Today is the day to learn about basketball. Maybe you play basketball and you adore this sport. But there’s always room for improvement, and everyone knows that. There’s an excellent chance that you’ll acquire a few skills here. Continue reading so that you can find some new ways to play this great game.
Dribble properly. When you dribble a basketball you have to use the fingertips instead of the hand’s palm. You retain much more ball control this way. Be sure to dribble beside your body instead of in front of yourself. Bounce the ball at a level even with your waist. Always look up and never look down at the ground.
Practice hitting your free throws. There are usually a lot of distractions when you are shooting free throws so you need to concentrate. This technique should be practiced often if possible. First, hold the ball just above your nose, about 8 inches from your face. Look at the basket and imagine the ball going in it. Then throw the ball just as you had visualized.
When you dribble, look forward, keeping your head up. If you need to look at the ball while dribbling, you’ll need to practice more. Wherever you go, take your ball with you. You can practice dribbling when you have to walk to the store. If you look your ball, you can’t see the court.
Play basketball against yourself even during the off-season. Even though basketball is usually played with teams, it is sometimes the case that there just isn’t anyone around to play with. That should not matter. Playing on your own can give you the chance to work on isolated areas of your game. Whether focusing on foul shots or how to pivot with the ball, you can look for ways to improve. You can always do something.
To keep passes under control, make use of hand signals. It can be frustrating making a pass when a player moves away towards the basket. Hand signals can be a great way to find out if a teammate will be able to receive your pass. If you don’t see a signal, you shouldn’t pass the ball.
You must know your opponent in order to be tough on defense. Make sure that you’ve watched tapes that show the other player. You can also check out scouting reports. Learn which of the opposing players are left-dominant and which are right-dominant. Once you understand the opposition, you will now how to mount your defense. A defender with an education will be good at what they do.
Consistent free throws require a consistent technique. If you don’t have one, your accuracy may suffer. If you want to perfect free throw shooting, pick a routine and repeat it continuously. If you do not practice this shot consistently, you may miss it during an actual game.
You must disrupt and upset the play of your opponent if you want to be successful as a defensive player. Don’t let them get comfortable. Execute your moves with aggression. This will keep them from being able to choose which plays they will make. If don’t play aggressively, you opponent will run you down. You should make the initial move and throw them off.
Stay on top of your footwork when attempting a rebound. The defender below you will be moving toward you, so find a way to slip around him and get to the ball. This gets you the rebound without you committing a foul.
A great drill to try is to see how many dribbles it takes for you to make it across the court. The ideal number of dribbles is five. While this is a challenging goal, working toward it will make you a much better player. You will have easy layups on fast breaks and you will be able to advance your team easily.
Building strength improves your basketball game. It is impossible to succeed if you lack endurance and strength. Even kids can benefit by getting stronger through exercise. When they become teenagers, they will be able to step up to weight work to become even stronger. When you’re an adult you have to be sure to do strength training to do well on the court.
These tips will help you take your game to the next level. It’s great learning new things and watching how they can work for you. Show off your new abilities with the tips you just learned. Basketball can be fun!