Best Tips On Becoming A Great Basketball Player

by | Jul 5, 2020 | Basketball

TIP! You should practice your crossovers a lot. When you do a crossover, you move the basketball very fast from one hand over to the other hand.

We all know it takes a lot of practice and dedication to become a basketball star. Regardless of whether you are playing for fun or competition, it is always nice to be good at what you do. This article will help you, and you can make improvements on the court.

TIP! Always work on your layups. Layups comprise approximately 80 percent of all shots.

It’s easy to focus on offense when learning to play, but your practice time would be better spent on defense. Basketball games are often won by great defensive play. Offense gets all the praise and attention, but without a good defense, any basketball team is destined to lose.

TIP! Want to become a better basketball player? Watch the pros! Go to a bunch of professional games in person, watch them on television, or just get online to search for basketball videos. Every player has skills that make them good, and you can work on the skills they use.

When you dribble, look forward, keeping your head up. If you are looking at the ball for any reason while dribbling, you have not put in enough practice. Take the basketball to all the places that you go. Walking to your mailbox? Dribble the ball. If you’re trying to look at the ball then you’re not concentrating on what’s going on down the court.

TIP! Are you interested in being able to fool the other team? Back passes can give your team the opportunity to score while the other team is still wondering what happened. Use the dominant hand to hold onto the basketball when trying this pass.

Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. Training your body is important, but you also have to be mentally ready for the shot. Relax and focus on your shot, and you can make it.

TIP! If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. The concept encompasses the abdominal muscles, the hips and the lower back.

Unseen passes can be avoided when proper hand signals are used by teammates. Basketball passes can be really frustrating when shot wrong. Avoid this with hand signals that let you know if the player is open to receiving the pass. If you don’t see a signal, you shouldn’t pass the ball.

TIP! Figuring out the opponent is a great way to do well against a tight defense. Make sure that you’ve watched tapes that show the other player.

Good footwork remains a vital part of basketball. While physical positioning is important, it is even more essential to move quicker than an opponent. After grabbing the position, you need to hold the area. Practicing your footwork is important to master these skills.

TIP! If you have someone who can tape your game, you can view the recording to see how well you performed on the court. Do you see how you could’ve handled a situation differently? Stay honest when you’re assessing yourself, but don’t over criticize yourself either.

See if your teammates admire something in particular about your game play. Are you great at any one thing? Continue to develop the skills that play into your natural abilities. You can learn a lot about your skills by knowing how others see you on the court.

TIP! If you want improve your free throws, you have to develop a routine. If you are inconsistent then your shot will be off.

Play a good defense by knowing your opponent. Watch tapes and stay up on scouting reports. Learn which of the opposing players are left-dominant and which are right-dominant. The more you understand what you are up against, the more likely you are to develop an effective strategy during games. Smart defenders are good defenders.

TIP! If you wish to dribble the ball better, you have to start using your hand that’s considered the weak one. Opponents are a lot easier to blow by when you can dribble with ease using both hands.

When you want consistently good free throws, repeat your routine. It could be that you dribble several times, bend at the knees, brush your hair out of your eyes or do something else. By developing a quick ritual, you can help train your body to make free throws.

TIP! Hard dribbling helps avoid stolen balls. This will make the ball come back to you faster, and the opponent will have a hard time to get it from you.

If you are being heavily guarded, a pass between your legs might help. This will make it very hard for your defender to get it. If you can master this move, it will give you quite the advantage when you are on the court.

TIP! An excellent way to have proper defensive posture is to remain in the correct stance. Slide your feet from side to side or push off with your opposing foot so that you are always in position.

Use small weights and resistance training to build the muscles in both forearms and hands. Wrist curls can be effective at helping you to control the ball as if you’ll be dribbling in your sleep. Don’t believe you will be able to simply plant yourself someplace, receive the ball and sink a shot. The best way to get into the flow of the game is to be in motion.

TIP! To build up your skills with your weaker hand, use it for everything from opening jars to brushing your teeth. These tasks help to make your weaker hand feel more natural when you use it on the court.

Always maintain a defensive stance when you are trying to properly defend the goal. Shuffle your feet in a side to side motion, then use your opposite foot to push off and give you good leverage. Always keep your feet from crossing, and you will make it hard for any opponent to get past.

TIP! Practice dribbling while you switch your body’s momentum from one side to the other. Remember that you must dribble in a variety of situations during a basketball game.

Defensive players need to stay low. This will help you be quicker on the jump and react to the man in front of you easier. You always want to have a strong defensive stance on the court. When rebounding or blocking, you break the stance, but then you must get back in the stance quickly.

TIP! Double dribbling is a major rule, and something that must always be avoided. If you start, stop and then begin again, that is double dribbling.

Shoot hundreds of shots every day from every position on the court to improve your shooting skills. An even better way to improve your accuracy is to practice shooting after pulling up from a dribble. Look at the target when you’re airborne and not a moment before. This way, you will be ready for the rapid pace of game play.

TIP! What your position is in relationship to the rebound can help you figure out if you will still have the ball. Jumping with both feet creates a more balanced, powerful motion.

Use the non-dribbling hand to create a buffer between the ball and your opposition. It’s a foul to push your opponents, but using your arm as a barrier is allowed and will help you to secure the ball. Just keep it up slightly while dribbling with the other hand.

TIP! Try to always know the location of the ball once it leaves someone’s hands. Rebounds and recoveries are important parts of a basketball game.

Be sure your exercise off the court is going to help you on the court. For example, you can improve individual plays with sprinting. You can improve overall game performance and endurance with long distance running. Additionally, weightlifting and resistance training will help you develop the muscles needed for those long distance shots. The confidence and aggression that result also help you more than anything when shooting.

TIP! Passing should be a focus if you want to improve your game. Passing helps confuse the opponent.

You’ve got to start taking action and using the techniques and tips in this article. You’ll get better a little bit at a time if you keep the tips here in mind and practice them as well. This three-step plan leads you to success.