The first time you stepped on the basketball court it probably was magic. You probably learned how to dribble the ball and make a shot. Today, you are probably a lot more confident. The advice contained in this article is going to teach you that you still have a ways to go.
Knowing how to perform a crossover is a must when you handle the basketball frequently. Crossover dribble is switching hands while you’re dribbling. Your crossovers should be fast, which is why it is important to practice them. When executed properly, a crossover dribble lets you alternate directions suddenly so that you can move down the entire court quickly.
You need to learn the correct way to dribble the ball. When you dribble a basketball you have to use the fingertips instead of the hand’s palm. Using your fingertips provides you with more control. Dribble to your body’s side instead of doing it out front, and bounce the ball at your waist’s level. Look up, not down.
If you want to improve your basketball game, you must identify and intensify your strengths. While you may have a particular skill that isn’t going to make you stand out as the star player, honing it can help you become an integral part of your team’s success. Understand your strengths and use it to your advantage to help your team win!
Crossing over is a vital skill to have for handling the basketball. Being able to dribble the ball with both hands and crossover between the two will make you a better player. If order for the maneuver to be a success, it has to be performed with speed. If you do it right, a crossover dribble will assist you in changing directions and getting down the court in an efficient manner.
Watching the pros can help you pick up on certain skills for improving your game. Watch as many games on TV as you can. You’ll notice that each player has a skill that they are great at. Choose a move that you like and start practicing it.
In order to be a great shooter, good balance is key. Your knees should be bent with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. They have just improvised, is all. Non-professionals should focus on having good balance to ensure good shots. As time passes, you will make more and more baskets with this method.
Shake things up rather than focusing solely on a zone defense. The majority of the game is in that area, but be careful about a team who changes things up. Practicing these techniques can give you a competitive edge over your competition.
Free throws have a huge mental element to them. You must be mentally strong to be a consistent free throw shooter. Relax and focus on your shot, and you can make it.
Learn good passing by drilling often without dribbling. While this may be difficult, it gets you used to finding teammates and thinking on the run. Don’t be frustrated by how hard it is at first; you will get used to it.
Practice playing by yourself. There are times you may not find anyone to play with you. That should not matter. There’s still a lot that you can do playing on your own. Work on free throws or three pointers. You don’t need other players to work on your skills.
If you’re a jump shooter, don’t lift weights too often. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. Some professional shooting guards made their arms so big that it started decreasing their field goal percentage.
In order to get a good shot, you must use good footwork. You must be certain to get the good spot ahead of your opponent. Once you get into your position, you need to secure it. These skills require solid footwork.
Bad passes can be avoided with the right hand signals. It can be frustrating making a pass when a player moves away towards the basket. These common miscommunications can be avoided by utilizing hand signals, which tells the passing player the other player is ready for a pass. If the signal is absent, do not pass to that player.
When exercising, concentrate on building up core strength and improving your footwork. Your body will naturally balance well if you have strong core muscles. Work the muscles in your abdomen, back, buttocks and hips. Jump rope can be used to speed up your feet.
Focus on your footwork and core strength when working out. With strong core muscles, you will have better balance. Work out your hips, back and abdomen. Jump rope like the boxers do to increase your footwork speed.
Shooting Slump
For more consistency in making those free throws, stick with the same sequence of motions before you take each shot. You could dribble twice, touch your forehead, bend your knees, or some other kinds of movements. By developing a quick ritual, you can help train your body to make free throws.
Watch your shoulders if you obtain a shooting slump. When you’re in a shooting slump it usually means that your shoulders are not square to the hoop. One area of focus should be to keep your shoulders aligned straight toward the hoop. Try to line your dominant shoulder up with the rim.
Hard dribbling helps avoid stolen balls. If you dribble hard, the ball will go back to your hand quickly and the offense will not be able to snatch it easily. When closely guarding another player, cease dribbling and pass it to another play on your team that’s open.
A good basketball player is really quick on his feet. Always stay ahead of the opposition. Steady drilling will help speed up your play. However, you should not attempt to play any faster than your abilities permit. By playing beyond your speed capabilities, you will quickly lose control of the ball, which will lead to bad passes, bad shots, and turnovers.
