Basketball is something that people find to be fun and lots of people love it. Still, it is a difficult sport to master. Basketball can be enjoyed by everyone. Continue reading to learn how to play the game to the best of your ability.
Free throws are an excellent skill to practice in your spare time. These shots may seem easy, but they can be quite difficult. Practice this technique regularly. Put your weaker hand in front of the ball and center your stronger hand over the air valve in the basketball. Eye the basket and imagine the ball swishing down into it. Then throw the ball just as you had visualized.
Don’t dribble during your drills. This is very hard to accomplish, but it forces you and your fellow players to work on accurate passing skills. The accuracy of passes will greatly improve over time and the drill will become a lot easier.
Do you want to fool the other team? Try the back pass. Perform this pass by holding the ball using your dominant hand. Next get the ball pulled up behind the back. Lastly, flick the wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. Doing this will trick your opponent.
When posting up, solid footwork is essential to getting yourself into position to shoot. You need to have physical presence beneath the net, but you also have to choose the right spot to be in. Once you’re in position, you also need to secure your spot. Strong footwork skills help to build both types of skills.
Don’t let the ball go behind your back. This will make you more aware of the court and you won’t be surprised when turnover potentials come up or quick passes. Keep an eye open for easy shots.
To make your layups count the most, take off from the foot opposite your shooting hand. Thus, if you tend to shoot with the right hand, make sure to jump off with the left. Your body will be better balanced and moving in the direction of the basket. Your body will also be kept between the defender and yourself.
You need to mess with your opponent’s head. Make them uncomfortable. Be aggressive in the moves you execute. Which plays are made shouldn’t be up to them. This will give your opponent the advantage. Rather, you make the initial move and break up their flow.
You want to strive in practice to bring the ball all the way up the court in no more than five dribbles. This might seem impossible at first, but if you achieve it, you will have remarkable stride length and speed. This can mean easy lay-ups on fast breaks, or just give your team numbers for a moment.
Take charge when the opportunity presents itself. The charge lets you build a defensive stop and get control of the ball. This does great harm to an opponent’s psyche, and is a truly powerful play.
Changing up your pace is something you have to do to make sure the offense is paying attention. When running toward the hoop, plant your leading foot and start to straighten up. Your guard will do the same, thinking you plan to stop. After that, push hard in a forward motion and scoot by them.
Are you now ready to show off your skills? You might want to spend some time practicing first! Get motivated and hit that court! Before long, you will be a much better player, thanks to these amazing tips.