
Even the best players don’t fully know all the changes and intricacies of the game. It’s important to know the basics and keep up with changes. Are you interested in having a step-up on your opponents? Continue reading in order to gain that competitive edge.
Dribble the ball the right way. When dribbling the basketball, use your fingertips rather than the palm of your hand. You’ll have a lot more control over the ball this way. Dribble on the sides of your body instead of directly before you, and bounce it waist level. Keep your eyes up.
When dribbling, focus on what’s in front of you by keeping your head up. If you have to look at the ball while dribbling, that means you need to practice more. Take the ball with you wherever you go. Practice in your home and wherever you walk. If you are looking at the ball, you cannot see what is happening down the court in front of you.
Do not restrict your practices to zone defenses alone. Most of the game is played in zone, but your opponent may try to switch things up to do man-to-man coverage. Failure to prepare for this type of tactic makes you more vulnerable and hurts your team.
Passing quickly without dribbling is a great way to practice. Playing basketball without dribbling is very challenging, but your entire team will quickly improve their passing skills. Don’t be frustrated by how hard it is at first; you will get used to it.
Quick and solid footwork is what it takes to make the shot when your posting up. Securing a good location is critical when playing basketball. Once you get into your position, you need to secure it. The key to this relies on having good footwork.
If you become injured when playing basketball, stop immediately. You can easily tear a muscle or even break a finger while playing. If you try to keep playing, you can hurt yourself worse. If the injury feels too bad then seek medical attention right away.
The key to ball control is to spread your fingers out. This can help you avoid losing it when you hold it. Don’t let your palms touch it. When shooting or passing the ball, only your fingers should contact the ball.
A consistent pre-shot routine when at the line will increase your chance at success. If you stay inconsistent, you miss a shot. You can shoot better free throws by making sure you use the same exact routine every time, and of course practice. If you are off your game, you will not make the shot.
Practice with your weak hand when it comes to dribbling. Getting by an opponent should be a lot easier if you can dribble using both hands. You can focus on the strength of your weak hand by tying your dominant hand behind your back. Soon, you will be able dribble with your weaker hand as well as you can with your dominant hand.
Make your forearms and hands stronger so you can handle the ball better. Do some wrist curls as much as possible and your dribbling should get better. Don’t assume that you are able to just stand anywhere, catch the ball and shoot it. You need to be able to move the basketball to make things happen.
If you don’t want someone to steal the ball, dribble hard. This will make the ball come back to you faster, and the opponent will have a hard time to get it from you. If you are being closely guarded, you should cease dribbling and pass the ball to an open member of your team.
A good drill to try is the five dribble drill. You try to get the ball the entire length of the court in only five dribbles. This will help you to gain speed, stride length and control of the ball. This translates to simple layups, fast breaks or just a general increase in your team’s numbers.
Make sure that you can see clearly. This isn’t just so you can read the scoreboard and be able to make shots and catch passes. Your peripheral vision needs to be as strong as possible. When you can see the big picture, you can react to anything.
Take a charge if you can. Taking a charge allows you a chance to earn a defensive stop, take the ball for your team, and sets up one more foul against the opponent. Not only that, your opponents may become confused or frustrated and stop playing their game plan.
Trip up the offense by constantly changing your pace. When you running towards the basket, try planting the front foot and start straightening up. This will cause the guard to believe you are slowing, and it will also cause them to straighten up. As they do, push forward hard and run by them.
When on defense, try to keep yourself low whenever you can. Doing this allows you to have quick reactions, especially to your opponent. Remain in a good defensive stance always. If you break form in an attempt to shot block, return to the proper form as soon as you can.
Hopefully, you are more confident with your basketball skill after reading the above tips. These techniques will help improve your game. Keep practicing and learning. Get better at the game and keep all of the things you’ve read here in mind so you can begin working towards being better.