Basketball season is an exciting time of year for fans. If you play the game and want to get better, you need to put in the work and make a commitment. Every member of a basketball team has strengths and weaknesses, so take stock of your skill and determine what you need to practice. Follow these tips to learn how to play basketball effectively and become an important member of your team.
A lot of novice players mostly focus on their offensive skills, but developing good defensive skills will help you become a better player. Basketball games are won more often by defense than offense. If your team doesn’t have a good defense, you’re not going to make it far in a game.
Learn to crossover if you get the ball often. Crossovers involve sending the basketball from one of your hands over to the other one. This should be something you do quickly. If done correctly, a good crossover helps you get past your opponent and to the rim.
Balance is vital to good shooting. You’ve seen the pros fall out-of-bounds and shoot a basket up to 300 feet away, however, this isn’t proper technique. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. Having a good foundation under you while shooting will always yield better results over time as you keep on practicing and honing your skills.
A good tip is to practice your layups on a daily basis. During any game, layups make up about 75 percent of the game. Don’t just walk through a layup drill. It is key to go at game tempo to practice the timing needed to maintain accuracy. This method will teach you to improve your jumps and shots throughout the game.
Free throws have a huge mental element to them. You can practice for hours on how to make the shot, but if you over think things or get distracted you will miss every time. Relax, take your time and be focused.
If you’re going to be a jump shooter, don’t lift too many weights. It’s possible to have excessive muscles when you play the perimeter. Shooting guards that end up with bulked up arms sometimes find that it affects field goal percentages.
Never try to push through pain after an injury. Basketball is hard to play well even when you are healthy, so don’t push it. If you continue playing, you could make the injury even worse. Be sure to seek medical care if you have a serious injury.
Asking for feedback from coaches and teammates about your playing is important in order to become a stronger player. Is there something that you excel at? Perhaps you have an excellent understanding of defensive strategies or you are the fastest player on your team. Discover what other people feel are your strongest skills and then set about perfecting them.
If an opponent is staying with you, try passing the ball between your legs. Try practicing this by bouncing your ball hard in between your legs while stepping forward or backward. If you can master this move, it will give you quite the advantage when you are on the court.
If you want to make the most of your layup, push up from the foot that is opposite the hand you will shoot from. That means, if you shoot right-handed, use your left foot for taking off. This can help you to remain balanced, continue moving toward the hoop, and will keep your body between the defender and yourself.
A consistent pre-shot routine when at the line will increase your chance at success. A consistent routine enables the shooter to have a perfect motion every time. The most effective method to achieve a great free throw is by practicing it repeatedly until you get it right. If you alter your routine then chances are the shot will not be good.
If you want to dribble the basketball better, you need to practice dribbling with your weaker hand. If you’re using both hands to dribble the ball well then you can get by an opponent easily. Tie your dominant hand behind your back and force yourself only to use your weak hand. Your weak hand won’t be that for long!
Practice drills where you strive to make it across the full court within 5 dribbles. This will help you to gain speed, stride length and control of the ball. This drill can help you to have success with lay-ups during a fast break.
Be sure your vision is unobstructed. This is not just to make reading the scoreboard easier, but also to facilitate the making of shots and catching of passes. Peripheral vision must be razor-honed. When you can see the big picture, you can react to anything.
Never break your defensive stance as this will assure you are in your proper position for defense. Keep your feet moving to each side or push your opposing foot off so you can keep yourself in position. Stay low and make it hard for opponents to get around you.
Many methods are available for amping up your game. Improved players lead to improved teams and eventually happier fans. Everyone has to play a part in the team and people that cheer on the games also have a big part to play too. Players have to work hard to better their game. Remember these tips and use them to become the player everyone wants on their team.