People of all ages have loved basketball for years. Not all people are aware of the true fundamentals of the game. No matter your skill level, this article will provide you with some helpful tips.
Always dribble with your head up and looking forward. If you need to look at the ball while dribbling, you’ll need to practice more. Take the basketball to all the places that you go. Keep dribbling the ball even while you’re doing your errands. Remember, if you are directly staring at the ball, there’s no way for you to see what’s happening on the court.
Bounce Pass
Every great player understands how to properly perform a bounce pass. Executed properly, a bounce pass will connect with the receiving player at the waist. Try bouncing it about three-quarters to them. At the same time, take into account any other extraneous factors that may affect the pass.
Make sure to practice catching passes. Make sure you get used to catching less than perfect passes smoothly. During a hectic game, every throw is not going to be perfect. Learn how to catch any sort of throw.
Building core muscle is key to playing great basketball. Core muscles are comprised of the hips, lower back, and abdominal muscles. A core that is not strong enough limits the linkage between arms and legs. A solid and strong core lets force that comes from the legs get used for beneficial movements when playing, like faster running and higher jumping.
If you’re looking to be the best defensive player that you can be, you’ll want to know your opponent. You should be look at scouting reports, practicing techniques and watch tapes. See if you can determine each players strong and weak sides. Having a good understanding about your opponent strengths and weaknesses allows you to focus on how to better stop him. A knowledgeable defender is a strong defender.
In order to be more reliable shooting free throws, practice your routine. Always dribble the same way, or with the same movements. Keep it simple and consistent, and the routine will become a part of your muscle memory.
If the opposition is hot on your tail, pass between your legs. Bounce the ball very hard through your legs while stepping to the front or the back. This move can give you an advantage when playing a tough defense.
As soon as the ball leaves your teammate’s hands after a free throw, start moving into position. The defender below you will be moving toward you, so find a way to slip around him and get to the ball. Then you gain the ball without the foul.
You want to keep your vision completely clear at all times. This isn’t just for reading the score, but for catching passes and making shots. Peripheral vision must be razor-honed. Being aware of the entire court will help you to better anticipate who will move where.
Changing your pace is key to keeping the offense on their toes. When you’re going towards the net you should plant the foot in front and start straightening up. Your opponent will assume you are slowing up, and thus will also straighten up. As they do, push forward hard and run by them.
Strength Training
Basketball players can greatly benefit from strength training. Being physically tough is as important as having the stamina to keep up with the game. Basketball requires a lot of sprinting and jumping. As they grow and gain skills, they will be even better players. Strength training is essential once you reach the adult years.
Stay low when you play defense. This will aid you as you jump and make it easier to react to the front man. Make sure you always maintain your defensive stance. If you find you have to abandon your stance to do some blocking, get back into formation as fast as you can.
A powerful play called the trapping machine, is to have your guards wait for the point guard to come just past midcourt. At that point, both guards should move in for the trap. It also lets you have forwards on blocks sprint to the wing players. This will cause the point guard to throw a pass that will allow your forwards to steal.
Basketball is enjoyed by people from all different backgrounds. Knowledge is what it takes to have fun with basketball and play it to the best of your ability. Use the information in this article to see how much better basketball can be.