A lot of people enjoy playing and watching basketball. It makes sense because it’s a great sport that is highly physical. It’s something that takes a little bit of knowledge to get into, and that’s what this article is here for. Get the tips you need to get up to speed on basketball here.
For lightening fast dribbling, just like the pros, only use your finger tips on the ball. When you use all of your fingers, your dribbling will be much slower. Make this a part of your daily practice sessions until it becomes second nature to dribble with only the tips of your fingers.
When you are practicing your shooting, take the practice shots you would attempt during the game. You are rarely going to be open for long enough to get your feet planted and line up the shot, so shoot on the move. Practice off dribble and shooting while moving for better results at game time.
You should practice boxing out the other players to improve your rebounding. It is really easy to do, but many experienced players forget about it during the game. Boxing out is simply getting in front of the other player when the shot is in the air. This puts you in a prime position to grab the rebound.
When you rebound in basketball, make sure you make contact before your opponent.
You’ll be in control of what occurs if you are the first to make contact when boxing out. Hit them first before they get a chance to make contact with you so that you can get leverage. Be sure to anticipate and be sure you’re always first. This will provide you with an edge.
Make sure you spend your time focusing on your strengths. If you can rely on your strengths, you will become a better player. Clear self knowledge and dedicated practice will make you the best at what you do.
When prepping for the basketball season, walk around with the basketball as often as you can. Take the time to throw the ball from one hand to the other, and even flip it around your back. Your goal is to improve your hand/ball coordination so that the ball feels as if it’s part of you.
Proper aim is crucial when trying to make baskets. Ideally, you should aim for the small square found on the backboard. Doing this increases your chances of the ball actually going down the basket. Avoid trying to aim for the next; you are less likely to be successful when doing so.
To play your best game of basketball, it is important to keep focused. Even when the action is not near your position, remain aware of the action and be ready to move fast. A positive attitude combined with being fully focused on what you are doing can give you the competitive advantage.
To play solid defense, if you are guarding the person with the ball, keep your eyes on the basketball. If you look at his eyes instead, he will fake a pass one way, just by looking in that direction, and then dribble around you the other way. The ball can’t lie about where it’s going.
Learn something about basketball every day. Even if it’s the off-season and there’s nowhere to play, you can still improve your game. Read up on tips via books and websites or watch archived games to see what your favorite pro players can teach you. You may be surprised how much rubs off the next time you’re on the court.
Never try to score the point at the expense of shutting other players out. You are part of a team which means everyone is valued. It means working together and sometimes playing a minor part in another player’s winning shot. Just remember that your team can’t win if you are the only one to make shots.
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.
Hold the basketball during TV time at home. Any contact you have with the ball will only improve your skills. You are essentially teaching your hands how to work with the ball. How to hold it, move with it, and even toss it. The more time you get with the basketball, the more comfortable you will be.
To better your vertical jumping in basketball, try doing some deep knee bend jump exercises. Begin by standing straight. Quickly crouch down as low as possible with your bottom nearly touching the ground, then jump upwards as high as possible. The minute you land, crouch immediately and jump back up again. Try doing this about 15 times, and when you’re able to, try increasing it to 20, 30, and so on. Don’t do these exercises more than four or fives times every week.
Work on getting the ball down the length of a full court with five or fewer dribbles during drills. This initially seems undoable, but it helps build speed and stride. This may mean you can get your team some numbers for a period of time, or you can do easy lay-ups.
To inbound a basketball successfully, you have to be able to look one way and pass another. Many times, defenders will follow your eyes to try to guess where you are going to throw, so if you can look to the left and pass to the right, you will fake many defenders out.
Now you should be able to see that getting into basketball really isn’t too difficult. It’s going to take you some time and a bit of effort, however. Just put what you’ve learned here into practice and do the best you can if you want to see the best results.