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There is lots of contact inside, so train to use it to your advantage

Playing down low requires toughness.  Watch any high school, college, or professional game and pay attention to the players inside and you'll be amazed at how much contact there is in the lane.

It's just part of the game.  And since it is such a big part of the inside game, you should train yourself to not only deal with the contact, but to actually benefit from it.

Most coaches will use some type of "contact" drill with their inside players.  In these drills, a defensive player or two will intentionally push or foul or somehow make contact with the offensive player as they make a move or go up for a shot.  These drills can be helpful in getting players used to contact during their offensive moves.

Inside players should always be prepared for contact and should work on going up strong with their shots, deal with contact, and still put the ball in the basket.  But one way to set yourself apart from your competition is to work on actually instigating the contact yourself as an offensive player.

Let me explain.

If you watch an NBA game, you'll see an unbelievable amount of contact taking place all over the court (and not just between inside players).  Because NBA players are so tall, so strong, and so physically talented, the game is extremely physical.  And players learn to use their bodies, and contact to their advantage.  And one thing you might notice if you play very close attention is that many times, it is the offensive player that creates contact and uses it to their advantage.

By creating contact, the offensive player not only can create space for themselves to shoot the ball, but they also can put the defense off balance and out of position to make a good play on the ball or the shot.  And this is true, in particular, for inside players.

By actually creating contact, you can put the defender off-balance and out of position to contest or block your shot.  Creating contact can mean pinning a defender on your backside while you make a strong drop-step to the basket on the blocks.  It can also mean jumping slightly into the defender as you go up for a power move or follow-up shot on an offensive rebound.  By jumping slightly into the defender, you actually put them off-balance, make it harder for them to block your shot, and make it much more likely that they'll be called for a fould as they look to block your shot.

So as you train, make sure to work on this part of your game.  My creating contact at certain times and getting the defense off-balance or out of position, you can create room for your shot, be less likely to have your shot blocked, and put the defender in a position where they're more likely to foul you and send you to the line.

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