During basketball season, basketball consumes the lives of players and fans alike. It is important to make the games exciting for the spectators. Every team member has unique skills; find out what yours are and emphasize them to their maximum. These tips will help you improve your game.
Dribble properly. Use fingertips to dribble. Using your fingers allows you to better control the basketball. Avoid dribbling in front of you and only dribble to the sides of your body. Keep your eyes up, not on the ground.
The way to properly dribble is to keep your head up while looking ahead of you. If you have to look at the ball while dribbling, that means you need to practice more. Take your basketball everywhere. Dribble as you walk to the market. Get used to looking up as you go so that you can focus your attention on the court and not on your hands and the ball.
Perfect Passes
Frequent pass catching practice is important. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. During a real game, many of the passes that come your way will be off-target and tougher to handle. You can do the rest of your team a favor by practicing how you can best complete imperfect passes.
If there’s no one around to play with, it is okay to play a basketball game by yourself. These skills all help with muscle memory so you know just what to do when you’re playing in a game. Don’t worry! There are many ways that you can improve your game alone. Practice pivoting or doing free throws. You can always hone your skills when practicing alone.
In order to get a good shot, good footwork is essential when posting up. Although it’s important to have a physical presence underneath the basket, it’s more important that you get in a good place before your opponent can. Once you’ve reached a good spot, you need to secure it. The key to this relies on having good footwork.
Your fingers should always be spread out when handling the ball. This makes sure that it does not escape away from your grip. Avoid putting your palm on the ball, too. Don’t let anything but your fingers touch the ball during passing or shooting.
Understand your opponent. Pay attention to how they play. For example, you should know which of the players are left-handed and which are right-handed. Knowing an opponent’s dribbling, passing and shooting styles gives you a definite edge on defense. A knowledgeable defender is a strong defender.
Free Throws
Consistent free throws require a consistent technique. If you’re not consistent you’ll find yourself missing free throws. Free throw shooting is best improved by lengthy sessions of repetitive practice. If you alter your routine then chances are the shot will not be good.
When the opportunity arises you always want to take a charge. Taking a charge allows you a chance to earn a defensive stop, take the ball for your team, and sets up one more foul against the opponent. This is a great way to take control of the court and intimidate the other team.
To boost your ability with the weaker hand, try to use it for all daily tasks. Being more dexterous means you will have better control. You will soon see a difference on the court if you are consistent with these simple exercises.
Only stop dribbling when you are prepared to shoot or pass the ball. You have few options remaining to you after you stop dribbling. Your only option, besides shooting or passing, is to use your back foot to pivot. This will leave you open for double teaming from opponents and you may lose control of the ball.
Try different shots from different places on the basketball court. The first thing you should do is practice your grip and balance. Shooting when off-balance isn’t impossible, but it isn’t effective either. The basketball’s air valve can be used to aid in perfecting your grip. Put the middle of your shooting hand over the basketball’s valve.
Anticipate where the ball will go. For instance, corner shots usually bounce off the rim, ending up on the opposite side. Attempt to catch the resulting rebound by watching the angle from which it was shot.
When rebounding, hit the floor with your legs wide apart. Hold the ball next to your chest with your hand on either side. Watch your elbows; a foul will be called if you hit a member of the other team.
You need to control your nerves when shooting the ball. Stay focused on the net. In particular, train your eyes to move to the back of the rim when you are shooting. When you are going all in for a lay-up, focus your vision on the backboard you will be banking the basketball off of.
Focus on the ball and where it is going. A big part of a basketball game are rebounds. You must be able to recover the ball if your opponent shoots and misses.
What’s your weakness? Don’t lie to yourself. Ditch the three-pointer practice if you are struggling at the free throw line. If you like to bang in the lane, then you will need to become tougher and also work on your mid-range game. Practice those weaker parts to your game in order to become a better overall player.
There is a lot to know when it comes to basketball. When a player is better, their team is better, which in turn means fans are happier. Everyone at the game has to play their role. As a player, your part is the give the team all the help you can. The tips in this article can help you become an invaluable member of your basketball team.