As an undersized kid going into his Sophomore year of college, Steph Curry wasn’t on anyone’s radar…
…yet.
That summer, at a skills camp, an observer reported the following:
[The following story is excerpted from a fantastic book called Raise Your Game, which I HIGHLY recommend you go buy and read ASAP]
——
“At the start of each practice session, Steph made sure that he was always the first guy on the court.
While others were lounging around with headphones and flip-flops on, Steph was already laced up and going through a structured shooting routine.
By the time the actual workout started, he had already made a couple hundred shots and was in a full sweat.
Later, waiting on drill lines, while others were looking bored or chatting it up, Steph was studying the moves.
While he was in line, he was pantomiming his footwork for a variety of finishes around the basket, so that when it was his turn, he could execute them correctly.
If Steph did something correctly, he then made sure to repeat it and repeat it by himself, cementing that muscle memory.
If he did something incorrectly, he would go and find the nearest coach and ask for help.
Remember, this was not a tryout. No one was scouting him.
That’s not why he was doing it.
He was building a monster. Just nobody knew it yet.
When practice was over, Steph required himself to swish 5 free throws in a row.
If there were 4 swishes and one made, he’d start over.
His standards for himself were unrelenting – even when nobody else was watching.
—–
Today, Steph Curry is the best shooter in the NBA…
…and maybe even of all time.
Steph’s unfair advantage
Steph Curry did have one advantage that other players didn’t have. And I’m not talking about pro tips or anything like that.
His father, Dell Curry, was a great shooter in NBA also, and Steph saw firsthand that if you want to be great at something…
…you put the time in
…and put the work in.
Most kids only see ESPN highlights and YouTube clips.
Steph saw the boring early mornings and exhaustive practice routines.
He saw what it took …and decided it was worth it.
——–
Speaking of pro tips…
There are a number of baseball players out there who, like Steph Curry, want to “build a monster”
I see you.
You’re a rare breed.
Most kids with spare time ask to play video games, watch TV or just mess around with buddies.
You ask to play baseball.
You LOVE THE GAME.
You have the desire and the relentless drive to push yourself!
And you want to use the off season to it’s fullest potential…
…to keep working at becoming the best player you can be.
If that’s you, I encourage you to take advantage of the crazy discounts we giving right now for Black Friday.
With hours of teaching from experienced Major League players – and a step-by-step plan with practice drills you can do anywhere – you won’t believe how much improvement you’ll see by next season.
More baseball instruction from the Pros
— Fielding a backhand in baseball – Tips and Drills from Former Minnesota Twins Infielder
— 5 Best batting tees, rated by the pros
— 7 Absolutes for every good hitter
About Author
Doug Bernier, founder of Pro Baseball Insider.com, debuted in the Major Leagues in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies, and has played professional baseball for 5 organizations (CO Rockies, NY Yankees, PIT Pirates, MN Twins, & TX Rangers) over the past 16 years. He has Major League time at every infield position, and has played every position on the field professionally except for catcher. (You should click to watch this great defensive play by Bernier) Where is he now? After 16 years of playing professionally, Doug retired and took a position as a Major League scout with the Colorado Rockies for 2 years. Currently Doug is the Data and Game Planning Coordinator with the Colorado Rockies
