Whether you’d rather cheer from bleachers or shoot the ball like a professional, you have to really understand the game if you want to truly enjoy it. Not sure of the score? Don’t give up! Basketball is a great game, and it is not hard to learn the rules. Read on for some basketball tips that will have you calling all the shots and making the slam-dunks for your team.
Learn how to maneuver a crossover if you have the ball fairly often. This is when you switch hands while dribbling. You must do it fast for best success. Once you have learned how to do a crossover, you can travel down the court quickly.
Shooting has much to do with proper balance. While the all-time greats have shown time and time again how they can shoot while off-kilter, this is not the ideal way to score. They’re just improvising at this point. Point your feet towards the basket, guide the ball with your weaker hand and push the ball away with your strong hand whenever you shoot the basketball.
Even professional basketball players spend a lot of time watching other people play basketball. Watch as many games on TV as you can. Every player has a skill that allows him to succeed. Practice their moves to become better.
Make sure to practice catching passes. Don’t just work on waist-level, perfect passes, though, work on receiving tougher passes as well. When a game is underway, not every throw will be perfect. By learning to catch errant passes, you will do your team a great favor.
Do not wait for any special season to play some basketball. Basketball is usually a team sport, but just because you can’t find others, doesn’t mean you have to just stop thinking about it. That’s OK! There’s still a lot that you can do playing on your own. Practice pivoting and free throw shooting. There is always something to practice.
To land your layups, jump off the foot opposite the hand you shoot with. Practice shooting using your right hand, then jump off your left foot. This balances your body when moving towards your basket. It keeps your body in between you and the defender.
A good basketball drill to perform is to see if you can get the ball down the entire court in 5 or less dribbles. It isn’t impossible, it just takes practice. In games, this drill will become useful when you have fast break opportunities.
Never break your defensive stance when playing ball. Keep your feet moving to each side or push your opposing foot off so you can keep yourself in position. Keep your body constantly facing toward your opponent in order to ensure the best possible defense.
You can strengthen you weaker hand by using it as much as possible, for instance open jars or even brush your teeth. You will have more control as you use it to do daily activities that require dexterity. This will start to appear in the game of basketball, too.
When you dribble while playing basketball, focus on bending your knees. Opposing players can steal the ball more easily if you stand up straight because you can’t control the ball as well. Bending your knees slightly will enable you to control the ball more efficiently.
Don’t stop dribbling until you are ready to pass or shoot. You are limited once you cease dribbling. If you decide not to shoot or pass, all you can do is pivot on your rear foot. This leaves you vulnerable to being double teamed by members of the opposing team, and it is far more likely that the ball will be stolen.
If it is possible, keep all action below the knee. This makes it more difficult for the opponent to take the ball. You need to bend a bit more for this to succeed, but you will be able to traverse the court rapidly while keeping opponents at bay.
Use the hand you’re not dribbling with to create a barrier between the ball and the opponent. Don’t push your opponent because that is a foul; however, you may use your free arm to create a barrier that keeps your opponent away from the ball. Keep it up and dribble with your other hand.
Stay in communication with your teammates. Basketball is played by a team. It is not a one-on-one game. You have to help each other. Speak to others and tell them when you’ll need help so everyone can play better.
You need to learn how to change your opponent’s personal path. Whether you are playing defense or offense, you must be capable of controlling the directions of opposing players. That will ensure you control the game.
When you are coming back down from a caught rebound widen your stance. This will help to increase your overall balance. Put your hands on the sides of the basketball and then put it close to your chest. Always keep your elbows in check because an errant elbow can cost you a foul if an opposing player is hit with it.
Was that as difficult as you thought it would be? It’s quite a fun game, actually. Use the information presented here to become better at playing or watching basketball.