A great thing about basketball is the fact that the fundamentals are easy to learn. You can learn the basics quickly. Of course, if you desire to be more than a casual player, there’s a lot you can learn from this article.
Practice shooting free throws. That’s a shot that appears simple but is actually difficult in reality. Practice a lot with the following method. Start by holding your ball before your face. Eye the basket and imagine the ball swishing down into it. Then shoot the ball with the trajectory that you visualized.
A good way to get your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing. Get tickets to some pro games, if possible, or catch some games on television. Every player has skills that make them good, and you can work on the skills they use.
Lifting weights too much can actually take away from your jump shot. It’s possible to have excessive muscles when you play the perimeter. Some professional shooting guards made their arms so big that it started decreasing their field goal percentage.
Core Muscles
Building core muscle is key to playing great basketball. Core muscles are comprised of the hips, lower back, and abdominal muscles. Stronger core muscles will help them be more resistant and allow them to develop many different athletic abilities. When your core muscles are strong, you become a more powerful force on the court. This means greater speed and higher jumping skills.
Hand signals can help stop you from turning the ball over. Oftentimes frustration occurs when trying you aren’t on the same page with a teammate who cuts to the basketball when you try to pass him the ball. Avoid this using hand signals to see if they can get the pass. If the signal is absent, do not pass to that player.
One good way to always be ready for whatever happens on the court is to never turn your back on the ball. You have to be aware of what is going on with the ball at all times. Always watch for areas opening up where you can go for a quick basket.
Shooting Slump
If you’ve developed somewhat of a shooting slump, focus on your shoulders. When you’re in a shooting slump it usually means that your shoulders are not square to the hoop. Your shoulders should be facing the hoop. The dominant shoulder must be perfectly aligned with the rim.
Quickness is a blessing in basketball. Developing speed and vision is vital to playing the game well. In order to be fast, you must constantly do drills. Do not play beyond you capabilities, however. You will end up in a turnover if you play too fast.
Launch your layup jumps from the foot that is opposite the hand you shoot with. This means that when you’re shooting from your right hand you have to use your left foot to take off. This will keep you balanced and going towards the basket.
A good defensive strategy will keep your opponent on their toes. Take them out of their own comfort zone. Display aggressiveness in your chosen moves. Do not allow them to choose the plays that they make. If you let them, you’ll be at their mercy. You make the moves, which helps shift the momentum.
You must be able to box out other players when attempting to rebound free throws. Defenders will start to move at you, so you need to get around them to grab the ball. By doing this, you can increase your chance to get the rebound despite starting in a disadvantageous position.
Never break your defensive stance when playing ball. Shuffle your feet in a side to side motion, then use your opposite foot to push off and give you good leverage. If you never allow your feet to cross one another you will invariably be a very hard player to get passed.
Don’t discontinue dribbling until you have the chance to shoot or pass. After you have stopped dribbling, your options are quite limited. Your only option, besides shooting or passing, is to use your back foot to pivot. This situation leaves you vulnerable to a double team by the defense, and you risk losing the ball.
You may have just learned how to play basketball right before you read the above information. Maybe you have been playing your whole life. In either case, the information in the preceding article can help you become a better player. Use the information from this article to help improve your game.