When you are thinking about how you can get better at basketball, the thing of most importance is to practice. Make sure you perform drills correctly and keep working on an exercise until you get it right every time. Keep reading for some basketball pointers that will have you hoop ready in no time.
You must become knowledgeable about hitting a free-throw shot. These shots look easy on television, but are actually hard when you are doing the shooting. Practice this technique regularly. Start by holding your basketball right in the front of your own face. Picture yourself going through the shot in your mind, with the ball sinking through the net. Then shoot the ball with the trajectory that you visualized.
Make sure you are looking forward and looking up as you’re dribbling. If you start staring at the ball while you dribble, you know you need to practice more. Make the basketball an extension of your body, taking it wherever you are. Keep dribbling the ball even while you’re doing your errands. Don’t look while dribbling, because you won’t be able to see what’s going on.
When using the ball a lot, you must relearn a crossover. A crossover is when you move the ball from one hand to the other. This should be something you do quickly. Once you master the art of the crossover dribble, you will be able to change directions quicker.
Practice your layup shot often. Layups account for up to 80 percent of the shots taken during a game. Dribble the ball in front of you while taking large strides followed by a smooth shot. Perfecting this skill will enable you to get to the rim effortlessly during a game.
Bounce Pass
A bounce pass is an important technique to learn. A bounce pass that’s good is going to end up hitting the other player near their waist. Bounce the ball so that it lands near your teammate. But, a series of other considerations can require you to make adjustments.
There is a lot of pressure when shooting free throws. Making the right physical motions is easier than having the right mind set. Relax your mind and keep your concentration centered on the basket to make more of these freebies.
You need to practice more than defeating a zone defense. Most of the game is played in zone, but your opponent may try to switch things up to do man-to-man coverage. This can cause your team to lose momentum to the other side if this isn’t something you’ve practiced.
Never play through an injury when playing basketball. It’s a challenging sport that’s very physical, and you have the ability to get injured. By “playing through the pain” you take a huge risk that the injury will become much worse. If you are seriously injured, obtain medical care.
Ask your fellow teammates if they have an opinion of your skills in the game. Is there something that you excel at? They may say you’re fast or that you share well. Honest feedback can really help you to narrow in on areas where you might need a little extra help practicing.
Keeping your fingers spread will facilitate better ball handling. That will ensure that it doesn’t get away from you as you hold it. Also, keep your palm off the ball. Remember to maintain contact with the ball through your fingers only.
The best free throws come as a result of routine. For example, you might tug your ear, dribble three times, or flex your wrists. By developing a quick ritual, you can help train your body to make free throws.
Practice passing while looking in other directions. Doing this is a great way to confuse your opponents. When done properly, this technique distracts the opposition and gives your pass recipient a chance to focus on the basket. It can be a really powerful move in the game.
Stay on top of your footwork when attempting a rebound. Guards will be attempting to stop you, so get around them. Doing this lets you get a rebound freely and not commit a foul in the process.
It is important that you can clearly see everything that is occurring during a game. This is not just to make reading the scoreboard easier, but also to facilitate the making of shots and catching of passes. You have to build your peripheral vision. Having good court awareness to see everything around you lets you see plays develop before they happen, either by warding off the defenders or getting the ball to open teammates.
When you dribble, keep your knees comfortably bent. Standing while dribbling will make it much easier for the opponent to steal the ball from you. You will have better ball control with bent knees.
To better three-point shooting, try using NBA distance as the minimum. The standard line and college lines are much closer. If you’re able to get the shot from where the NBA shoots, then you can start working from a range further than the defense expects.
Keep dribbling until you want 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. When you do this, your opponents can double team you and steal the ball.
Make sure that you are exercising properly for basketball. Running sprints can make you faster on individual plays, while long-distance running helps you make it through a game with good stamina. Weightlifting or resistance training improves your muscle tone. This is also good for making you much more relaxed while you’re shooting the ball.
These tips will help your game, whether it is for fun or competitive. Just start with one tip and watch your game improve. You will become a better passer, rebounder and shooter.