Tips On How To Improve Your Basketball Skills
The popularity of basketball seems only to increase as the years go by. However, there are many individuals whose knowledge of the sport could definitely use some enhancement. The piece that follows below is full of useful tips and advice to help make basketball a sport you not only enjoy, but understand extremely well.
When you are practicing your shooting, make sure that you practice shots that you may be required to make during a game. You should try to shoot the ball while moving around, standing still, and right after you receive a pass. You can have someone toss you a ball while you’re running in order to practice taking a shot after the ball has been passed to you.
Practice dribbling the ball on a number of different surfaces. As you get used to how the ball reacts, you will be able to adjust your game accordingly. How you handle the ball can make or break the game. Turnovers lead to points that your team may not be able to recover from, so your skills in this area need to be solid.
Be sure to get lots of practice on layups. 80% of all shots in a game are usually layups. Run as fast as possible, while jumping and performing a smooth shot. This method will teach you to improve your jumps and shots throughout the game.
To improve your basketball dribbling skills, set cones out on the court and practice dribbling in and out of the cones. Go from one end of the court to the other at different speeds to enhance your ball control. After you have been up and down the court several times, practice stopping and shooting from various positions.
When learning to dribble, you need to learn to dribble with both hands. This is important because you may have to switch hands when dribbling during a game. Also, learn to dribble behind your back and between an opponent’s legs. This may seem silly, but you may actually use this technique.
Work on becoming a more clever basketball player, rather than trying to master a few clever plays. Your opponents will eventually figure out your plays, but will have difficulty if they cannot anticipate your overall playing ability. Learn to be surprising, quick thinking and more agile in your ability to get the ball and work the court.
When you’re playing basketball, make sure that you dribble with your head up. If you feel that you have to look down every time you dribble, then you need more practice. Try to practice dribbling all over the place when you can without looking to get better at it. Watching good point guards can help since they always look forward and around when they dribble.
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.
Don’t play while injured or else your injury will worsen. Basketball is physically demanding, and it is easy to get hurt. Trying to continue playing even if you’ve got discomfort can make the injury worse. Seek medical advice immediately if you have more than a minor muscle strain.
Be careful about trying to block shots. In most organized leagues, blocking the shot on the way down or when in the imaginary cylinder above the net results in a goaltending call. This just gives the opponent the attempted points, whether they would have made the shot or not anyway.
Practice dribbling with your weak hand as much as possible. You will be able to get past your opponent more easily if you can use either hand to dribble the ball. Tie your dominant hand behind your back and force yourself only to use your weak hand. You will quickly strengthen your non-dominant hand for dribbling.
Stick with the same routine every time that you do free throws. You have 10 seconds to shoot, so you can use that short period of time as you like. You can bounce the ball a couple times, spin it within your hands, talk to yourself, etc. Try to be creative and find a routine that works best for you. You will eventually get more comfortable with this shot by doing the same routine over and over.
Perhaps you are not quite ready for the NBA, but this does not mean that you should not focus on becoming a better basketball player. The advice that you have just read can be invaluable. Incorporate these tips into your game so that you can dominate the court the next time you play.
