Basketball is more than just something you play in intramural sports or in your P.E. class. It can be played anywhere there is open space. To shoot hoops and play basketball better in general, focus reading the information below.
It is tempting to concentrate just on offense when just staring out, but defensive practice is absolutely vital. In the end, it’s defense that consistently wins you games. While offense seems to get the praise, defense must be stellar in order to win.
Keep your head up when you dribble. Anyone who watching the ball while they dribble surely needs to spend more time in the gym practicing. Carry your basketball everywhere. Dribble as you walk down the street. If you have to watch the ball, you will be unable to see whatever is going on at court level.
Bounce Passes
Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. Bounce passes need to be at waist level when received. Bounce it 3/4 of the distance to the receiver. This all depends on many factors.
Never practice only against the zone. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion. Failure to prepare for this type of tactic makes you more vulnerable and hurts your team.
You may have better luck honing your passing skills if you forgo dribbling during practice. Playing the game without the use of dribbling is a challenge, but it can help you and your team learn to make more precise passes. This may be hard and frustrating at first, but as you get the hang of it your entire team will begin to excel at passing.
If you want to take jump shots, don’t build your arms up too large. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. As a shooting guard, having bulky arm muscles can actually reduce the number of successful shots.
Keep your skills sharp in the off-season by playing different challenging games. While it’s a team sport, you may not be able to find others that will play. There is nothing wrong with that. There are many ways that you can improve your game alone. Practice pivoting or you can practice doing free throws. There is always something to practice.
Try using hand signals to prevent passes in error. Players can get easily frustrated if they make a pass to players that aren’t available to catch the ball. This can be prevented through the use of hand signals. If you don’t see a signal, you shouldn’t pass the ball.
When you’re working out, concentrate on core strength building and your footwork. You will stay balanced if your core is strong. Exercise your abdominal muscles as well as those of the hips, buttocks and back. Similar to boxers, jump rope to help increase speed and better your footwork.
If you aren’t shooting the ball well, you need to concentrate on your shoulders. When your shoulders are not properly positioned, then it is almost impossible to perform at your best. Your shoulders should always be square towards the basket. The dominant shoulder must be perfectly aligned with the rim.
Passing between your legs can be helpful when the other team is riding you hard. Practice this maneuver by bouncing the basketball between your legs while taking steps. If you manage to master this, you will have a tremendous advantage during games.
Dribble hard to make it less likely for the ball to be stolen. The ball returns more quickly to your hand when you do this, giving the opponents fewer opportunities to steal it from you. If the defense gets to be too much, look to pass the ball to someone who is open.
No matter what kind of basketball game you are playing, be it one-on-one, H.O.R.S.E. or something else, learning about how to become better will make you better. If you are going to invest the time into reading this article, you surely want to put your new knowledge into action. Your playing style will improve with the more knowledge that you learn.