“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day, and underestimate what we can do in a year.” ~ Bill Gates

Hey Reader!

Don’t you just love it when a parent or coach tells you to “fail forward?”

Yeah, okay. Easy for them to say. They aren’t the ones airballing a free throw or missing a game-winning layup in front of a packed gym. You are.

The issue isn’t failing. The issue is what you tell yourself after you "fail."

If you treat every mistake like a disaster or proof that you aren’t good enough, then you aren’t actually failing forward. You’re failing backward. You’re allowing one miss or one bad possession to turn into a bad game.

And, as you know, nobody was born knowing how to finish through contact. Nobody was born knowing how to guard the best player on the other team. And nobody could shoot a three from the crib. Except maybe baby Kobe. 😂

Think back to your game two years ago. The only reason you’re better today is because you were willing to look bad while you figured it out. That’s true for every elite player, too. They got there by missing a ton of shots and looking stupid a thousand times. Trust me. I know.

We all need to reframe failure. Instead of being embarrassed by mistakes, start using them. Treat your game like a lab experiment: failure isn’t personal, it’s just data. And the more data, the better.

I’ll never forget how I felt after going 3-15 from 3 in a playoff game my first year overseas. I couldn’t fathom missing so many open shots. But, instead of tearing myself down, I decided to learn from it. I knew I was taking good shots, they just weren’t falling. So I trusted the process and went 15-23 from 3 in the next 2 games combined.

Real confidence isn’t about being perfect. It’s about sticking to your process even when things aren’t perfect.

HLA Alicante Spain Pro League

P.S. I'm still "failing forward." How about you?

3 Hacks From Me

Hack 1: Play Like Someone Else

In your next practice or game, choose 2-3 possessions where you just pretend you are someone else. It can be an NBA player, a teammate, literally any other basketball player. You don’t tell anyone, you just feel what it's like to play like them. What shots do they take? How do they react to misses? How confident do they feel?

Hack 2: The "Curry" Drill

End every workout with a "failure drill." Try shots or moves you can’t make yet (left-hand floaters from deep, half-court shots, weird angles). The goal is to miss. Get comfortable seeing the ball miss and immediately chasing the rebound without pouting. If you can’t handle missing in an empty gym, you won’t handle it in a packed one.

Hack 3: The “Ugly Reps” Quota

Most players avoid the exact reps they need because they don’t want to look stupid, and that’s basically fear of failure in disguise. This week, you need 20 ugly reps in workouts: contested layups, weak-hand finishes, pull-ups off a hard dribble, new reads you’re bad at. Track it like a score. If you hit 20, you’re improving, because you’re finally collecting the feedback you used to avoid.

*View all of our past emails at hackinghoops.kit.com/posts​

2 Questions for Growth

1. When you think about your recent game, how does it make you feel to remember the negative moments: the turnovers, missed shots, defensive mishaps?
2. Do you focus on negative moments in a game and get down on yourself, or do you use them as learning opportunities? This difference is crucial.

Reply to this email and let me know!

1 Video to Watch

​Roger Federer | You Won’t Win Every Point, Keep Moving Forward​

Check out our other free resources at HackingHoops.com.

ARE YOU READY TO STOP PLAYING SCARED AND FINALLY PLAY LIKE YOU PRACTICE?

Train Your Mind and Transform Your Game with our 1-Hour Unshakeable Confidence Video Course and Playbook

Price: $49

Ever wonder why some talented players thrive under pressure while others freeze? It's not just physical skill. It's their mindset.
​

Unshakeable Confidence, a 60-minute video series and playbook gives you a powerful framework to:
​

• Stop hesitating and play with decisiveness.
• Build real resilience to bounce back from any setback.
• Master focus and perform in high-pressure moments.
• Finally, close the gap between your practice game
  and your real game.

It's your chance to unlock the skills you show in practice and use them with confidence in real games.
​

P.S. Looking for a unique gift that will change a player's game this season? Give the gift of confidence!