Have you ever seen yourself as LeBron James, Michael Jordan or some other professional player when playing basketball. Rather than merely dreaming of greatness, how about learning what it takes to really succeed? The tips that follow will get you on the path to greatness.
Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Basketball games are won with a good defense. Offense gets more attention, but the team is going to lose without a strong defense.
If you get possession of the ball a lot, you must learn the crossover technique. When you do a crossover, you move the basketball very fast from one hand over to the other hand. Your crossovers should be fast, which is why it is important to practice them. A good crossover dribble can give you the opportunity to switch directions and progress on the court much faster.
To be a better basketball player you should concentrate on the things that make you great. You can contribute to the team by consolidating your best skills, even if these skills do not make you one of the star players. Know your strengths and practice them until you have perfected them.
Bounce Pass
You should learn the best way to throw a great bounce pass. A good bounce pass should hit the player on the receiving end at waist level. If it helps to measure it out, consider aiming for a mark on the floor about three-fourths of the way between you and your teammate. At the same time, take into account any other extraneous factors that may affect the pass.
When developing your jumping skills, limit your use of weight-training. It’s important to be strong, but not too strong. Many guards in the pros have developed their arm muscles too big, which has really harmed their shooting percentage.
Core Muscles
Building core muscle is key to playing great basketball. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles. Core muscles are the connectors between arms and legs. If the core muscles are weak, basketball performance will suffer. A solid and strong core lets force that comes from the legs get used for beneficial movements when playing, like faster running and higher jumping.
Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. Getting a great position under the goal is the most important. After positioning yourself on the court, make sure that you are secure. These skills require solid footwork.
Quickness is a key skill in basketball. To get an advantage over an opposing player, you must have the quickest reactions. In order to play fast, you must practice drills. Do not try playing faster than you can. By playing beyond your speed capabilities, you will quickly lose control of the ball, which will lead to bad passes, bad shots, and turnovers.
When playing a game of basketball, have a friend tape the game. This way, you can take a look at your game. You can see where you can improve and what plays you missed. Evaluate what you see honestly, but don’t be too hard on yourself. At times, it can help to see the truth of who you are, not as you imagine yourself.
Free Throw
A solid routine is necessary for improvement in free throw shooting. If you don’t have one, your accuracy may suffer. In order to make your free throw perfect, you’ll need to practice the shot many times and get into a routine. You will probably miss your shot if the routine you use is not perfect.
Try to strengthen your forearms and hands to better handle the ball. Consider wrist curls and and exercise machine that focuses on strengthening each finger individually. Don’t just think you can place yourself in one spot, wait for the ball then hoist up a shot. Strength and flexibility in your hands will allow you to move the ball more gracefully and swiftly.
Perform drills in which you move the ball up the court in just five dribbles. You will need to learn how to push the basketball in front of you while making long strides. If you master this, you will be able to quickly take layups.
To trap someone in a 2-3 zone, get your guards to wait for the point guard to get about 10 feet past midcourt. Then they should run to the point guard and trap him. While they are doing that, the forwards should move out to the wings. A pass should be thrown by the point guard for forwards to steal.
Shoot from NBA distances to see your three-point skills improve. All the other lines are closer. Learning how to shoot from the NBA three point line can help you get better looks at the basket.
Now that you have had a chance to read up on some great pointers, it’s time to get out and practice. It’s important to practice regularly and be confident with what you are doing. Keep this excellent advice in mind as you show off your new skills on the court.