Basketball is a game that can be played in different places. It is a game that can be played in the neighborhood and even on your driveway. If you love basketball, read the following tips to help you become a better ball player.
Correct dribbling is key. Don’t use your palm, use your fingers. This helps you to control the ball better. Dribble along the side of the body, not immediately in front of it, and keep the bounce to the waist level or below. Keep your eyes up, not on the ground.
Try learning how to hit free throw shots. These shots look easy on television, but are actually hard when you are doing the shooting. Make sure that you’re applying the following technique when practicing. Start with the ball positioned right before your face. Visualize the ball sailing into the hoop. When you shoot, keep the visualized trajectory in mind.
One of the most important skills when playing basketball is balance. Everyone has seen professional basketball players make a shot from 20 feet away as they are falling. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. Point your feet towards the basket, guide the ball with your weaker hand and push the ball away with your strong hand whenever you shoot the basketball.
Frequently train yourself on your pass catching moves. When practicing make sure you drill yourself to catch errant throws as well as picture perfect passes. During a hectic game, every throw is not going to be perfect. So you should do the team a favor by knowing how to take in any kind of a pass that comes from someone.
Practice your bounce pass. It is best when the ball hits the receiving player near the waist. It’s best to bounce the basketball about 75 percent of the way towards your teammate. But, there are some factors that can change this.
Do not restrict your practices to zone defenses alone. While much of the game is played in zone, the opponent can flip to man-to-man coverage, changing everything and surprising you. If you haven’t trained yourself to counter this, you could lose any control you have over the game.
Make sure that your regular practice includes catching of passes. When you practice, be sure to do drills that improve catching wild throws and making great passes. In the middle of a heated game, not all attempted passes will go exactly where you want them to go. Help your team by learning to catch those bad passes, as well as those perfect passes.
Prior to basketball season, and even during it, you can play solo games. Even though you play on a team, practicing alone can be helpful. That is okay. You can still accomplish a lot when playing solo. You can practice many different techniques, such as your free throw routine. Many things can be practiced.
Jump shooters should not also be iron pumpers. Though muscle strength is great to have with any sport, it is very possible to be too buff for serious game play. Certain pro guards ended up increasing their arm size so much that their shooting started to suffer.
If your shooting is suffering, take a close look at your shoulders. When they are out of alignment, all shots will fail. Make sure your shoulders are always square towards the hoop. The shoulder that’s dominant should be in line with the rim.
Basketball players of all ages benefit from exercises that strengthen their core. That means their hips, lower back and abs. The core is what holds the body in balance and allows the limbs to work well. A core that’s solid and strong will allow you to use force that comes from your legs so you can jump higher and run faster.
One of the most vital attributes one needs to play basketball is quickness. If you want the advantage, you need to be quicker than your opponents. You need to really drill to get to the point where you can play fast. However, don’t try and push past your limits. You will not be able to control your moves if you play faster than you are able to.
Passing between the legs is something that helps when you have defense all over you. Take a step back or forward and bounce the ball hard through your legs. Mastering this move can help give you an advantage on the court.
Always know where your feet are and what they are doing. An errant toe to the baseline while holding the ball will result in an “out of bounds” call. You will get called for walking if you take extra steps and are not dribbling. You can’t move a foot when you take a charge, pick or screen either, or it’s a foul.
Practice passing while looking in other directions. This is a great way to fake out your opponents. This will give the person that you passed the ball to a chance to make their move before your opponent can correct from their mix up. This can be a great play if it is done correctly.
When doing a layup, start running using the weaker of your two feet. If you normally shoot using your right hand, jump with your left. This way you keep your body away from defenders, your momentum going in the direction of the basket and your body stays balanced.
To increase the efficiency of your layups, begin your takeoff on the foot opposite from the hand you’re shooting with. What this practically means is that if your right hand is your shooting hand, you need to take off with your left foot. That way, the body stays balanced while it moves toward the hoop.
You must be able to box out other players when attempting to rebound free throws. The person defending the position down-court from you will be coming at you, so you need to find any way you can to slide around him that gets you to the ball. This helps you avoid the foul call and also grab the rebound.
Your routines must be consistent for free throws. Failure to use consistency may make your shots less accurate. The most effective method to achieve a great free throw is by practicing it repeatedly until you get it right. If the routine is off in any way, then you’ll miss the shot.
When you are on defense, make sure to keep yourself low. This stance will keep you ready for whatever comes your way. Hold a defensive stance always. You should return to this position immediately after leaving it to block or defend.
