If you want to excel in basketball, you know that you need to be dedicated and practice a lot. Regardless of whether you are playing for fun or competition, it is always nice to be good at what you do. This article will help you, and you can make improvements on the court.
Dribbling the ball the right way needs to be done. Finger tips, not palms, are the key to successful dribbling. This allows you to control the ball much better while you dribble. Dribble along the side of the body, not immediately in front of it, and keep the bounce to the waist level or below. Instead of focusing on the ground, gaze upward.
Correct dribbling is key. Don’t use your palm to dribble. Instead, use your fingertips. When you do this you will have more control over the ball. Keep the ball by your side as you dribble instead of right in front your body. Keep your head up and do not look at the ground.
When dribbling, make sure you hold your head high and look straight ahead. If you need to look at the ball while dribbling, you’ll need to practice more. Take you ball with you everywhere. Dribble while walking to the store. By looking forward instead of at the basketball, you are able to see the happenings on the court.
Paying Attention
If you want to improve your game, play up your strengths. If you can rely on your strengths, you will become a better player. Clear self knowledge and dedicated practice will make you the best at what you do.
The way to properly dribble is to keep your head up while looking ahead of you. If you have to ever look at the ball while dribbling, then you haven’t practiced that enough. Bring the basketball with you everywhere you go. Try dribbling even when walking to a store. Paying attention to the ball means you’re not paying attention to the rest of the game.
Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Try to go to games, watch televised games, or check out videos of the pros playing. Each player has their strengths and you can learn a lot from each one.
Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You can teach your body to make a free throw properly, but unless you are properly prepared mentally, you may not succeed. Take a deep breathe, relax and block out all outside distractions before taking the shot.
Do not restrict your practices to zone defenses alone. Most of the basketball game will probably be played in this zone, but the other team might decide to surprise you and do some man-to-man coverage. This can cause your team to lose momentum to the other side if this isn’t something you’ve practiced.
Watch professionals play to learn from their techniques. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. You’ll be able to learn from the moves they make.
Building core muscle is key to playing great basketball. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles. The core connects the lower extremities to the upper extremities. Without a strong core, your performance may be limited. A strong core provides a center of force that can be tapped through the legs while running and jumping during games.
Play basketball against yourself even during the off-season. Basketball is a multiple player sport, but other people won’t always be around. That should not matter. There is much that can be accomplished when playing on your own. You can practice free throws or pivot moves. You don’t need other players to work on your skills.
The key to ball control is to spread your fingers out. You will have better luck holding onto the ball as well. Your palm should touch the ball as little as possible. When you’re shooting or passing, the only place the ball should touch your hand is on your fingers.
Make sure your fingers are apart from one another when dribbling. This will help prevent the ball from getting away from you while dribbling. You should avoid having your palm touching the ball. Only your fingers should touch it during a pass or when dribbling.
If an opponent is staying with you, try passing the ball between your legs. You can train for this maneuver by stepping forward or backwards as you bounce the ball real hard in-between your legs. Once you get the move down, you can use it to gain a tactical advantage.
You can play a great defensive game if you know the opposition well. You can read scouting reports and watch tapes to evaluate your opponents game. For example, you should know which of the players are left-handed and which are right-handed. When you know some of the other player’s moves, you’ll have a leg up during a game as you’ll be able to predict what he is going to do. A defender that is knowledgeable is an effective defender.
Keep low as you defend. That helps you stay quick when it comes to the jump and will help you react more quickly to the person just ahead of you. Maintain proper defensive position at all times. You may have to break your stance if you must block a shot, but return as fast as you can.
Upset and disrupt your opponent’s play. All successful basketball players do this. Force them into an uncomfortable zone. An aggressive approach is an effective one for this purpose. Other players should not influence the plays you make. This will give your opponent the chance to run over you. You make the moves, which helps shift the momentum.
To help practice three-point shooting you should practice shooting at the NBA distance. That is the furthest distance that you would ever have to shoot from to score a three. If you can hit from NBA range, you can get open looks at a deeper range than a defense is probably going to mind you (until you start hitting).
Build up your forearms to become a better ball handler. Wrist curls can work good if you wish to start handling the ball like you’re able to dribble in any situation. Do not remain in one place. It’s not likely that you will be able to successfully catch and shoot without moving. The ball should always be in control and moving.
