Basketball is a great game for men, women and children. Regardless of background, few people can resist the allure of basketball. Gather your friends and show them your new moves. What skills might those be? Read on to find some great tips that will help you get in the game.
Dribble the ball correctly. When you dribble, only use your fingertips instead of your palms. Dribbling this way improves your ball control dramatically. Keep the ball by your side as you dribble instead of right in front your body. You should always be looking up instead of at the ground.
When dribbling, make sure you hold your head high and look straight ahead. You need more practice if you feel that you cannot dribble without focusing on the ball. Bring the basketball with you everywhere you go. Try dribbling even when walking to a store. If you’re trying to look at the ball then you’re not concentrating on what’s going on down the court.
To get better in your basketball game, focus on your strengths. Your best talent may not make you the star of every game, but learning to play your best angle will help you contribute more to the team. Knowing what you excel at and then practicing that can help you become perfect at it!
If you handle the ball often, you need to learn how to do a crossover. A crossover happens when you switch hands the ball is in. It should be done quickly. When executed properly, a crossover dribble lets you alternate directions suddenly so that you can move down the entire court quickly.
Practice catching passes often. You should practice catching errant passes, along with perfectly executed ones. This will help you catch those bad passes during a game. So you should do the team a favor by knowing how to take in any kind of a pass that comes from someone.
One way to help improve your overall basketball skills is to spend some time watching what the pros do. 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 let the ball go behind your back. This provides court awareness and prevents you from unexpected turnovers or quick passes. Maintain awareness of open areas on the ball court that may allow you to quickly score a basket.
Shake things up rather than focusing solely on a 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.
Understand your opponent. Watch taped games, and keep current with scouting reports. Find out who are the right-handed or left-handed players. If you know their game, you can defend against it. The strongest defenders are those who have information.
When an injury occurs while you are playing ball, don’t keep playing with pain. This sport is physically demanding and you can become injured. If you keep on playing after sustaining an injury, you may make the injury even more serious. See a doctor if the injury is serious enough.
When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. You won’t be able to make a shot if your shoulders aren’t in the right position. Keep your shoulders squared with the basket at all times. Try to line your dominant shoulder up with the rim.
Knowing your opponent is the best way to play a tough defensive game. Watch tapes and be sure you’re paying attention to scouting reports. Know which players are left and right handed. Once you understand the opposition, you will now how to mount your defense. Knowledge is power, even in basketball.
To make your layups count the most, take off from the foot opposite your shooting hand. Thus, if you tend to shoot with the right hand, make sure to jump off with the left. This way you keep your body away from defenders, your momentum going in the direction of the basket and your body stays balanced.
When working out, focus on building your core strength and perfecting your footwork. With strong core muscles, you will have better balance. Your hip, buttocks, back and abdomen muscles need to be worked on. Much like boxers do, you have the ability to bolster your footwork and agility by using a jump rope.
A good defensive strategy will keep your opponent on their toes. Force them to leave their comfort zone. Execute your moves with aggression. Do not let them choose the plays to make. If you allow this to happen, your opponent will have the upper hand. Try to interrupt their game plan by taking charge and controlling the tempo.
The best free throws come as a result of routine. This can include the number of times you dribble, how you position your feet, or anything else. Don’t dilly dally, but do complete your ritual.
Practice drills that force you to get the basketball to the other end of the court in less than 5 dribbles. This might not seem possible, but if you can do it your speed and length will strengthen. This helps give your team the advantage, and allows you to drive the center.
Build a routine to improve your free throw game. If you stay inconsistent, you miss a shot. The simplest way to get better at shooting free throws is through constant repetitive motions when shooting the ball. Failing to stick with your routine can adversely affect your shooting accuracy.
Ensure that you have good court awareness. Not to just be able to see the scoreboard, but to actually make a shot and catch a pass. Peripheral vision is important during game play. If you look across the whole game and not just focus on the ball, you can see oncoming defensive pressure in advance, as well as open teammates.
Your defenders need to wait for the point guard to make it 10′ ahead of the time line. Once he passes mid court the guards should rush up on him. While this is going on your forwards can be sprinting to the players located on the wings. This will likely cause the point guard to make a high, short pass, which your forwards will steal quite easily.
A great way to stay in a correct defensive stance is to always stay in position no matter what. Use your opposite foot to push with or slide your feet around. Keep in mind that your feet shouldn’t cross and this should make you good at defense.
Practice your dribbling skills while shifting your momentum to alternate sides. Games require you to be able to dribble under all types of conditions. You might have a truly open court, but you might also be dealing with an onslaught of opposition. You must learn dribbling from all kinds of directions. This will help you in bad situations.
Strength training can improve your game. Conditioning training will also increase your stamina. Even kids can benefit by getting stronger through exercise. As they start to get older, get them some weights to help them exercise harder. It’s important to continue strength training when you are an adult to maintain your performance.
Use the hand that doesn’t have the ball as a block. Never push your opponent away because that ends up in a foul, but lightly use your other hand to keep separation between the ball and your opponent. Keep your other arm up slightly while you dribble.
To make your three-point shot better, practice it from the minimum NBA approved distance. Remember that high school, college and international standard lines are all shorter than the NBA distance. By learning to shoot from NBA distances, you improve your range tremendously.
Make sure that you are exercising properly for basketball. Work on sprints to make you faster and build your stamina. Lifting weights and doing resistance training is going to help you to build muscle to take shots. You will also gain aggression and confidence that will help you when shooting.
In order to better your shooting skills, you must practice shooting hundreds of times each day from various position on the court. You should also practice starting with a dribble and then taking a shot. When you are in the air, take a gander at the target. Don’t do it prior to this point. This will help improve your accuracy during a game.
Understanding your teammates is a vital part of basketball. Basketball involves playing on a team. Meaning offense and defense is played, not just one on one. The whole team has to work together. Communicate with them so that they know when you need assistance, so that you all collectively play better.
Switch the weight of your body while you are dribbling. Basketball games are fast and you will encounter different scenarios while dribbling. You may have an open court, by you’re just as likely to be swarmed by multiple opponents. Remember to dribble while leaning in various directions. This allows you to get yourself out of a tough spot.
You should now be able to be confident when you start playing so you can hit the court with that confidence. You may know some things that some of your friends aren’t aware of. Keep in mind that basketball is supposed to be fun. Whatever the case, it is fun to win though!
Having good communication on the court with teammates is a great way to play. Basketball is a team sport. Offense and defense aren’t 1 on 1. The whole team has to work together. Communicate and have everyone on the same page in order to play better.
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