What does it take to be a great basketball player? The fact is that it requires more than just talent. You have to practice, learn and work hard to be able to become a basketball great. Start by reading this article in full to absorb all the advice it provides you.
Always protect the ball when you are in possession of it. Keep your dribble off to the side of your body to make it more difficult for another player to steal the ball. While you generally want to avoid dribbling in front of you, you can do so if there are no other players in your immediate vicinity.
Practice dribbling the ball on a number of different surfaces. As you get used to how the ball reacts, you will be able to adjust your game accordingly. How you handle the ball can make or break the game. Turnovers lead to points that your team may not be able to recover from, so your skills in this area need to be solid.
Work on becoming a more clever basketball player, rather than trying to master a few clever plays. Your opponents will eventually figure out your plays, but will have difficulty if they cannot anticipate your overall playing ability. Learn to be surprising, quick thinking and more agile in your ability to get the ball and work the court.
Stamina is key to playing a good ball game. Basketball games are filled with running back and forth along the court. By increasing your stamina, you can stay in the game longer. One way to increase your stamina is by running a few miles each day, followed by a cool down workout.
If you play serious team basketball, jump rope for thirty minutes before practice sessions. You’ll get used to playing basketball already winded and tired. Doing this can make you very prepared to make shots in late game situations, as your conditioning is already a notch above anyone else just showing up to practice.
Be careful not to travel when dribbling the basketball. Traveling occurs when you take too many steps in between dribbles. It’s most likely to happen when going up for a shot. Just one extra step will mean the difference between a score and a turnover, so practice shooting as often as you can.
Picking the right basketball shoe can be very important to your game. If you need support for your ankles, choose a high top sneaker. Make sure that the sole of the shoe has enough traction to prevent slipping. Always buy a shoe that is the correct size by having your feet measured at a sporting goods store.
If the basketball game is quickly getting out of hand for your team, find a way to slow the pace down. Your opponent wants to keep the chaos for your team going as it’s causing you all to make mistakes. You need to do the opposite. The minute you have the ball, dribble up court slowly. Or take a time out if you’ve got one available.
To defend a person dribbling the ball, it is important to bring your arms up to the ball. When you reach for the ball, starting low means you hit the ball first and not the arm. Hitting the arm first means that you are going to foul — not end up with the ball.
Passing the ball is a necessary part of basketball. You should practice a variety of passing options and work to determine which pass is best for each situation. Try to make the simplest pass possible to ensure a successful transfer of the ball to a teammate. Pass the ball when your teammate is in a better position on the court or when you are being closely defended.
To better your vertical jumping in basketball, try doing some deep knee bend jump exercises. Begin by standing straight. Quickly crouch down as low as possible with your bottom nearly touching the ground, then jump upwards as high as possible. The minute you land, crouch immediately and jump back up again. Try doing this about 15 times, and when you’re able to, try increasing it to 20, 30, and so on. Don’t do these exercises more than four or fives times every week.
If you want to be a top star on the court, use these tips to better your game. Practice every day so that you can learn them through and through. If you start to use expert advice when you play, you will find that you become an expert yourself over time.