Play smarter basketball.  Play better basketball.

10-steps to elevate your game and get in the zone

Step 8: get going early

Sure, it's possible to have an average or bad first half, then have a great second half and help your team win the game.

But generally speaking, you want to get your game going early, right from the tip-off or the time you enter the game.  By getting off to a good start, you put yourself in a position to build positive momentum from a solid starting spot.  If you start a game struggling and get off to a slow start, righting the ship (so to speak) is just that much more difficult.

One big benefit to starting strong and getting strong over the course of the game is that if you start the game well, you put your opponent on his or her heels.  If you knock down a tough shot or go strong to the rim right from the tip, your oppoent is thinking:  wow, this guy can play.  You may intimidate them, or at least gain their respect.  Either way, it's to your advantage to have your opponent thinking that you're a player.

Another reason starting off a game strong is important is that many players don't know the importance of a good early start, so you can immediately score a few buckets, or make some good plays, before everyone else is even fully warmed up and into the game.

And if you're still not convinced of the importance of a strong start, just think of it from a box score perspective.  To have a pretty good scoring game, you only need to score 9 or 10 points a half (for a total of 18 or 20 points a game).  If you can get 1 or 2 quick buckets right from the get-go, you're just that much closer to getting your points.  and let's say you get off to a bad start and don't score in the first half, then have a pretty solid second half and score 14 points.  A 14-point game is solid (especially if your team wins the game).  But now imagine you had a decent first half, and scored, say, 8 points.  Now your 14-point second half added to your 8-point first half is a solid (to say the least) 22 point effort.

We've just touched on a few of the reasons it is important to get off to a strong start, but there are many, many more.  The bottom line is:  prepare yourself physically and mentally to be ready right from the tip.  Go after your opponent from the first second you're on the floor and it'll pay big dividends then, and later in the game.

Getting going early is a key to having a good game, and it's can play a big role in helping you creat momentum and get you in the zone.

Click here to go back to the Zone section of the site and get more information, tips, tricks, and techniques to improve your level of play and get yourself playing in the zone.

Get more tips on how to play in the zone

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