Basketball is a fast-paced sport that is exciting to watch and challenging to play well. To be good at it, you have to understand the game. This is an article packed with tips to help make your game better.
While focusing on offense is fun, you must also make sure you focus on defense. Defense can make or break a basketball game. Without good defense, a basketball team will lose the match.
Make sure you spend your time focusing on your strengths. Your skills might not make you an all-start every time out, but playing up your strengths makes you a great contributor. Understand your strengths and use it to your advantage to help your team win!
Your mind plays as big a part in making a free throw as your actual body does. You must train both your body and your mind. Be relaxed and concentrate on the basket and you will help you make more free throws.
Keep your weight lifting to a minimum as a jump shooter. Perimeter players don’t need the muscle strength that is necessary for other team members. Overdeveloped muscles could actually interfere with your score percentage.
Quick and solid footwork is what it takes to make the shot when your posting up. Although physical presence under the basket is important, getting to a good spot before your opponent does is even more important. Once you have a location, it is important that your feet are firmly planted there. Both of those skills rely on solid footwork.
If you’re injured in a basketball game, don’t attempt to play while in pain. Basketball is physically challenging, and injuries are not uncommon. Trying to continue playing even if you’ve got discomfort can make the injury worse. Be sure to talk to a doctor if you feel that the injury isn’t going away.
If your shooting is suffering, take a close look at your shoulders. If your shoulders aren’t properly positioned, your shot is not going to go in. Shoulders should be towards the hoop. If your right hand is your dominant hand, your right shoulder must be aligned with the rim. For left-handedness, the opposite is true.
In order to become a better free throw shooter you need to have a good practice routine. Your shot could be off if you are inconsistent. Practice and repetition are the only way to become a consistent free thrower. If you have a glitch in the routine, you are likely to miss your shot.
Practicing with your weak hand will help to make you a better dribbler. Getting by an opponent should be a lot easier if you can dribble using both hands. To help develop your weaker hand, avoid using your dominant hand. Your weak hand won’t be that for long!
Being a good defensive player involves disrupting your opponent’s concentration. You should work to make your opponent feel uncomfortable. The more aggressive you are the better. This will keep them from being able to choose which plays they will make. Otherwise, the opponents will win all the shots and dominate you. Rather, move first; attack their rhythm.
Improve both forearms and hands to improve ball control. Wrist curls are especially effective at making you better able to handle a basketball like you could dribble sleepwalking. Never assume you can just stand somewhere, catch and then shoot. It is essential to move the ball around in order to succeed.
Once you are in your defensive stance, remember to hold your ground. To move, just slide from back and forth with your feet, or use a foot to push off, keeping your stance all the time. Don’t allow your feet to cross, and this will make you a hard defender to beat.
In order to confuse the offense, try changing your pace. As you run towards the net, plant your front foot and begin to straighten up. This will confuse your opponent into adjusting their stance. When they do, push ahead hard and outrun them.
When you’re working with defense, staying low is a good idea. Staying low gives you a better chance to play the ball and helps you move more quickly. Stay in your defensive stance all the time. When you block a shot, go back to a defensive form quickly.
As the point guard approaches within 10 feet of the middle of the court, your guards should take action and create a 2-3 trap. Once he passes mid court the guards should rush up on him. Simultaneously, forwards should block sprint toward wing players. Point guards need to throw up passes that your team’s forwards can steal easily.
Basketball is an amazing sport to enjoy. You need a good knowledge base for basketball if you desire to get better. These tips that have been offered will help you be a better basketball player.