Basketball begins as a new adventure for most. You explored passing, shooting, and dribbling. Now, you might even feel as though you have mastered the sport. Keep reading though, you just might find out there’s a lot more to learn.
Be sure to dribble correctly every time. You want to dribble with the tips of your fingers, not your whole hand. This gives you the best ball control. Be sure to dribble beside your body instead of in front of yourself. Bounce the ball at a level even with your waist. You should always be looking up instead of at the ground.
Learn the mechanics of a free throw. As easy as these shots may seem, they are rather hard. Practice this technique regularly. To start off, hold the ball in front of you. Use visualization to imagine the goal occurring. When you shoot, keep the visualized trajectory in mind.
When dribbling, your head must be up, and you need to look forward. If you must look at the ball while dribbling, you haven’t practiced enough. You can practice dribbling almost anywhere. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking the dog. If you are staring at the ball, there is no way you can know what else is happening on the court.
Improving your balance means improving your shots. We have all seen the professional basketball player falling out of bounds and making a basket from 30 feet away, but this is not proper technique. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. Non-professionals should focus on having good balance to ensure good shots. As time passes, you will make more and more baskets with this method.
Free throws have a huge mental element to them. Without a strong mindset, your body simply goes through the motions to take the shot. Relax your mind and keep your concentration centered on the basket to make more of these freebies.
In order to handle the ball correctly, spread your fingers out. This can help you avoid losing it when you hold it. Keep your palm off the ball too. Only your fingers should touch it during a pass or when dribbling.
When you’re trying to work out, you should build up your core strength while getting your footwork perfected. When your core is strengthened, you will have more balance and be able to move more swiftly. Work your ab, back, hip and buttocks muscles. Similar to boxers, jump rope to help increase speed and better your footwork.
If you slump when you shoot, look at what your shoulders are doing. If you do not have your shoulders positioned properly, you will not make the shot. Keep your shoulders square in line with the basket. The dominant shoulder needs to be lined up with the rim.
These tips can help you advance your abilities on the court. Set your goals and practice all you can to better your skills. With these tips and lots of practice, soon enough you will see lots of improvements to your game.