trying to make it sound consistent. Sweat dripping onto the court now.
Getting Into Gear: Speed and Shots
Got tired of just standing. Needed to add some pace.
- Full court sprints dribbling: Started at one baseline, took off as fast as I could manage while keeping the ball glued to my hand. Kept my head up (mostly!), staring at the rim far away. First try, bounced the damn ball off my foot halfway – embarrassing. Back to start. Did it again. And again. Felt myself starting to cover the distance faster, the ball staying closer.
- Pick-and-roll simulation: Got creative. Used that dented trash can near the baseline like a pretend defender. Ran towards it hard, imagined a teammate setting a pick, planted hard off my outside foot, and exploded past the “screen”. Didn’t always get that quick change of direction right – felt more like a stumble sometimes.
- Mid-range pull-ups: After getting past the “screen”, instead of driving all the way, tried stopping sharp and jumping straight up. Focused on shooting right at the peak. First few shots were bricks, way off. Rhythm felt jerky. Kept at it, trying for that quick catch-and-shoot motion before landing. Finally started swishing a couple, that sound was sweet relief.
Legs were definitely feeling it now, heavy like concrete.
Wrapping Up the Grind
Pushed for another 10 minutes of pure hustle – mostly defensive slide drills and some free throws just to cool down. Arms were shaky taking those shots. Hit the court floor afterwards, just staring up at the ceiling lights catching my breath. Whole session probably lasted about 75 minutes, felt like double.
Did I suddenly feel like Chris Paul? Hell no. My left hand handle is still clumsy, my pull-up jumper needs a ton of work, and I probably wasted half my energy just fighting to control the ball. But, pushing myself through that point guard focused routine? That felt right. Felt like I scratched the surface of what those guys probably do daily. Knees ache, feet hurt, but man, that feeling of putting in the specific work? Solid. Back at it tomorrow, gotta work on that weak hand.
