🤔 I'm curious to your thoughts. Low pickups and High pickups are overrated. The reason they get overemphasized in training is we see them constantly in the NBA. The reason they are a staple in the NBA is because they are necessary to avoid the incredible hands of NBA defenders. Where at the high school or college level, players are doing those things because they have trained them, not out of necessity. Watch any high school or college game, and pay close attention to the location of the pickup and if a basket was scored. My observations in hyper-focusing on finishing at the U16-U20 level. Low pickups are almost always misses. High pickups have a higher chance of making the shot but it's still not very good. To score the basket, pickups near the waist are the best, usually with the ball protected from the defender. - Most natural - Allows the strongest grip - Provides the most balance - Able to initiate contact easier (especially with a little natural elbow swing) - Easier to get the shot off ⬇️ Let me know your thoughts in a comment below. In the Episode: - We don't need players to know 25 finishes. The right read + a basic understanding of solutions (ex. 1 foot = fast, 2 feet = strong) goes a long way. - Mark's favorite finishing drill: one less ball than players at the rim. Catch, score, repeat. If you don't have a ball, you're on defense. - Floaters look great on highlight tape but are overrated. Strength and speed to the rim will beat the low pick-up, off-hand, same foot floater in the long run. In my opinion: Dwight Howard got worse when he added a face-up game. Sometimes the fastest way to improve performance isn't adding a new move, it's eliminating the ones that don't work. 🎧 Full episode linked below. Check out SAVI Sync if you haven't yet! Practice plans, schedules, roster, attendance, everything all connected in one place.

What is a carry? What does it mean to be a Good Ball Handler vs a Good Dribbler? @Tyler Coston and I go over the 6 things that make great Ball Handlers. (mini-spoiler: #1 is passing) Dribbling stationary cones or chairs might look great in warm-ups, but it’s only a fraction of what wins games. True ball handling isn't just about flashy dribble moves—it's about moving effectively with the ball, reading space, and drastically cutting down turnovers. Full episode on YouTube (linked below) CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Subjective language stagnates improvement 02:01 - What is a carry? 05:10 - The BEST players are the BEST movers 20:00 - Handling Concept #1 22:06 - Handling Concept #2 27:43 - Handling Concept #3 34:34 - Handling Concept #4 36:47 - Dribble "Moves" Make sure you follow me on Skool to get notified of my posts here in SAVI Coaching Courses A reminder to check out Basketball Training by SAVI where I bring my ten years of professional experience to teach the game using a ton of film. Players can join and do the first week of the 28 Day Shooting Challenge for Free!

🚨 Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on what the handling and finishing courses will look like for players in Basketball Training by SAVI. 📢 SAVI Basketball Premium Members get to choose one player to join Training for free! Join SAVI Basketball Here. ⬇️ After watching the video, anything inside either course that you would like to see? your feedback helps me make this better for our players!

Critics have described this episode as "Fascinating" The guys broke down the coaching cliches you've heard a thousand times — and asked if they actually help players. Some Examples of Coachisms - "Defense wins championships" data says it's actually offense. Debunked. - "Give 110%" that's impossible. We like Dick DeVenzio's number better: give 87%. Leaves room to grow instead of hitting a ceiling. - "Get a stop" / "hands up" — too vague, and hands-up isn't even good positioning off the ball. Swap for specific, sticky cues: touch leather, hunt the pass, get in a stance. From my own experience, one of my pro coaches would get so frustrated with us and his english wasn't very good so he would just yell, "DO BETTER." 🎧 Full episode linked below. 👇 What's a coaching phrase you say all the time that might need a rethink?

@Mike Carlson is joining SAVI as our Director of Player Development. This is huge. As you know, we're committed to revolutionizing the way the game is taught and played. A NEW way to teach players how to see, think and play the game! The SAVI way. Here's why this matters. 20 years ago, players didn't have instant access to their own film. They had to trust what a coach told them. Now it's different. Film study is the most revolutionary tool in coaching and player development today — and most coaches and most players are not yet using it well or using it enough. We're going to change that. Want to develop IQ? Film. Want to learn reads? Film.Want to improve your shot? Film. Want to score more points? Film.Want more playing time? Film. Larry Bird said it best: "Film don't lie." Mike has been living this for the last six years — and the results, the pro players he's working with have produced! This is why I asked him to lead Player Development at SAVI. A NEW way to teach players how to see, think and play the game! The SAVI way. In his own words, here's the journey. The Mike Carlson Basketball Journey - in his own words I was never recruited. Didn't score 1,000 points in high school. Cut as a freshman from Division 3 Hope College. Walked on at Truman State (D2), redshirted, and earned a scholarship during the redshirt year. Then a coaching change happened, and the new coach told me to find a new school. Through tears at the thought of losing my scholarship, I told coach to put me through workouts and I'd show him what I could do. A week later, coach apologized and said he wanted me on the team. Three years later we won 21 games (we'd only won 7 when I redshirted), and I was named a Division 2 All-American (2014). I played the next ten years professionally. Won 2 championships (2017, 2022), and helped the clubs I played for exceed their goals — wins, playoff appearances, and one Final Four (2023). The single proudest moment of my career was hitting a game-winning three in my first game in the ACB (Spain's top league). There's a lot of meaning behind that shot — a story for another day.