Your forearms and hands should be strengthened if you wish to handle the ball better. Do some wrist curls as much as possible and your dribbling should get better. Never assume you can just stand somewhere, catch and then shoot. Learning how to pass the ball ensures that you can get the ball safely to a teammate who has better position on the court.
Use your weak hand for brushing your hair, doing up your belt and opening bottles so you can build up its strength. You’ll find it becomes more controllable. This will start to appear in the game of basketball, too.
Hard dribbling helps avoid stolen balls. When you dribble hard, the ball bounces back to your hand faster. That means there is less time for the other side to grab it. Stop dribbling when people guard you too closely.
Keep your knees bent while dribbling. It makes it much easier to control the ball while dribbling as opposed to standing straight up, which makes controlling the ball much harder. Merely bending your knees a bit can provide you with much better ball control.
Be certain you are able to see well. Not to just be able to see the scoreboard, but to actually make a shot and catch a pass. Try making your peripheral vision the best it can be. It allows you to view the game as a whole rather than simply watching the ball. In this way, you can be aware of the players around you.
Use the NBA three point line when practicing your shots. The standard line , high school and college lines are all going to be closer. If you can make a basket from there, you will open up the defense because they will have to play you closely.
Keep low when you play defense. This helps your jumps become quicker and betters your reaction to the person before you simpler. You must always utilize the proper defensive stance. If you must break your stance to block someone’s shot, return to formation as quickly as you can.
You have to practice hard every day if you desire to step up your outside shooting game. To improve even more, practice preparing for a shot quickly after dribbling the ball. When you are off the ground, keep your eye on the basket, but not earlier. Your accuracy will get better and you’ll have a better idea of what real game conditions will be like.
Be sure to keep your knees bent while you dribble. You will have a hard time controlling the ball if you always stand straight and opponents will be able to steal the ball. To help out your ball control, try bending the knees.
Cease Dribbling
Don’t discontinue dribbling until you have the chance to shoot or pass. When you stop, your options are limited. You can’t do anything but pivot if you don’t shoot or pass. Then, you will be vulnerable to being double teamed by the opposition, and you are likely to have the ball stolen.
Don’t cease dribbling until you get ready to shoot or pass. You are limited once you cease dribbling. If you don’t have the chance to shoot or pass, you can just pivot with the foot in the back. This causes you to be wide open to some double teaming by the other team and increase your chances of having the ball stolen.
Switch your body’s weight from side to side while practicing your dribbling. During game time, you’ll find yourself dribbling from all sorts of positions. You might have a truly open court, but you might also be dealing with an onslaught of opposition. You must dribble while you make your body lean in various directions. Dribbling can help get you out of trouble.
Practice dribbling while you switch your body’s momentum from one side to the other. During a game, you’ll be dribbling in all kinds of situations. You will have many opponents swarming you. You must learn dribbling from all kinds of directions. Dribbling can help get you out of trouble.
Diet is essential when it comes to playing ball. Basketball uses a lot of energy; therefore, it is important to fuel your body with lean protein and whole grains. The best additions are whole wheats, grains, poultry and nuts. Try to reduce your salt and sugar intake, though.
Use exercises that are adapted to your level and needs. You can run longer distances to build up stamina. To build speed, try doing wind sprints. Both are necessary for playing good ball. Additionally, weightlifting and resistance training will help you develop the muscles needed for those long distance shots. If you can develop your confidence through off-court exercise, this can even help your shooting.
You should never double dribble. This occurs when you have stopped dribbling, held the ball for a few seconds, and then start dribbling again. You only have two options once you stop dribbling, to shoot or pass. Whatever you do, do not start dribbling once you stop. Double dribbling means your team turns the ball over to the other team.
Communicating with your teammates is a vital part of being a good basketball player. Basketball is considered a team sport. Offense and defense are not one-on-one. Everyone helps everyone else. When everyone works together, you can play better as a team.
If you are aware of a weakness in one of your opponent’s hands, make them work with that side. For instance, you could step toward a player on their right side to force them to switch to their left hand. Keep your head parallel to their chest, and you will stay low and primed to snatch the ball.
Bettering your game play is important if you love basketball. Follow the advice presented here to become the best basketball player you can. As you learn more, you’ll start to play better.
If the ball is in your hands, you have to be able to judge whether you should take the shot or make a pass. Instead of hogging the ball and losing the game when you fail to make the shot, be a team player and pass it off to the player who has the better chance to make the winning shot.
About The Author
