Competition:  Every time you workout you should compete.  You can compete with yourself by beating your last score or your last time.  Do you keep a log of your records for different drills?  The stories are legendary of the shooters who would not leave the court until they made 10 straight free throws after a long workout.  Larry Bird, the Celtic great, would not leave the court until he made 10 in a row and all 10 had to bounce back to him while he stood at the line.  (He wanted his shot to have back spin and the back spin would make the ball bounce back to him.)

Game Speed:  You should push the limit on every drill and get out of your comfort zone.  You can only improve by constantly challenging your comfort zone.  Most average players have a practice speed and which makes the game to fast for them.

Create a moment in your mind:  The common back yard last second shot…….”we are down 2, the ball is in my hands and there is 5 seconds to go…..5, 4, 3, 2……he lets it go and its good!!!!”    Creating moments in your mind will force you to go game speed, will make the workout fun, and will get you prepared for games.  You can do this in your shooting drills, ball handling drills, quickness drills….make yourself the hero if you reach your goals.

Set Goals and chart your progress:  Time yourself on how long it takes you to make 50 shots, or how quickly you can complete a drill.  The next workout try to beat the last record.  There is a big movement in the NBA to know what spots on the court you shoot your highest percentage.  See how you do in different spots on different days.

Be committed:  Today everyone has a skills session, a practice or a individual workout.  Be committed to get better by yourself.  There is nothing better then going to a hoop at your house or at the park and working out by yourself.  If you want to be good at anything in life you have to spend time alone perfecting your skill.   The great ones find a way to do something with the game they love day after day on their own.