Great rebounders don’t wait for the ball to come to them… they go get it. Grabbing boards in traffic requires mobility and strength above your head in every direction. While traditional strength exercises are helpful for most athletes, basketball players need to train for the specific requirements of their game.
The Overhead Shoulder Matrix was designed by the Gray Institute and is the perfect rebounding exercise for battling under the boards.
This article was originally written for the Spokane Hoopfest Blog. To read the entire article and learn more about Hoopfest, click HERE
THE PERFECT REBOUNDING EXERCISE
The Overhead Shoulder Matrix utilizes the fact that there are three planes of motion that your body has to be strong in: sagittal, frontal, and transverse.
We rebound in the sagittal plane when the ball is in front or behind us.
We rebound in the frontal plane when we side bend in the air.
We rebound in the transverse plane when we have to rotate to grab the ball.
As a general rule of thumb, basketball players should focus on total body exercises instead of isolation exercises in the weight room. The Overhead Shoulder Matrix trains all the muscles that link your feet to your hands and is perfect for players looking to increase functional upper body strength.
Here’s a quick video of my favorite rebounding exercise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeN52_Pxjhg
To read the full article, checkout the Spokane Hoopfest Blog, home of the world’s largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. There you’ll find basketball training and nutrition tips, as well as inspiring stories about people who love hoops.
What’s your favorite Basketball Rebounding Exercise? Share it with the B4B community so we can dominate the boards together.