Want To Improve Your Basketball Skills? Take A Look At These Tips!

by | Nov 11, 2021 | Basketball

TIP! Make sure you are dribbling the right way. You want to dribble with the tips of your fingers, not your whole hand.

Countless people derive euphoric thrills from playing or watching the game of basketball. Many people have much more to learn when reaping the benefits of the sport. Continue reading to find out the best basketball techniques available.

TIP! Learn the best way to make your free throws. As easy as these shots may seem, they are rather hard.

Make sure that you’re dribbling the ball correctly. Avoid using your palm while dribbling. Instead, use your fingertips. This way you’ll have a lot more control over the ball. Avoid dribbling in front of you and only dribble to the sides of your body. Look up and never down at the ground.

TIP! Free throws are as much mental as they are physical, like other parts of the game. You can train your body to complete the motions of making a free throw, but if you are mentally prepared to fail, you will.

Practice hitting your free throws. This kind of shot seems easy, but it really is not. Practice regularly and employe the technique that follows. Place the ball right in line with your face. Focus on the basket and picture the ball slipping into the net. Then shoot the ball with the trajectory that you visualized.

TIP! If you post up, you need to use good footwork to get open and make sure you get a good shot. You always want to beat your opponent to the open spot.

Know your strengths and they’ll help you become a better player. While you may have a particular skill that isn’t going to make you stand out as the star player, honing it can help you become an integral part of your team’s success. Know what you are good at, then practice it until you’re absolutely perfect at it!

Perfect Passes

TIP! Watch your shoulders and their position if you notice yourself developing a slump in your shooting. If your shoulders are in a bad position, no matter how good you are, you won’t make the shot.

Make sure that your regular practice includes catching of passes. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. This will help to improve your game when it gets intense. Being able to get imperfect passes will limit turnovers.

TIP! When playing a game of basketball, have a friend tape the game. This way, you can take a look at your game.

You can improve your passing skills by practicing a simple drill where dribbling is forbidden. It is quite challenging to play the game without dribbling, but it does make sure you and your teammates make accurate passes. Don’t get too frustrated if you’re having a hard time when you start because after a while passes are going to be more accurate.

TIP! To help perfect your free throw abilities you should perform a consistent routine. That could include a set number of dribbles, knee-bends or some other type of movement.

Lay off the weights if you are trying to become a jump shooter. It’s important to be strong, but not too strong. Shooting guards that end up with bulked up arms sometimes find that it affects field goal percentages.

TIP! Sly feet will help you get the rebound of your team mates free throw. Guards will be attempting to stop you, so get around them.

Want to trick the other team? Give the back pass a try! To accomplish this, grab the ball with the dominant hand. Then, bring the ball back behind you. Quickly flick with your wrist in the direction you want to pass the ball. It is an effective means of confusing your opponents.

TIP! Take every charge you can. Taking charges gives you a chance for earning a defensive stop, gives your team the ball, and gives one more foul called in your favor.

Unseen passes can be avoided when proper hand signals are used by teammates. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another. These common miscommunications can be avoided by utilizing hand signals, which tells the passing player the other player is ready for a pass. If they don’t signal, don’t pass to them.

TIP! Trip up the offense by constantly changing your pace. Try to block the net by planting your foot hard.

You may get injured while practicing or playing. Don’t try to play if you are hurt. Basketball is physically challenging, and injuries are not uncommon. You can quickly turn a strain into a debilitating medical issue if you do not take a break from the action. Anytime you have a serious injury, you should seek medical attention.

TIP! In order to improve your weaker hand, make use of it for everyday things, such as brushing your teeth, eating out of a spoon, etc. If your ability to use that hand starts to improve, the benefits to your basketball playing talents will be substantial.

Always know where your feet are and what they are doing. An errant toe to the baseline while holding the ball will result in an “out of bounds” call. If you walk without dribbling, you will be called for walking and this will result in a turnover. In addition, moving one foot while working on setting a screen or pick will produce a foul.

TIP! If possible, the action should remain below your knees. This will make it harder for opponents to get the ball away from you.

Keep on dribbling until your shot or passing opportunity is imminent. After dribbling is stopped, your choices are very limited. If you don’t shoot or pass, you are going to be pivoting with your back foot. This leaves an opening for your opponents to double team and try get the ball away from you.

TIP! Keep the lines of communication with other players open. You are sure to understand that it takes teamwork to play basketball.

Try to practice a dribble while switching momentum from side to side. Remember that you must dribble in a variety of situations during a basketball game. You might be working with a court that’s open, but you may get swarmed by quite a few people. It helps to master control of your body as you dribble in a variety of positions. It will allow you to escape trouble a lot of the time.

TIP! Diet is essential when it comes to playing ball. When you play on a regular basis, you have to load up on carbs to get energy, and you also need proteins and fat.

Dribble the ball below knee level. This will lower the chances of your opponent being able to steal the ball. This also allows you to cover large distances across the court, which makes it difficult for opposing players o block you.

TIP! You must know as a ball handler how to read when to take a shot and when you should be passing. It is far better to contribute to the winning shot than be the only person involved in the shot that lost the game.

Be sure to practice shooting from a variety of spots on the court. Start out by practicing grip and balance. Even though it is less accurate, it is possible to score with off-balanced shooting. You can use your basketball’s valve to improve grip. Keep your dominant hand spread out, and place the palm on top of the valve; this is the basketball’s center.

TIP! Try to always know the location of the ball once it leaves someone’s hands. A big part of a basketball game are rebounds.

Create teamwork both off and on the basketball court. Great basketball games happen when teams work together. Trusting your teammates is key to becoming a good team and also bettering your own skills, and that leads to your team winning lots of games!

TIP! Make sure to practice pump faking. The pump fake is a great shooting tactic.

One way to force turnovers is to make your opponent change course. Regardless of whether you play defense or offense, the ability to control the other team creates a significant advantage. Doing so lets you control your path, not them.

TIP! Try and foil any shot made by your opponent. Even if you are not assigned to a given shooter, run at him if he’s in possession of the ball.

Do not double dribble. To keep from double dribbling, simply refrain from starting to dribble a second time after you have already stopped dribbling once in that same possession. Once dribbling is done, you must either shoot or pass the ball. You can’t just start dribbling again. Doing so results in a turnover, which means the opposing team will get the ball.

TIP! Defense comes in many types, but the two main ones are “man-to-man” and “zone”. In the latter, you guard a particular area on the court as opposed to guarding single players.

Basketball is great as a mode of exercise as well as a fun spectator pastime. To make sure you are getting all you can out of the game, become informed. This article has hopefully given you the tips you needed.