On a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you say you know about basketball? Whether you said 1, 10 or somewhere in between, the great thing about basketball is there is always something to learn. Continue reading to find out some helpful advice about improving your basketball game.
One of the most important things to understand is when to make the shot. Taking a dangerous shot can result in the ball being overturned. If you do not feel comfortable making the shot, pass it to a teammate and either let them make the shot or get into a better position to make the shot.
Practicing with your team is important, but don’t overlook the value of daily practice on your own. Set up a daily practice time for yourself and stick to your schedule. Practice footwork, shooting, and dribbling. It is also important to include strength training and endurance training in your practice schedule.
If you are trying to create a charging foul against the other team, make sure you plant your feet to the ground. Don’t shuffle them or lean into the dribbler coming at you. If you do either of these things, you’ll actually be called for a blocking foul instead of getting a charge.
Don’t just practice offense. Unlike some other sports, basketball players need to play both offense and defense constantly. There are no breaks in the game, and a great shooter can negate his or her benefit to the team by being a very poor defender. You need to become good on both ends of the court.
Keep your footwork in mind while playing defense. Taking short steps will give you a better foothold on your opponent. Remember to push off your front foot. When you take long steps, it is more difficult to defend against a driving opponent. Check your distance from your opposing player by extending one arm.
Remember that refs don’t see, catch or call everything. You’re going to get fouled sometimes and not hear the whistle. Just remember that works both ways. You will also get away with some fouls that aren’t called. Respect the refs, but remember that they don’t determine the winner and loser.
Speed is a key attribute in the game of basketball. If you want the advantage, you’ve got more quickly. In order to be fast, you must constantly do drills. Do not try playing faster than you can. If you try to rush your play, and can’t keep up, you will turn the ball over or make unforced mistakes.
Knowing how to handle the basketball is an important step in becoming a good player. Work hard to perfect your dribble with your weaker hand. The ability to dribble the ball well with both hands will keep opponents guessing. When you are able to take off dribbling to the right or the left, opponents will have a hard time predicting where you will go.
Learn to control the ball when you need to change your pace suddenly. If your are able to plant your feet and then quickly dribble the ball while on the move, you gain a distinct advantage over your opponent. If your defenders think you are slowing down to make a shot, they will straighten up to try to block it.
To get an amazing arm workout, dribble the ball on a patch of dirt. This will take a lot of power as the dirt absorbs most of the energy you put into the ball when it hits. Do this for a few minutes, but don’t over exert yourself or you could hurt your arm.
To play the best defense, you have to beat your man to the place he wants to go and force him to go somewhere else. This means that your feet have to move quickly, so practice shuffling from side to side without crossing your feet. This is the quickest way to move laterally on the floor and will frustrate your man.
Practice the three key things around the basket: dribbling, shooting, and rebounding. Everyone loves to shoot the basketball, but it’s only one part of a basketball game. You need to master all three of the things here to be a great player. If you only know how to shoot, you won’t last long on the court for a real game.
If you’re playing the guard position, having good court vision is an absolute key to success. You should always keep your eyes moving and focus on what’s happening around you. Learn how to dribble the ball with your head up. Looking down while dribbling will mean you can’t see what’s happening on the court.
You can really up your performance on the court by doing strength training. In addition, stamina is important to the game, too. Even young children can benefit from strength training. As the teenage years approach, weights can be used for even greater impact. Playing as an adult, it is important that you focus on your stamina for optimal performance.
Hit the gym and do arm curls during your workout. Weighted arm curls will help build the strength and elasticity of the biceps and triceps. This helps to improve passing distance, as well as shooting distance. The forearms also benefit from curls by allowing you to better control and manipulate the ball.
Do you feel like you could get better by using these tips on the court? Well, it’s time to put them to the test. Take what you’re learned about, and see how it betters your basketball game. You might just surprise yourself, and who knows, you could be the next star.