To better your outdoor shooting skills, take about a hundred shots every day from various places on the court. Try to practice a hard dribble followed by a quick shot. Focus on the target when airborne, but never before. This way, you will be ready for the rapid pace of game play.
The trick to grabbing a rebound on a teammate’s missed free-throw is to plan your footwork in advance. As you see the defender moving in, quickly slip around to grab the ball. This helps you avoid the foul call and also grab the rebound.
Keep dribbling when you’re going to switch the body’s momentum from side to side. You will dribble during different situations. You might have a truly open court, but you might also be dealing with an onslaught of opposition. You have to figure out how you can dribble while you’re working with your body leaning. Good dribbling skills will make getting out of a bad situation a lot easier.
Dribbling hard helps you protect the ball. The harder you dribble, the faster the ball will return to the cup of you hand. When closely guarding another player, cease dribbling and pass it to another play on your team that’s open.
Use whatever hand you aren’t dribbling with as a shield between the ball and your opponent. Avoid physical contact like pushing, but keep the ball from them by separating them from it. Keep is slightly up as you dribble with your other hand.
You need to take charge when the opportunity presents itself. The charge lets you build a defensive stop and get control of the ball. Not only that, your opponents may become confused or frustrated and stop playing their game plan.
Be certain to practice moves off the court that will truly help you on the court. Running sprints can make you faster on individual plays, while long-distance running helps you make it through a game with good stamina. Lifting weights and doing resistance training is going to help you to build muscle to take shots. If you can develop your confidence through off-court exercise, this can even help your shooting.
Alter your pace to confuse the opposition. When you’re moving towards the net, act like you’re going to straighten up. The guard is sure to anticipate a slow-down and will then straighten their own body. When they do this, run ahead and push yourself forward.
It is necessary for you to change the path of your opponent. With practice, you can learn how to control the path of others players with your footwork. If you can master this skill then you determine where the ball is going, not your opponent.
Keep low as you defend. This helps you jump fast and react quickly. Be in the correct defensive stance all the time. If you must break your stance to block someone’s shot, return to formation as quickly as you can.
After catching a ball on the rebound, position your legs so that they are set more widely than your shoulders. This improves your balance upon landing. Hold the ball tightly against your chest with one hand on each side. Watch your elbows since hitting an opposing player is a foul.
You can use your guards and point guard to trap an opponent with a 2-3 zone defense. Once he passes mid court the guards should rush up on him. Your forwards can sprint to block the player on both sides. The guard on point should make a pass that can easily be stolen by the forwards.
Learning how to pass is critical to the game of basketball. It keeps the opponent on their toes. It also gets everyone on the team in the game. There will always be another chance to show what you can do. That time will come; just be patient and allow others to shine as well.
Make sure you don’t pick up your dribble unless you are prepared for a shot or pass. When you stop dribbling, then you limit your options. If you don’t shoot or pass, you can only pivot using your back foot. Then, you will be vulnerable to being double teamed by the opposition, and you are likely to have the ball stolen.
Pivoting is key to being a great basketball player. Practicing pivoting will be able to help prevent you from tangling your feet or getting disoriented. Practice this stance until you get really fast at pivoting with the ball.
You need to follow a rhythm when you dribble so you can break the rhythm and throw off an opponent. Dribbling somewhat slowly, then suddenly dribbling fast might give you the opening you need to take a shot. Perfecting this can make you nearly unstoppable on the court.
Communication is vital during basketball. Build this during team practice. Devise words and hand signals that tell others your plans. You have to come up with signals to tell them when to move to the left, right, forward and backward.
Make sure that you are not stressed when shooting. Keep your eyes and thoughts focused on the basket. The rim’s back should be a focus when shooting. If you want to make a layup, look where you need to bounce the ball.
Focus on developing your footwork. Figure out where your feet should be when you need to pivot or to play a different position. It is important to have quick and thoughtful footwork in order to move in the right direction without hesitation. The feet should be quick to react, but not at the expense of balance.
Now, it’s time to take action, utilizing the various tips and techniques that have been talked about in this article. You will begin to see a little improvement at a time. Those three simple steps will carry you all the way to the top.
Create a good routine to practice the skills you wish to develop. Practice moves, drills, and techniques. Work on your routine, but don’t be afraid to change it as your skills improve or you become bored. Have goals and things you want to achieve as you learn new things on the court.
About The Author
