Basketball is played by people of all ages. The game can be played at a park or right at home. Learn more about the game to enjoy it as much as possible.
It’s natural to be drawn towards offense as a novice, but the pros know defense is where the game is won or lost. In the end, it’s defense that consistently wins you games. While offense seems to get the praise, defense must be stellar in order to win.
Practice hitting your free throws. It looks simple to do, but it isn’t that easy. Practice often using the following technique. First, hold the ball just above your nose, about 8 inches from your face. Picture yourself going through the shot in your mind, with the ball sinking through the net. Next, shoot with just the trajectory you saw.
If you hold the ball a lot, you have to learn crossovers. A crossover means moving the ball between your hands. It has to be done fast to be effective. When done correctly, the crossover dribble help you to change direction in order to move down the court efficiently.
Bounce Passes
Bounce passes are important in the game of basketball. Bounce passes need to be at waist level when received. It’s smart to get the ball to bounce about 75% to the receiving player. There are other factors you have to think about too, however.
You want to be prepared for any type of defense the other team plays. Your opponent may change their game up to keep you on your toes. You might lose your control of the court if the other team use this technique, unless you are ready for this possibility.
If you have a kid wanting to play basketball in high school, be certain that they are properly training their core muscles. That means their hips, lower back and abs. The core is the muscle group that links the arms and legs together. If their core strength is poor, then so will their athletic performance be. A strong, sturdy core allows force from the legs to fuel movements like running and jumping.
Seek advice from your teammates about how you play the game. What are your your best skill areas? Perhaps they see you as someone who is fast on the court, or that you’re a really good teammate. Develop your strengths even further and look for ways to improve your weaknesses.
Boost your defensive abilities by studying the opposing team and its players. Monitor scouting news and watch footage of other teams in action. You should know if a player is right or left handed. Knowing an opponent’s dribbling, passing and shooting styles gives you a definite edge on defense. The more knowledgeable a defender is, the stronger he is.
You need to be quick to play good basketball. You’ll have an advantage if you’re faster than an opponent. You have to be steady as you play quickly. Make sure you never play past the speed you are comfortable. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and lots of turnovers.
Always have an awareness of the location and movement of your feet. If you slide onto the baseline, you will lose the ball for being out of bounds. If you travel without dribbling, you’re going to get yourself into a turnover situation. Also, moving either foot when trying to set a screen, pick or take a charge results in a foul call.
Practice looking in the opposite direction when you make a pass. Doing this is a great way to confuse your opponents. When done right, the look draws your opponents to the wrong locale so that the person you passed to has a good long look at the basket before shooting. If this is pulled off, then it usually has good results.
To be a strong defender, you must have the ability to disrupt and interfere with the opponents’ plans. Take them out of their own comfort zone. Execute your moves with aggression. Other players should not influence the plays you make. The more aggressively smart team is usually the one who wins. Force them to act and their rhythm will get disrupted.
No matter what type of match you are playing, improving your skills makes the game more fun. Follow the advice presented here to become the best basketball player you can. As you learn more, you play better.