The sport of basketball is beloved by men and women of all ages. Regardless of if you are a spectator, a coach or a player, you know how exciting basketball can be. Those who play would prefer to become better players and win games. Use these basketball tips to enhance your understanding and love for this incredible sport.
If you handle the ball often, you need to learn how to do a crossover. This is when you switch hands while dribbling. That action has to be done fast to be successful. Crossovers can help you get out of a tight spot.
Learn how to hit a free throw shot. This looks easy, but it is actually very hard to do. Practice regularly and employe the technique that follows. Start by holding your ball before your face. Then, look at the ball and visualize it going in the basket. Then, shoot the ball using the trajectory you pictured.
Concentrate on your strong points if you want to improve your game. Your skills may not turn you into the star player, but knowing how to make the most of your skills will make you a more valuable player. Knowing what you excel at and then practicing that can help you become perfect at it!
Free throws require both mental and physical abilities. You must train both your body and your mind. Stay calm and collected to increase your free throw percentage.
Frequent pass catching practice is important. When practicing make sure you drill yourself to catch errant throws as well as picture perfect passes. Some passes may be too high, too low or off target, so you should practice receiving passes often. Therefore, it pays to practice catching passes that are a bit off-target.
A great way to hone your own basketball abilities is to watch the pros. Go to professional games in person and/or watch them online or on TV. You will quickly notice all the different skills that they have which makes them a great player, then take what you learned and use it to help improve your own game.
Don’t just practice your game against the zone defense. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your rivals could opt to go to man-to-man covering to keep you guessing. Practicing these techniques can give you a competitive edge over your competition.
If you want to be a master of the jump shot, do not make weight lifting a priority. It’s possible to have excessive muscles when you play the perimeter. There have been instances where great shooters bulk up so much that it adversely affects their shooting percentage.
Should you receive an injury during the course of the game, never try to continue playing despite the pain. Basketball is challenging physical sport and you can get injured. You may injure yourself more if you continue to play with an injury. Visit a doctor if you think it’s serious.
Make better passes through the use of coordinated hand signals. Oftentimes frustration occurs when trying you aren’t on the same page with a teammate who cuts to the basketball when you try to pass him the ball. Hand signals can be a great way to find out if a teammate will be able to receive your pass. If the signal is absent, do not pass to that player.
When you’re working out, concentrate on core strength building and your footwork. With strong core muscles, you will have better balance. Focus on your hip, abdomen, and back muscles. As with boxing, you can increase footwork speed and dexterity by jumping rope.
If you’re injured in a basketball game, don’t attempt to play while in pain. It is possible to receive an injury when playing basketball because it is a sport that is physically challenging. If you keep on playing after sustaining an injury, you may make the injury even more serious. If you have a very serious injury, talk to a doctor.
If you aren’t shooting the ball well, you need to concentrate on your shoulders. If they’re in a poor position, no matter your skill level, you will be unable to make the shot. Your shoulders need to be squared up towards where you’re shooting. The shoulder that’s dominant needs to be lined up with the rim perfectly.
You can play a great defensive game if you know the opposition well. Watch tapes and stay up on scouting reports. Know the dominant hand of every player. Knowing an opponent’s dribbling, passing and shooting styles gives you a definite edge on defense. A smart defensive player is a strong one.
For more consistency in making those free throws, stick with the same sequence of motions before you take each shot. That could include a set number of dribbles, knee-bends or some other type of movement. This consistency will get your body in tune to do the same thing every time, increasing your chance to make shot after shot.
Focus on your footwork and your core strength in your workouts. Your balance will improve if you strengthen your core. Work the muscles in your abdomen, back, buttocks and hips. Jump rope like the boxers do to increase your footwork speed.
If the opposing team is breathing down your neck, it’s a good idea to pass the ball between your legs. This can be practiced by dribbling the ball as hard as you can between the legs while you step in either direction. If you get this down, you will have a major advantage on the court.