Mix things up offensively to keep the other team’s defense off-balance. When running towards the net, step on your front foot, and start to straighten up your body. The guard will think you are slowing down and will also straighten themselves. When they do this, run ahead and push yourself forward.
Be aware of your own actions and the position of your feet. If you have the ball and you step outside the baseline, then you’re out of bounds. Going too many steps with no dribbling is a waking call and turnover situation. Moving your feet as you are setting a screen or pick usually results in you being called for a foul.
If you are in a defensive position, keep yourself low. This helps you jump fast and react quickly. Make sure you always maintain your defensive stance. If you find you have to abandon your stance to do some blocking, get back into formation as fast as you can.
When you want consistently good free throws, repeat your routine. You could dribble twice, touch your forehead, bend your knees, or some other kinds of movements. By developing a quick ritual, you can help train your body to make free throws.
You can strengthen you weaker hand by using it as much as possible, for instance open jars or even brush your teeth. If you can become more dexterous with it in all aspects of your life, you will be bettering your control of it. This will help you with your basketball game also.
If you are being heavily guarded, a pass between your legs might help. Practice this maneuver by bouncing the basketball between your legs while taking steps. If you can master this move, it will give you quite the advantage when you are on the court.
Until the moment you are prepared to shoot or pass, you must dribble constantly. After dribbling is stopped, your choices are very limited. Basically the only move you have at this point is to pivot while finding an opening to move the ball. Putting yourself in this position makes you more vulnerable to having the ball stolen by the opposing team.
Practice passing while looking in the opposite direction. This is a simple thing that could easily confuse your opponents. When it’s done properly, it will cause the opponents to go to the wrong area so that you can pass to someone that has a good look at a basket before shooting. It can be a really powerful move in the game.
To help ward off your opponent, practice using your other hand to help shield him away from you. Don’t push your opponent because that is a foul; however, you can use your arm as separator between your opponent and the ball. Try to keep your arm around the same height as the apex of your dribble.
You must disrupt your opponent’s game when you’re playing defense. You should work to make your opponent feel uncomfortable. Be aggressive in the moves you execute. Other players should not influence the plays you make. This will give your opponent the advantage. Instead, you move first and throw them off their game.
Dribble rhythmically until you are ready to throw your opponent’s guarding capabilities into disarray. The opposing player expects you to maintain that rhythm, so when you switch things up you create an element of surprise. Changing the speed is part of what confuses your opponent, but the difference in sound can throw him off, as well.
Take charge when the opportunity presents itself. Taking charges gives you an opportunity to get defensive stops, get the ball and lay the groundwork for fouls. This is a great way to take control of the court and intimidate the other team.
You will be more balanced when landing after catching a rebound if you will land with legs spaced wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold the ball next to your chest with your hand on either side. Don’t let your elbows poke another player or you will gain a foul.
Trip up the offense by constantly changing your pace. Plant a foot and start to straighten your body. The guard is going to think you’re starting to slow and will straighten up too. When that happens, rush forward and power past them.
If you have to guard a taller or bigger player, concentrate on remaining between that person and the player with the ball. This will prevent them from getting an easy pass and stop them from shooting the ball right over your head.
If possible, the action should remain below your knees. This makes it more difficult for the opponent to take the ball. You will need to bend somewhat for this to happen, but it’ll allow you to move quickly down the court as you ward off your opponents.
When you are in control of the ball, you should know when to attempt a shot and when you should pass it to someone with a better shot. By ignoring other teammates who are open to hog the ball yourself, you could end up costing your team the game.
Nothing is impossible with the game of basketball, now that you have these tips. Keep in mind that it takes work and a lot of practice to be a great basketball player. Combining your strategy with these tips can really have you improving very quickly!
Learning to pivot is important when playing basketball. Practicing pivoting will be able to help prevent you from tangling your feet or getting disoriented. Develop your pivot stance, and the practice quick reactions with the ball in hand.
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