Basketball is not an especially complicated sport. It does not take too long to come to grips with the basics. This advice helps you further your basketball skills.
Dribbling the ball the right way needs to be done. You’ll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm. Doing so will allow you a greater degree of ball control. Always dribble to your side, not your front. Always look up and never look down at the ground.
When you dribble, look forward, keeping your head up. If you’ve got your eye on the ball while you’re dribbling, you haven’t mastered it yet. Wherever you go, take your ball with you. Walking to your mailbox? Dribble the ball. If you’re trying to look at the ball then you’re not concentrating on what’s going on down the court.
If you want to improve your game, play up your strengths. Your team will benefit more if you stop trying to be the star of the game and work your best. You can also focus on your weaknesses if you know what they are.
Practice layups often. Four out of every five shots taken in a given game will be layups. During practice you want to get up enough speed to quickly get to the rim then easily lay the ball towards the hoop. Jump to the net and concentrate on shooting the ball in a specific location on the backboard.
Bounce Pass
You have to know how to bounce pass properly. A bounce pass that’s good is going to end up hitting the other player near their waist. Bounce it 3/4 of the distance to the receiver. But, there are some factors that can change this.
Would you like to pull one over on your opponents? Try doing what is known as a back pass. Use the dominant hand to hold onto the basketball when trying this pass. Then, bring the ball back behind you. And last, flick the wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. This is a good way to trick your opponents.
Make better passes through the use of coordinated hand signals. It can be frustrating to attempt to pass the ball to a team mate as that person is heading toward the basket. You can get around that when you use hand signals, if a player can receive a pass. If no signal is displayed, a pass ought not be made.
The key to ball control is to spread your fingers out. The ball will not get away if you always keep your fingers spread when handling the ball. Try to keep your palm off of the ball as well. Only use your fingers to dribble, pass or shoot.
You can play a great defensive game if you know the opposition well. Watch tapes of their games and see how others move on the court. One simple thing to know before the game is if your opponent shoots with their right or left hand. Knowing your opponent well helps you be much more effective. Strong defenders are knowledgeable defenders.
Always know where your feet are and what they are doing. If you have the ball and you step outside the baseline, then you’re out of bounds. Taking too many steps without dribbling means a walking call and another turnover situation. Also, moving a foot when setting up a screen can result in a foul.
Use deception by looking elsewhere when you make passes. It can be very confusing to your opponents. If you do this fake the right way, then the receiver of the pass should have an advantage and a great look at the goal. It can be a really powerful play.
To get more out of layups, take off using the foot that;s the opposite of your shooting hand. This will allow you to shoot with your comfortable hand. Your body will develop good coordination and you keep your defender at a distance.
A consistent pre-shot routine when at the line will increase your chance at success. Failure to use consistency may make your shots less accurate. Free throw shooting is best improved by lengthy sessions of repetitive practice. If you don’t stick to your routine, you could miss the shot.
If you want to better your dribble, start practicing with your weaker hand. Being ambidextrous on the court makes it more difficult for defenders to figure out what you will do next. Immobilize your dominant hand by tying it behind your back, then practice using your other hand for everything. Soon, you will be able dribble with your weaker hand as well as you can with your dominant hand.
Be sure that your site is good. This is not just to make reading the scoreboard easier, but also to facilitate the making of shots and catching of passes. Peripheral vision is important during game play. If you scan the entire court instead of keeping your eye on the basketball, you will be aware of oncoming defensive pressure as well as the positions of your open teammates.
If you want a 2-3 zone to be turned into a machine that traps, your two defenders that are guarding should wait until your point guard is around ten feet past mid court. Then they need to get to the guard on point to trap him. While this is going on your forwards can be sprinting to the players located on the wings. A pass should be thrown by the point guard for forwards to steal.
You may have just learned how to play basketball right before you read the above information. Maybe you have been playing your whole life. Either way, this information improves your playing skills. Keep this advice in mind during the next match.