Basketball is played by people of all ages. It is a game that can be played in the neighborhood and even on your driveway. Learn more about the game to enjoy it as much as possible.
It is important to focus on both offense and defense when learning to play basketball. Basketball games are often won by great defensive play. Offense receives all the glory, but it is nothing without the best defense.
Free throw practice is vitally important. This looks easy, but it is actually very hard to do. Practice this technique regularly. To start off, hold the ball in front of you. Then, look at the ball and visualize it going in the basket. Shoot the ball how you imagine it going in.
You must have good balance to shoot well. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. You need the right balance to shoot; it is the only way to eventually make consistent baskets.
Would you like to learn how to fool your opponent? Consider the back pass. To do this pass, hold on to the ball with your dominant hand. With that same hand, bring the ball around your back. Then do a wrist flick in the same direction that you want the ball to end up. This should trick the opposing team.
If you get hurt during a basketball game, don’t try to play while in pain. You can easily tear a muscle or even break a finger while playing. If you keep playing when you are injured, you could end up with an injury which keeps you from ever playing again. Seek medical advice immediately if you have more than a minor muscle strain.
Ask your fellow teammates if they have an opinion of your skills in the game. Are you really good at any one thing? It may be that you are quick on your feet or that you are always there to back them up. Learn what other’s see as your natural skills and make sure to keep and develop those skills more fully.
Focus on your footwork and your core strength in your workouts. With strong core muscles, you will have better balance. Focus on your hip, abdomen, and back muscles. Just like boxers, you can improve your footwork and speed by jumping rope.
If you are shooting as well, pay attention to the position of your shoulders. If you have bad shoulder position it doesn’t matter how great you are the shot isn’t going to go in. Your shoulders should always be squared towards the hoop. The dominant shoulder needs to be lined up with the rim.
If your opponent is pressing hard, you can give yourself some room to work by dribbling the ball between your legs. Practice bouncing the basketball forcefully between your legs while stepping forwards and backwards. When you get this move down, you will have an advantage.
The trick to grabbing a rebound on a teammate’s missed free-throw is to plan your footwork in advance. The person defending the position down-court from you will be coming at you, so you need to find any way you can to slide around him that gets you to the ball. You won’t foul as you catch the rebound this way.
Take a charge if you can. The charge lets you build a defensive stop and get control of the ball. This does great harm to an opponent’s psyche, and is a truly powerful play.
Never break your defensive stance as this will assure you are in your proper position for defense. Shifting your weight back and forth between your feet will help you to stay in position. Never cross your feet and your opponents will find you a difficult player.
Work on your 3 point shot by shooting from the established NBA distance. All other distance lines, high school, college and International, are not as far. By practicing at the NBA line, you will be used to getting a look a little further than what most defenses will cover.
Keep on dribbling until your shot or passing opportunity is imminent. After dribbling is stopped, your choices are very limited. If you choose against passing or shooting, you are stuck pivoting in place. This makes you open up to people that want to double team you and that means you are also more likely to get the ball stolen.
Stay low and dribble the ball below the level of your knees. Doing this makes it more difficult for members of the opposing team to steal the ball from you. This also allows you to cover large distances across the court, which makes it difficult for opposing players o block you.
Foster a positive relationship with your team members regardless of whether you are playing or practicing. When your team is of one accord, your game will be the best possible. If you know everyone on your team inside and out and you can trust each other completely, your game will improve exponentially.
After catching a ball that has rebounded, land on your feet, spreading legs wider than your shoulders in order to get greater balance. Keep the hands on both sides of the ball, and make sure it stays close to the chest. Always keep your elbows in check because an errant elbow can cost you a foul if an opposing player is hit with it.
No matter what kind of basketball game you are playing, be it one-on-one, H.O.R.S.E. or something else, learning about how to become better will make you better. Follow the advice presented here to become the best basketball player you can. You’ll be a better players when you know all about the sport.