One thing to consider if your shooting percentage drops is that your shoulders may be inconsistent when you are shooting. If your shoulders are in a bad position, no matter how good you are, you won’t make the shot. Shoulders should be towards the hoop. The dominant shoulder needs to be aligned correctly with the rim.
To trap someone in a 2-3 zone, get your guards to wait for the point guard to get about 10 feet past midcourt. Then your defending guards should encircle the point guard to trap him in place. Concurrently, have forwards go to the wings. The point guard will make a pass that forwards can steal.
Practice with your weak hand when it comes to dribbling. Opponents are a lot easier to blow by when you can dribble with ease using both hands. Immobilize your dominant hand by tying it behind your back, then practice using your other hand for everything. Very soon, you will develop dribbling skills with the hand you considered weak.
Keep your knees bent while dribbling. Opposing players can steal the ball more easily if you stand up straight because you can’t control the ball as well. You will have better ball control with bent knees.
Work on getting the ball down the length of a full court with five or fewer dribbles during drills. While this is a challenging goal, working toward it will make you a much better player. This can mean easy lay-ups on fast breaks, or just give your team numbers for a moment.
Use the NBA three point line when practicing your shots. The standard line , high school and college lines are all going to be closer. Learning how to shoot from the NBA three point line can help you get better looks at the basket.
Take charges whenever possible. Letting the other guy run into you stops the game without having to use a time out, and adds another four to the opponent’s total. This can have a major impact on the other team psychologically, and it can be a powerful play as well.
Your workout routine can help you do well in the game. Distance running will help with stamina and sprinting can help with individual plays. Resistance training or weightlifting builds better muscles for shots. The resulting sense of confidence and power will help when you shoot.
A great way to make sure you’re in a good position defensively is to keep yourself in the defensive stance. You will always be in a defensive position if you slide your feet one way and then the other and push off using your opposing foot. Don’t let your feet get crossed and it will be hard to get around you.
Understanding your teammates is a vital part of basketball. Basketball is a sport played by a team. Offense and defense aren’t 1 on 1. Be there for your teammates is important. Speak to others and tell them when you’ll need help so everyone can play better.
If you wish to get your weaker hand built up, you need to use it to brush your teeth and to do other simple tasks. If you are able to become more dexterous in terms of your weaker hand in general life, you’re going to have better control of it. That can make your game better.
Practice shots from all regions of the court. Begin with practicing your grip and balance. Sometimes you are forced into off-balanced shots, but that only makes you less accurate. You can use your basketball’s valve to improve grip. Using your dominant hand, grip the ball with wide-spread fingers. Be sure that the center portion of your hand is covering the air valve located at the basketball’s center.
Use the hand you are not dribbling with to keep your defender away from the ball. You never want to push the opponent with your hand, but it is possible to use your free hand to secure the ball. Keep it up a little bit while you dribble.
Be sure that you’re not double dribbling. Double dribbling occurs after a pause in dribbling. When you stop dribbling, the only two choices you have are to shoot or pass. Once you have stopped dribbling you have to get rid of the ball. This creates a turnover, which will cause you to lose the ball to your opponent quickly.
If you’re serious about your game, you should take your diet seriously. If you play all the time, you need to eat carbs on a regular basis. Don’t neglect protein and fat, though. Improve your game through improving your diet. Good choices include chicken, whole wheat, peanut butter, and other nut based foods. Try to avoid overuse of salt or sugar in your diet.
Have an idea as to when is the best time to shoot the ball and when is the ideal time to pass if your teammate has an open shot. It’s better to assist a goal, than the team to lose a play.
Hopefully, now you understand what it takes to play better. You can improve your game by learning new techniques and practicing them often. Practice makes perfect, and basketball is no exception. So get a hoop and start practicing whenever you can. No matter if you’re practicing with a group of friends or your team, the more chances you get to perfect your skills, the better you become as a player.
When doing a workout routine, write down what you need to accomplish. Lots of players don’t have a plan when they’re practicing. They chit-chat with their friends and just move around the gym without real direction. If you have a written workout plan, you can improve your techniques without distractions.
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