Surely you know that the greatest basketball stars had to practice and develop their skills. Whether you’re playing for fun or for a team, you probably would like to be a good player. The information presented here is sure to help you improve your game, no matter what level you play at now.
A lot of novice players mostly focus on their offensive skills, but developing good defensive skills will help you become a better player. Defense is what wins basketball games. Even though everyone loves to watch offense, defense is what wins you most games.
It is important to keep your balance when you shoot. While some NBA players are able to launch a ball to the net mid-fall, this is not appropriate for most people. These shots are improvisational and usually desperate attempts. Having a good foundation under you while shooting will always yield better results over time as you keep on practicing and honing your skills.
Work on pass catches. You want to practice catching perfect passes and bad passes. When the game is being played, passes may not be as perfect as we’d like. Learning how to catch these errant passes will put you at an advantage.
Never have your back to the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. This helps you become aware of the court and lowers chances for surprises from turnovers and quick passes. Always watch for areas opening up where you can go for a quick basket.
Boost your defensive abilities by studying the opposing team and its players. Watch tapes and stay up on scouting reports. Know which team members are right handed and which ones are left handed. Having a good understanding about your opponent strengths and weaknesses allows you to focus on how to better stop him. A smart defensive player is a strong one.
You want to always be aware of foot placement and what you’re doing. Stepping your toe in a baseline with a ball in your grip will mean that you’re out of bounds. You will get called for walking if you take extra steps and are not dribbling. Also, moving either foot when trying to set a screen, pick or take a charge results in a foul call.
For more consistency in making those free throws, stick with the same sequence of motions before you take each shot. This may mean you want to dribble three times, touch your forehead, bend at the knees, or do anything else. This consistency will get your body in tune to do the same thing every time, increasing your chance to make shot after shot.
Work on passing in a direction you are not looking. This will confuse your opponents. When done right, the look draws your opponents to the wrong locale so that the person you passed to has a good long look at the basket before shooting. This play can be very powerful.
Create a routine to improve your free throw success. Inconsistency will ruin your shots. You can shoot better free throws by making sure you use the same exact routine every time, and of course practice. You will probably miss your shot if the routine you use is not perfect.
Now, you can take some action by using the tips and tricks this article has given you to do. You will soon become a better player if you apply the tips you just read in this article. That plan will help you see results.