How can I beat twenty somethings in hoops?

Okay, I just turned 50 a couple of weeks ago, but I'm still competitive as all get out--maybe too competitive. Anyway, I play basketball once a week and most of the guys are a lot younger than me, and a lot quicker. I think I need to improve my quickness, foot speed, side to side, hand quickness. I actually just began playing against these guys a couple of weeks ago--for the past six months or so I've been playing against guys from work who were older, and who refused to play full court. Now, I'm learning something each game, how to break down the defense a bit etc., but I ain't tall, so I can't just do the garbage bucket routine. If I want to continue playing, I have to contribute and when my shots aren't falling (and they weren't last night), I've got to be able to do something else.

Okay, I'm just rambling, but if you have any ideas, feel free to express them. :ne_nau:

Sounds like your doing pretty well right now for your age.

If it was me I would just take up sex. The balls are lighter and you don't have to run so much. :nod:

cheat!

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Originally Posted by CrazyFinn

Sounds like your doing pretty well right now for your age.

If it was me I would just take up sex. The balls are lighter and you don't have to run so much. :nod:

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Good point. I'm thinking of taking it up. :2thumbs:

Well actually I'm kidding. Don't give up so fast. I went thru this in my 30's so at 50 thats pretty good. Just don't beat yourself up to much if the young guns keep beating you. Ya never know. Ya got nothing to lose. :2thumbs:

By the way, your avatar is wrong. The coldest place "ON Earth" is on 35th and Bryant (bus stop) in So. Minneapolis. I've been there. :haha:

I still barely qualify as a twenty something and the one thing that some of the "older" guys I play with now and then can do to drive me crazy/slow me down is to just get a bit physical. You don't want to play dirty by any means, but make sure each time they cut through the lane without the ball you give them a little bump, maybe your fouls are harder now and then, and you ride them a bit more on defense. Physically they have an advantage over you, so you have to get in their head.

I consider myself a good player (was given a tryout with Coach Rose my freshman year at BYU) and occasionally an older guy will use some of those tactics and get in my head and knock me right off my game. I can't complain or fault him for being dirty, because he's not. He's just using the mental toughness edge he has on me.

Play Dirty. :2thumbs:

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Originally Posted by CrazyFinn

If it was me I would just take up sex. The balls are lighter and you don't have to run so much. :nod:

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:roflol: :roflol: :roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

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Originally Posted by CrazyFinn

By the way, your avatar is wrong. The coldest place "ON Earth" is on 35th and Bryant (bus stop) in So. Minneapolis. I've been there. :haha:

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Why? :ne_nau:

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You don't want to play dirty by any means, but make sure each time they cut through the lane without the ball you give them a little bump, maybe your fouls are harder now and then, and you ride them a bit more on defense. Physically they have an advantage over you, so you have to get in their head.

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Okay, I can do that. BTW, I think physically I'm stronger than any of them. I work out several times a week with weights, and I run 3-4 miles 4 times a week with basketball on one of the off days. This past Thursday I ran in the morning and played hoops at night. So I'm in great shape. I just don't have the lateral quickness, and maybe the hand speed that I once had, which of course, diminishes with age, but I like to think that you can keep that kind of stuff for the most part if you use it.

You sound like the prime candidate to play good hard physical ball (Ron Artest style).

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Originally Posted by Kent K25

You sound like the prime candidate to play good hard physical ball (Ron Artest style).

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I probably am, but I don't want to start any fights, or anything like that. These are tough, but friendly games.

Having a love of the game and having coached and refed a bit, the place that kills the kiddies is the mid range jumper. Master the off the screen shot and the 10-15 foot jumper. NO ONE shoots the mid range jumper any more and the young guns are always looking for the 3 ball or the lay up - on offense and defense. The other shot that always killed me when I was younger and what my coaches pulled on me was the good old fashioned hook shot. Also, try the double, not single, pump fake. Do it and lean into the airbourne young buck shot blocker.

As for defense, a hand grabbing the bottom of the shorts works well. Also, the little bumps work wonders on defense. I was taught to bump anyone going across the lane. Most refs and players will not call a foul with a hip shove but will always call the hand or wrist slap. One older and slower guy who always frustrated me played one hand high and one hand low. The high hand was more of a decoy for the low hand throwing me off balance with the hip shove. The low hand shove is rarely if ever called. Most players are trying for glory with blocking the shot but if the guy misses, it is just as good.

The thing you have going for you is your mind. Having played the game for as long as you have, your positioning, spacing , and angles should be far superior to the youngsters. If not, there is an area to work on.

