Becoming a Great Swingman Tips
Read these 6 Becoming a Great Swingman Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Basketball tips and hundreds of other topics.
Master the Triple-Threat Position
As a swingman, you are essentially a "big" guard. You should be proficient from the Triple Threat(see section on Triple Threat Position), because there will be many times where you catch the ball along the perimeter. Master this position, learn to score from it, shoot from it, and make plays from it. You should have nightmares about the Triple Threat you practice it so much.
Inverted Post Position
Another position a great Swingman should master, the Inverted Post Position(see Post Player Tips section). As stated, a swingman must be able to dribble by a defender one possession, then post up a smaller guard the next. Master the Inverted Post Position, it was made for the Swingman in you.
To be a Swingman
To be a great Swingman, or three-guard, or small forward, you must be extremely versatile. Tayshaun Prince is a prototypical swingman. He can dribble, shoot, pass, post up, defend guards and bigs. Learn every position and master it. You have to be able to beat a guy off the dribble one trip down, then post up a small guard the next.
Keep Your Head Up
A Swingman is the ultimate playmaker. Lebron James is a dream Swingman. He doesn't have to bring the ball up the court to run the offense. Once the ball goes to him, he's looking to make the best "play" for his team. That may involve posting somebody up, dribble driving, or making a great pass out of a double team. Usually when a swingman catches the ball in an offense, he is a scoring threat, so keep your head up at all times, watch out for double teams, and make the correct "play" for your team.
Develop Your Shot
A great swingman must be able to shoot from the outside. (See the Shooting section of the website) Make sure you put in plenty of work mastering a nice mid-range and three point shot. One of the great Swingmen in the history of the NBA, Larry Bird, was a knock-down shooter. Also, an aggressive Swingman will get to the free-throw line on a consistent basis(Lebron goes to the line almost 10 times per game), so put equal work at the free-throw line, and you will put up monster numbers, and more importantly, help your team to become successful.
Fill The Lanes
On the fast break, the swingman is a great weapon. If he runs the floor and fill's the lane(see basketball terms), then he will get several lay-ups and dunks during the course of a game. Always take advantage of your speed and strength by getting out on the break and filling your lane.
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