Basketball is incredibly popular. Whether you enjoy watching games, playing for a team or simply playing in the yard, basketball will always be around. Those who play would prefer to become better players and win games. Practicing and learning new skills can help you become a star player.
Know how to dribble the ball in the correct way. Proper dribbling technique involves use of the fingertips, not the palm of the hand. Using your fingertips provides you with more control. Dribble to the side of your body rather than directly in front of you, bouncing at waist level. Always look upwards, never at the ground.
To get better in your basketball game, focus on your strengths. Your best skills may not be center-stage every game, but knowing how to play the best angles can help you give more to your team. Find you best position and then refine it until you are unbeatable.
Want to become a better basketball player? Watch the pros! Watch as many games on TV as you can. You’ll see that every great player has specific skills that cause them to be great and you have the opportunity to practice what you’re watching them do.
Practice Catching Passes
Practice catching passes often. When you practice, mix it up so that you can catch perfect passes and errant throws. During a real game, many of the passes that come your way will be off-target and tougher to handle. Therefore, it pays to practice catching passes that are a bit off-target.
If you have a kid that wants to play basketball in high school, ensure they’re training core muscles in the right way. This includes their abs, lower back, and hips. The core is the muscle group that links the arms and legs together. If their core strength is poor, then so will their athletic performance be. Building a solid core helps maintain the leg strength that lies at the core of a strong game.
Hand signals can help you to stay away from making bad passes. It can be frustrating making a pass when a player moves away towards the basket. You can avoid this by using hand signals if a player is able to take a pass. Without a signal, you should not attempt to pass the ball to a player.
If you’re injured when playing basketball, don’t push through the pain. Basketball is challenging physical sport and you can get injured. By “playing through the pain” you take a huge risk that the injury will become much worse. Seek medical advice immediately if you have more than a minor muscle strain.
Have your team mates critique your playing skills. Are you skilled at something? It could be your speed, or it could be your back-up abilities. Determine what others like about your game and fine tune those skills.
Video tape your games, and then review your technique later. You can see where you can improve and what plays you missed. Evaluate what you see honestly, but don’t be too hard on yourself. It is prudent that you look at yourself as others do and not as how you would like to be.
Being a good defensive player means disrupting the game of your opponent. Make them feel uncomfortable and to where they’re second guessing their next move. Display aggressiveness in your chosen moves. Do not let them choose the plays to make. This will give your opponent the advantage. You need to adopt an aggressive style and react quickly so you can interrupt the patterns set by your opponents.
Dribble with force to prevent the ball from being stolen. This causes the ball to return to your hand more quickly, so the offense has less time to try to get it away from you. If you are being guarded closely, bring your dribbling to an end and pass the ball to another open team member.
Practice drills where you strive to make it across the full court within 5 dribbles. You may find this very challenging, but once accomplished it will give you a real edge. Mastering this skill can help you to really improve your game.
It is important that you remain in control of the ball despite which way your body is going. Remember that you must dribble in a variety of situations during a basketball game. It is possible to be completely open, but it is also possible to be surrounded. Remember to dribble while leaning in various directions. Not being able to do this leaves you open for the ball to be stolen.
Communicating with your teammates is a vital part of being a good basketball player. You need a team to play basketball. This means you can’t plan your strategy without taking your teammates into account. Be there for your teammates is important. Talk to your teammates when you need help, so that you’re all on the same page.
You have to know how to change the course of your opponent. Whether you are in an offensive or defensive stance, make other players do what you want. In this way, you can move as necessary without allowing your opponents to direct you.
If you are aware that the person holding the ball has a weak hand, you should make them use it. If they are right handed, step towards them with your left foot so they have to switch sides. Keep your head low and be prepared to steal the ball.
Focus on the path of the basketball as it leaves a players hand. Watch whether it is an opponent or teammate. A crucial part of the game is being able to rebound the ball. If you can’t get the ball in your possession, it doesn’t matter how many times your opponent shoots and misses.
As you’ve learned, there are various ways to better your game. Some are quite simple, for example you can learn new techniques and practice them assiduously. Practice is important to anything worth doing – just do it! You can build better basketball skills no matter who you practice with.