Basketball fans, as well as players, get obsessed by the games and how the season progresses. Make your fans emphatic by giving them a great show. Every teammate contributes, so taking time to figure out your skills can help you better your game. Start practicing today. Some great tips follow below that can help you become a winner in the game of basketball.
Practice hitting your free throws. The execution of a free throw is not as simple as it may appear. This technique should be practiced often if possible. Hold the ball level to your face. Focus on the basket and picture the ball slipping into the net. Bend your knees to control the arc of the ball.
Knowing how to perform a crossover is a must when you handle the basketball frequently. A crossover happens when you switch hands the ball is in. You have to do this quickly to be good at it. By having the ability to move either way quickly, you will become a better all-around player.
Improving your balance means improving your shots. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard. They are merely making up the play on the spot. You need the right balance to shoot; it is the only way to eventually make consistent baskets.
Focus on your strong point to help you become a better ball player. You may not be the star player, but by contributing the best way you can you will win more games. Know what you are good at, then practice it until you’re absolutely perfect at it!
Don’t spend all your time practicing how to confront a zone defense. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your rivals could opt to go to man-to-man covering to keep you guessing. If you have not practiced against this, you may lose your grip of the game for the remainder of it.
If you post up, you need to use good footwork to get open and make sure you get a good shot. While physical presence under a basket is important, finding a decent spot before the opponent is even more so. Once you’ve reached a good spot, you need to secure it. The key to this relies on having good footwork.
To hold the ball right, spread your fingers out. You are more likely to hold onto the ball this way. Do not allow the palm of your hand to make contact with the ball. Only your fingers should touch it during a pass or when dribbling.
If you don’t want someone to steal the ball, dribble hard. A hard dribble returns the ball back to you faster, leaving less chance of it being snatched by the other team. When someone is right on top of you, pass the ball instead of dribbling.
Practice drills that force you to get the basketball to the other end of the court in less than 5 dribbles. This may be difficult in the beginning, but if you manage it, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with. It will allow you to execute easy layups.
Keep low when you play defense. This will let you get to the jump quicker and let you react to your opponent easier. Stay in your defensive stance. When you break your stance to block, return to proper form as quick as you can.
Your defenders need to wait for the point guard to make it 10′ ahead of the time line. At that point, both guards should move in for the trap. While this is going on your forwards can be sprinting to the players located on the wings. This will likely cause the point guard to make a high, short pass, which your forwards will steal quite easily.
Bend your knees when dribbling the basketball. Opposing players can steal the ball more easily if you stand up straight because you can’t control the ball as well. Your ball control will improve dramatically by simply bending a little at the knees.
While you dribble, alternate your momentum from your left to right side. Dribbling during game play requires you to adopt a variety of dribbling skills. You might be able to go through an open court or have to switch sides to avoid opponents. You have to be able to lean and still dribble straight. Not being able to do this leaves you open for the ball to be stolen.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to improve your game. A better player leads to a better team which means a bigger, happier fan-club and cheering section. No matter what your role is in supporting the team, everyone has a job they can improve on. You must do all that you can to help your team out. By following the advice in this article, you will shape yourself into the ultimate team player in no time at all.