The fundamentals of basketball are fairly easy to learn. You can learn the basics in several minutes. However, you can always learn new things if basketball is something you wish to be good at, and this article is here to help you.
If you want to take jump shots, don’t build your arms up too large. Muscle strength can be great for basketball players, but it is actually possible to have excessive amounts for playing on the perimeter. Many guards in the pros have developed their arm muscles too big, which has really harmed their shooting percentage.
While focusing on offense is fun, you must also make sure you focus on defense. Basketball games are often won by the defense. Without good defense, a basketball team will lose the match.
If you are posting up, strategic footwork is important to becoming open and making a good shot. Focus on positioning yourself more quickly than the opposing player is just as important as having someone beneath the hoop. You need to be sure your spot is secure. These skills require solid footwork.
Dribble while your head is up and your eyes are forward. If you have to keep your eye on the ball when you’re dribbling, practice can remedy that. Bring the basketball with you everywhere you go. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking the dog. Remember, if you are directly staring at the ball, there’s no way for you to see what’s happening on the court.
You should ask your teammates about your strengths and weaknesses. Are you great at any one thing? Perhaps you are quick footed, or you are always ready to lend a hand on the court. Find out how your game appears to others and develop your skills accordingly.
Practice your bounce pass. If done properly, the pass will land near waist level with the opposite player. One good rule of thumb is to bounce the ball around three quarters of the way to the other player. There are other factors you have to think about too, however.
Practice passing while looking in the opposite direction. This is a great technique in order to help confuse the opponents. If you do it right, this draws your opponents’ focus the wrong way. It’s a powerful play when done right.
Play solo basketball in the months leading up to the season, as well as during the season itself. Even though you play on a team, practicing alone can be helpful. There is nothing wrong with that. It is possible to get a lot done even when playing alone. Practice free throws and layups. You can always hone your skills when practicing alone.
Create a routine to improve your free throw success. Inconsistent shooting will lead to inconsistent results. You should work on your free throw techniques as much as possible until they become a second nature. If you don’t stick to your routine, you could miss the shot.
You can play a great defensive game if you know the opposition well. Review tapes and keep up with scouting reports. Know which team members are right handed and which ones are left handed. Knowing an opponent’s dribbling, passing and shooting styles gives you a definite edge on defense. Knowledge can make you a strong defender.
If you want to dribble the basketball better, you need to practice dribbling with your weaker hand. If both hands are useful for dribbling, your opponents will not stand much of a chance. Practice with your weak hand by tying your dominant hand behind your back. Eventually, your weak hand will be trained to dribble properly.
Always have an awareness of the location and movement of your feet. Stepping ever so slightly out of bounds while you have the ball can cause an overturn. Also, you can cause a turnover if you walk without dribbling the ball. You can’t move a foot when you take a charge, pick or screen either, or it’s a foul.
A good player on defense will annoy the heck out of the opponent and cause the other team to get flustered. Getting them to do things they aren’t accustomed to doing is ideal. Display aggressiveness in your chosen moves. Don’t let them choose what plays to make. The more aggressively smart team is usually the one who wins. Instead, make the first move and interrupt their rhythm.
Try practicing how to pass while looking in another direction. This will confuse your opponents. Not only will they not see the pass coming, they may think a pass is going in the opposite direction. It really can be a powerful technique.
Your forearms and hands should be strengthened in order for you to handle the ball better. Exercises that involve strengthening the wrist are especially helpful for dribbling. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can stay stationary, catch all the ball, and shoot them from that same location. You have to learn to move the ball if you want something to happen.
Try some drills that require you to move the basketball from one end of the court to the other in no more than five dribbles. This might seem impossible at first, but if you achieve it, you will have remarkable stride length and speed. Being able to do this lets you lead your team on a fast break and gets you to the rim that much quicker.
Building strength improves your basketball game. In order to play well, you will need to work on both your strength and stamina. Even smaller children can use fitness routines to build stronger arms and legs. When they become teenagers, they can start using weights to increase their exercise. Then they will be ready to really learn the skills that really make an excellent player.
Take every charge you can. When you take a charge, you have the opportunity to get a defensive stop, your team gets the ball and an additional foul is set up against the other team. This can hurt the other team’s players psychologically and can also be powerful when you’re creating plays.
Keep low when you play defense. This helps your reaction time against your opponent. Keep yourself in proper defensive stance at all times. If you break the stance to shot-block, then recover the proper form immediately after the pass or shot.
One good way to play good defense is to stay in the defensive stance at all times. To do this, avoid lurching or stepping across the floor; instead use smaller, shuffling steps to move with your opponent. Keep in mind that your feet shouldn’t cross and this should make you good at defense.
In order to improve your weaker hand, make use of it for everyday things, such as brushing your teeth, eating out of a spoon, etc. 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. This will start to appear in the game of basketball, too.
Strength Training
Keep dribbling when you’re going to switch the body’s momentum from side to side. Real game dribbling has a lot of variety. You may see an open court but there are opponents ready to swarm you. You must know how to dribble effectively by leaning your body in both directions. This allows you to extricate yourself from high-pressure situations.
Basketball players need to engage in strength training. It is impossible to succeed if you lack endurance and strength. Even youngsters can strengthen their arms and legs to improve game play. Use weights when they get older. It’s important to continue strength training when you are an adult to maintain your performance.
Dribble the ball below knee level. This makes it more difficult for your opponents to steal the ball. This will help you move the ball down the court easier.
When you’re working with defense, staying low is a good idea. This will help you be quicker on the jump and react to the man in front of you easier. You always want to have a strong defensive stance on the court. If you need to leave your feet in order to prevent your opponent from shooting the ball, quickly get back into that good defensive position.
Use the non-dribbling hand to create a buffer between the ball and your opposition. However, you’re not actually going to push with this hand; instead, you’re going to separate yourself using this hand. By doing this, the ball will be better protected and you will have better control of the ball.
If you wish to shoot on the outside better you should work on shooting hundreds of times every day from a lot of places on the court. If you wish to get even better at this, try dribbling and then stopping to make a quick shot. Once in the air, keep an eye on the target. But, be sure not to look at it beforehand. That helps you boost your accuracy.
If you’re training to become a very good basketball player then start changing your diet. You use a lot of fuel playing basketball so a lot of carbs is needed, as well as adequate protein and fats. For example, you might incorporate whole grain products, lean means, nuts, and peanut butter into your meals. Stay away from salt and sugar.
Maybe you just began learning about playing basketball before you read this. Perhaps the last time you played was when you were a child. Either way, the information located above can assist you in becoming a great ball player. Put these tips into action and you are sure to become a more effective player.
Double dribbling is a major rule, and something that must always be avoided. This happens when you stop dribbling and then begin again. When you stop, you have to shoot or pass. You can’t just start dribbling again. This will make a turnover occur which means the opponent will get the ball.
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