Just keep playing. One final advantage that just came to mind is your rear end is a major asset. The 50 years old rear end is wider, more solid and more effective than the kiddies'. OK maybe I am just speaking of my rear end. I am not far behind you in years but my knees and neck have substantially slowed me down. I would love to play and feel competitive again. Keep it up!! :2thumbs:

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Originally Posted by Scott Card

Having a love of the game and having coached and refed a bit, the place that kills the kiddies is the mid range jumper. Master the off the screen shot and the 10-15 foot jumper. NO ONE shoots the mid range jumper any more and the young guns are always looking for the 3 ball or the lay up - on offense and defense. The other shot that always killed me when I was younger and what my coaches pulled on me was the good old fashioned hook shot. Also, try the double, not single, pump fake. Do it and lean into the airbourne young buck shot blocker.

As for defense, a hand grabbing the bottom of the shorts works well. Also, the little bumps work wonders on defense. I was taught to bump anyone going across the lane. Most refs and players will not call a foul with a hip shove but will always call the hand or wrist slap. One older and slower guy who always frustrated me played one hand high and one hand low. The high hand was more of a decoy for the low hand throwing me off balance with the hip shove. The low hand shove is rarely if ever called. Most players are trying for glory with blocking the shot but if the guy misses, it is just as good.

The thing you have going for you is your mind. Having played the game for as long as you have, your positioning, spacing , and angles should be far superior to the youngsters. If not, there is an area to work on.

Just keep playing. One final advantage that just came to mind is your rear end is a major asset. The 50 years old rear end is wider, more solid and more effective than the kiddies'. OK maybe I am just speaking of my rear end. I am not far behind you in years but my knees and neck have substantially slowed me down. I would love to play and feel competitive again. Keep it up!! :2thumbs:

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You bring up some great points. I actually have been working on my hook shots a lot, but lately have been playing guard and haven't gotten many chances inside. We have no refs, these are just basically pickup games, so it's call your own fouls--so, being the honest guy I am, if I shove someone, I'm going to call it, which in these particular kinds of games kind of defeats the purpose. I am finding that some of these guys fall for the single pump fake. I'm going to try the double. I do work on shots from all parts of the floor, and seem to be able to shoot a high percentage, except there are times when I'm waiting for my shot to get blocked by some of the taller and lankier guys on the other team and when I think about someone blocking it from the side or behind, it causes me to miss. I've got to get that out of my head. :nod:

Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting you be a jerk or play dirty. BTW, who calls fouls? Defense or offense or both? I am suggesting that you play more physically. Who ever said basketball is a non contact sport is just plain wrong. I will have to pull my rules book and look up the foul rule. Again, bodying up on a shot is not necessarily a foul nor is a hand on the hip. And yes, you have to forget about getting blocked. Just shoot. Putting out of your mind the past play is key to any sport as I am sure you know. Doing it is easier said than done.

One other thought, become an assist man first and shooter second. After a couple of great assists, your defender will likely become a bit complacent. That is the time to drill a three ball, and maybe another. Then he will guard you tight on the three point line. Pump fake him, go around a couple of steps and hit your 15 foot jumper. Do that again but instead of shooting the 15 footer, pump fake again and wait for the foul. He will be there. Then pump fake a few and dish out some more assists, and the cycle starts all over again. Oh what fun it is messing with the defender. :haha:

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Originally Posted by Scott Card

Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting you be a jerk or play dirty. BTW, who calls fouls? Defense or offense or both? I am suggesting that you play more physically. Who ever said basketball is a non contact sport is just plain wrong. I will have to pull my rules book and look up the foul rule. Again, bodying up on a shot is not necessarily a foul nor is a hand on the hip. And yes, you have to forget about getting blocked. Just shoot. Putting out of your mind the past play is key to any sport as I am sure you know. Doing it is easier said than done.

One other thought, become an assist man first and shooter second. After a couple of great assists, your defender will likely become a bit complacent. That is the time to drill a three ball, and maybe another. Then he will guard you tight on the three point line. Pump fake him, go around a couple of steps and hit your 15 foot jumper. Do that again but instead of shooting the 15 footer, pump fake again and wait for the foul. He will be there. Then pump fake a few and dish out some more assists, and the cycle starts all over again. Oh what fun it is messing with the defender. :haha:

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Thanks, Scott. That's a great way to put it. And our fouls are generally called by the defense, but sometimes an offensive player will say "hey, I was fouled," if the defender doesn't say anything.

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Originally Posted by Scott Card

Oh what fun it is messing with the defender. :haha:

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Especially young impatient defenders.