Alright, so today I actually got out there and decided to run myself through a good old game of “around the world” with the basketball. You know, just me, the hoop, and a bunch of imaginary spots I gotta hit.
Setting Up My Little Challenge
First things first, I grabbed my slightly deflated basketball – yeah, gotta pump that thing up later – and headed to the local court. Luckily, it wasn’t too crowded. I mentally marked out my spots. You know the drill:
- Under the basket, on the right side (the baby shot, basically).
- Then a bit further out, still on the right baseline.
- Then the right wing.
- Top of the key.
- Left wing.
- Left baseline, further out.
- And finally, under the basket on the left.
My rule for today was simple: make one shot, move on. If I miss, I stay. But if I miss three in a row at any spot, I gotta go back to the previous spot. Yeah, adds a little spice to it, a bit of pressure.
How It Went Down
So I started, feeling pretty good. The first spot, right under, easy peasy. Swish. Moved on.
The right baseline, a little further out. First shot, clanked off the back rim. Okay, no biggie. Second shot… brick. Ugh. Third shot, finally got it to roll in. That was a close one to getting sent back already.
Moved to the right wing. This spot is usually my friend. And today, it was! First try, nothing but net. Felt good, real good. Almost like I knew what I was doing for a second there.
Then came the top of the key. This one can be a bit of a mental game for me. I took a breath, focused. First shot… airball. Not even close. Wow. Okay, regroup. Second shot, hit the front rim, bounced up, and thankfully, dropped in. Pure luck on that one, I swear.
Over to the left wing. Now, for some reason, my left side shots always feel a bit off. And today was no exception. Miss. Miss again. The pressure of that “three misses and go back” rule started creeping in. I really focused on the third one, changed my arc a bit, and it went in. Phew.
The left baseline spot, the one mirroring that tough right baseline spot. This is where things got a bit ugly. First shot, way too strong. Second, way too short. Third one, clanged off the side. So, yep, back to the left wing I went. Had to make that one again, which I did on the second try, thankfully. Then back to the left baseline. This time, after another miss, I finally nailed it. That spot took forever. My arms were starting to feel it a bit, not gonna lie.
Finally, the last spot: under the basket on the left. You’d think this would be as easy as the first one. Nope. Maybe I was tired, or maybe just overthinking it, but I actually missed the first one. Laughed at myself a bit. Got the second one in, though. And that was it! World conquered, sort of.
What I Reckon
It’s funny, “around the world” sounds simple, but man, it really shows you where your shot is struggling on any given day. Today, those baseline shots were a pain. And it’s not just about making the shot, it’s about resetting after a miss, especially when you have to move back. It’s a good drill for that mental toughness, or at least, for practicing not to get too frustrated.
Definitely gotta work on my consistency from those baseline spots. And maybe pump up my ball before I head out next time. That probably didn’t help much either!
