Athlete Resource Center
Basketball Training Exercises - All Hallows Varsity Basketball
Avoid the Most Common Muscle Imbalances in Basketball
Basketball: Right- and Left-Leg Strength Differences
Your dominant hand plays a role in this imbalance, because you tend to favor shooting from your dominant side. Stein says this is particularly prevalent with the lay-up, because you jump up off your dominant foot.
It may not seem like that big a deal, but favoring one side can eventually lead to an injury. Stein says, "You will subconsciously prefer to use your stronger leg, which in essence increases the chance of injury when you are forced to use your weaker leg."
One common problem that not many people are aware of is muscular imbalances. This occurs when one group of muscles (say, your chest) is stronger than the opposing muscles surrounding the same joint (in this case, your back).
Muscular imbalances can lead to posture problems, joint pain, inflexibility, injuries, and more. Here are some of the most common examples of muscular imbalances and what you can do to correct them.
The Fix
Perform at least one single-leg exercise each workout to eliminate imbalances. Stein recommends:
• Rear-Foot-Elevated Split-Squats - 3x10 each leg
• Single-Leg RDLs - 3x10 each leg
