Basketball is a beloved sport worldwide. You can play a quick pickup game at the park any time. Also, you can have a career in basketball if you get an early start. Keep reading for some valuable information about this sport.
You must become knowledgeable about hitting a free-throw shot. This seems like an easy shot, but it is quite hard. Practice constantly using this tip. Start by holding your ball before your face. Focus on the basket and picture the ball slipping into the net. Then, use the trajectory you just visualized and shoot the ball.
The way to properly dribble is to keep your head up while looking ahead of you. If you have to keep your eye on the ball when you’re dribbling, practice can remedy that. Take you ball with you everywhere. You can practice dribbling when you have to walk to the store. If you look at the ball, you’re unable to see what’s going on down the court before you.
Balance is essential to shooting. Having good balance will allow you to keep better control of the ball as well as play a better defense. This is simply an improvised move. Good balance while shooting will lead to landing more baskets.
Practice your layups a lot. This is the most popular shot in basketball. When you practice, run full speed ahead at the basket, jump, and shoot. Drill the jumping technique regularly so you can do layups very smoothly and always stay in control of where the ball is going.
Practice Catching Passes
Make sure to practice catching passes. You want to practice catching perfect passes and bad passes. Some passes may be too high, too low or off target, so you should practice receiving passes often. Therefore, it pays to practice catching passes that are a bit off-target.
A great way to learn how to pass is by doing drills often with no dribbling. It is hard to play a game when you don’t dribble, but it will help you to be sure that everyone is passing accurately. This is very challenging at first, but eventually it will really improve your entire team’s passing game.
Interested in tricking your opponents? Try doing a back pass! To properly perform this pass you will need to have the ball in your dominant hand. Then, move the ball so it is behind your back. Pass the ball from behind your back by flicking your wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. This should make it easy to trick the other team.
Should you receive an injury during the course of the game, never try to continue playing despite the pain. Basketball is physically demanding and you can easily get hurt. By “playing through the pain” you take a huge risk that the injury will become much worse. See a doctor if the injury is serious enough.
To hold the ball right, spread your fingers out. This can help you avoid losing it when you hold it. Do not allow your palm to come in contact with the ball either. You should only use your fingers to touch the ball when passing or shooting.
Work on passing in a direction you are not looking. This trick can be used successfully to confuse defenders. Not only will they not see the pass coming, they may think a pass is going in the opposite direction. When done smoothly it can be a game changer.
To increase the efficiency of your layups, begin your takeoff on the foot opposite from the hand you’re shooting with. Use your left foot when shooting with the right hand. This balances your body when moving towards your basket. It keeps your body in between you and the defender.
To improve your dribbling skills, practice dribbling with your weaker hand. If you’re using both hands to dribble the ball well then you can get by an opponent easily. Don’t allow yourself to use your dominant hand when practicing. After a while, your weak hand will be able to dribble better.
You can make the 2-3 zone a lot more dangerous by having two defenders stay in this zone until a point guard is beyond the time line. Once he passes mid court the guards should rush up on him. It also lets you have forwards on blocks sprint to the wing players. Your point guard must then launch a pass in a way that is easy for your forwards to steal.
Shoot from NBA distances to see your three-point skills improve. The line in every other league is closer. If you get it from the NBA range, your open looks will have deeper range than defense will mind you until you begin hitting.
To make your shooting skills better, shoot from all around the court. An even better way to improve your accuracy is to practice shooting after pulling up from a dribble. Only lift your head up to check out the target once you are in the air. That helps you boost your accuracy.
Do exercises that will assist you in becoming a better player. You can run longer distances to build up stamina. To build speed, try doing wind sprints. Both are necessary for playing good ball. Resistance training or weightlifting builds better muscles for shots. The confidence and adrenaline that builds don’t hurt either.
It ought to now be obvious what to do to become more involved with basketball. It isn’t hard, but it does take some know-how and effort. Play as often as you can, especially against really good players. Whatever you do, remember to have fun!