Basketball is not only for competitions and gym class. This can be played at your local park or the driveway. If you love the game of basketball, you should keep reading to learn all that you can about this exciting game!
When dribbling, make sure that you look forward and keep your head up. If you start staring at the ball while you dribble, you know you need to practice more. Take the basketball around off-court wherever you are. You can practice dribbling when you have to walk to the store. If you’re looking at the basketball, you won’t be able to see what is coming at you.
Knowing how to perform a crossover is a must when you handle the basketball frequently. This is when the ball is moved from hand to hand. It should be done quickly. Once you master the art of the crossover dribble, you will be able to change directions quicker.
To get better in your basketball game, focus on your strengths. Your best talent may not make you the star of every game, but learning to play your best angle will help you contribute more to the team. Knowing what you excel at and then practicing that can help you become perfect at it!
Your mind plays as big a part in making a free throw as your actual body does. With everyone watching, it can be easy to allow the pressure to interfere with your game. Relax and focus on your shot, and you can make it.
Practice your passes and catches frequently. Try to catch all of the passes that are thrown to you. When the game is going on, every pass isn’t going to make it to its target. Learning how to catch these errant passes will put you at an advantage.
Do not practice by playing against the 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. This can cause your team to lose momentum to the other side if this isn’t something you’ve practiced.
Would you like to completely fool the opposing team, making them look silly? Give the back pass a try! You want to grip the basketball with your strongest hand. Next, pull the ball behind your back. Finally your wrist should be flicked towards where you want the ball to go. This should be helpful in tricking them team.
Avoid errant passes by the use of hand signals. It can be frustrating passing to a teammate when you’re both heading to the basket. Hand signals can help you communicate with your teammate on the court. If the signal is absent, do not pass to that player.
Spreading the fingers is something you have to do to handle the ball right. This will help you to be sure that it won’t escape your grasp when trying to hold it. Don’t let your palms touch it. When passing and shooting the ball toward its target, the sole contact point should be fingers.
Understanding the opponent is a good way to win with defense. Review tapes and keep up with scouting reports. Learn which of the opposing players are left-dominant and which are right-dominant. When you know some of the other player’s moves, you’ll have a leg up during a game as you’ll be able to predict what he is going to do. One of the most important keys to being a solid defender is an understanding of your opponent.
Free Throws
In order to be more reliable shooting free throws, practice your routine. For example, many people touch their foreheads or tap their chest before making a free throw shot. This routine will help you make your free throws, but make the routine a quick one.
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. Force yourself to not use your stronger hand. You will improve dribbling with your weak hand soon enough.
You need to mess with your opponent’s head. Make them uncomfortable. The more aggressive you are the better. Do not allow them to decide which plays to make. If you allow this, they will run over you. Rather, move first; attack their rhythm.
Take charge when the opportunity presents itself. The charge lets you build a defensive stop and get control of the ball. That can be psychologically disturbing, and is a power play.
In order to confuse the offense, try changing your pace. When you’re going towards the net you should plant the foot in front and start straightening up. This will cause the guard to believe you are slowing, and it will also cause them to straighten up. Once that happens, switch tactics and move forward. You should go right past them.
Here is how you can change a normal two-three zone to become a trapping machine. You will need for the top two guards to wait until the time when the point guard is approximately 10 feet beyond the midcourt. Then they should run to the point guard and trap him. Then, have the forwards on blocks run to the wing players. The point guard throws a pass that can be easily stolen by your forwards.
No matter what type of basketball game you like to play, the better your skill level, the more you will enjoy your game. Since you read the above article, all you have to do is put these tips to use. You’ll be a better players when you know all about the sport.