Basketball is a sport that people have loved for years. Becoming a good basketball player takes practice and dedication. Reading this article in full will provide you with the knowledge you need, so don’t stop now.
Be sure to dribble correctly every time. 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. Be sure to dribble beside your body instead of in front of yourself. Bounce the ball at a level even with your waist. Never look at the ball; instead, look forward.
Free throws are an excellent skill to practice in your spare time. That’s a shot that appears simple but is actually difficult in reality. Use this technique to better your game. Hold the ball level to your face. Focus on the basket and picture the ball slipping into the net. Then shoot! Shoot the ball in the trajectory you imagined.
Always dribble with your head up and looking forward. If you have to keep your eye on the ball when you’re dribbling, practice can remedy that. Take your basketball everywhere. Dribble as you walk to the market. Maintaining unbroken visual contact with the ball makes it difficult to be aware of your surroundings.
Frequently train yourself on your pass catching moves. Make sure you get used to catching less than perfect passes smoothly. Some passes may be too high, too low or off target, so you should practice receiving passes often. Make sure that your teammates also practice this type of pass with you.
If you’re going to be a jump shooter, don’t lift too many weights. Even though having strong muscles is great for the inside game, being on the outside it can harm you when shooting the ball. Overdeveloped muscles could actually interfere with your score percentage.
Would you like to pull one over on the other team? Make use of the back pass. Use the dominant hand whenever trying a behind the back pass. Keep control of the ball while it is behind your back. Then you will use your wrist and flip it in the direction you want the ball to be going. This should make it easy to trick the other team.
When avoiding errant passes, use hand signals. Players can get easily frustrated if they make a pass to players that aren’t available to catch the ball. Hand signals can be a great way to find out if a teammate will be able to receive your pass. If they don’t signal, don’t pass to them.
Quality footwork will help you get better shots. Although a strong presence in the key is important, beating your opponent to good spots on the floor is more important. Once you get into your position, you need to secure it. These will both require powerful footwork.
Should you receive an injury during the course of the game, never try to continue playing despite the pain. Basketball is physically challenging, and injuries are not uncommon. Trying to play while injured will just make your situation worse. Don’t hesitate to see the doctor if you feel the injury warrants it.
Ask a friend to record your games so that you can see how yourself in action. Did you spot something that could be improved? Stay honest when you’re assessing yourself, but don’t over criticize yourself either. Sometimes it’s beneficial to look at yourself the way you really look and not just like you think you look.
Free Throws
Consistency in your approach is vital to becoming solid at free throws. For example, many people touch their foreheads or tap their chest before making a free throw shot. Just make your routine quick, so that it can be consistent, and your body is going to remember just how to nail free throws following your ritual.
Make sure your vision is good. This is not just to make reading the scoreboard easier, but also to facilitate the making of shots and catching of passes. Develop your peripheral vision on the court. 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.
Stay low when you play defense. This allows you to jump faster and increases your reaction time should the person you’re covering do something. You always want to have a strong defensive stance on the court. If you break the stance to shot-block, then recover the proper form immediately after the pass or shot.
To help ward off your opponent, practice using your other hand to help shield him away from you. You can’t push with that arm, but it can serve as an obstacle that helps keep your opponent from reaching in. Try to keep your arm around the same height as the apex of your dribble.
Basketball will be easier for you and more fun when you have the best advice. Continue your quest to learn more by reading blogs and articles that will help you further your skills. Take advantage of every piece of advice you can and practice as much as possible.