People all over the world derive countless hours of enjoyment from watching and playing basketball. Of course you will never stop learning better ways to become a better player. Continue reading to find out the best basketball techniques available.
Focusing on the offense may come easily but you need to be able to focus on the defense as well., Many times, defense actually wins the game. Offense may score points but defense keeps the other team from scoring points that your team will have to match.
One of the most important skills when playing basketball is balance. You have seen some crazy shots made by professionals, but these shots aren’t going to be based on fundamentals. They have just improvised, is all. You need the right balance to shoot; it is the only way to eventually make consistent baskets.
You should often work on your layups. Layups sometimes wind up being 4 out of every 5 shots in basketball. Practice running while dribbling, jumping and shooting as smoothly as you can. If you can do this right, you can master this shot.
Practice Catching
Make sure to practice catching passes. Practice catching errant throws along with perfect passes. When a game is underway, not every throw will be perfect. So you should do the team a favor by knowing how to take in any kind of a pass that comes from someone.
Don’t pump too much iron if you plan on being a jump shooter. You do need muscle conditioning and strength, but you can have too much when it comes to shooting field goals. There have been instances where great shooters bulk up so much that it adversely affects their shooting percentage.
Build your core strength and work on your footwork. Your body is going to be more balanced and be able to move faster when you have strong core muscles. Your hip, buttocks, back and abdomen muscles need to be worked on. Similar to boxers, jump rope to help increase speed and better your footwork.
If your shooting is in a slump, take a look at your shoulders. Regardless of your skill level, if you don’t have your shoulders positioned correctly, you will miss. Be sure that your shoulders square up in front of the hoop. Line up your shooting shoulder with the rim as well.
Work on passing through your legs to add another skill to your arsenal. Try practicing this by bouncing your ball hard in between your legs while stepping forward or backward. If you manage to master this, you will have a tremendous advantage during games.
Practice moving the ball from one courtside to the other in just 5 dribbles of the ball. It isn’t impossible, it just takes practice. In games, this drill will become useful when you have fast break opportunities.
As the point guard approaches within 10 feet of the middle of the court, your guards should take action and create a 2-3 trap. They can then trap the point guard. While that is happening, your forwards should race out to the opposing wing players. The guard on point should make a pass that can easily be stolen by the forwards.
When dibbling the ball, bend your knees. The ball is harder to control dribbling when you stand up straight. It also leaves you open to a steal from the opposing team. Merely bending your knees a bit can provide you with much better ball control.
Only stop dribbling when you are prepared to shoot or pass. After you halt the dribble, your options become quite limited. If you opt to not pass or shoot, you’re left with pivoting on your back foot. This leaves you vulnerable to being double teamed by members of the opposing team, and it is far more likely that the ball will be stolen.
Basketball is great as a mode of exercise as well as a fun spectator pastime. However, you need to know everything about the subject to be sure you’re reaping all of its benefits. Hopefully this article has provided the sort of guidance you needed.