People all over the world derive countless hours of enjoyment from watching and playing basketball. In the game of basketball, there is much to learn about. Keep reading to learn what you can do to improve your basketball game.
Perfect your bounce pass. Bounce passes should not go above or below the receiving players waist. Try bouncing it about three-quarters to them. Of course, there are also other factors involved.
Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Go to a bunch of professional games in person, watch them on television, or just get online to search for basketball videos. You are sure to notice the key skills each player has mastered, and from there you can start practicing.
Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? They will probably notice the things you do best. Perhaps you have good dribbling skills or maybe your footwork is enviable. By understanding what your teammates see as your best skills, you can ensure that you keep a strong focus and hone these abilities even more.
If your shooting is suffering, take a close look at your shoulders. If your shoulders are in a bad position, no matter how good you are, you won’t make the shot. Keep your shoulders squared with the basket at all times. Line up your shooting shoulder with the rim as well.
A good way to develop ball handling skills is to make your forearms and hands stronger. Try doing some wrist curls as they are particularly effective in honing your dribble skills. Don’t stay stopped; always move around the court. Learning how to pass the ball ensures that you can get the ball safely to a teammate who has better position on the court.
The trick to grabbing a rebound on a teammate’s missed free-throw is to plan your footwork in advance. You’ll have a defender coming at you and this means you have to figure out what can be done to get around them. By doing this, you can increase your chance to get the rebound despite starting in a disadvantageous position.
Dribble very hard to prevent the opposing team players from stealing the ball. This makes the ball go back to your hand quicker, so offense has reduced chances at taking it from you. If your opponent is playing you up close, stop what you’re doing and quickly look to find and open teammate to pass the ball to.
If you want to stay in a good defensive position, simply avoid breaking out of your defensive stance. Stay in the right position by pushing off of your opposite foot. Don’t allow your feet to cross, and this will make you a hard defender to beat.
Strength Training
In order to improve your game, make sure you do plenty of strength training. Strength, flexibility and stamina are all important things to have in basketball. Even younger kids will benefit from strength training. As they grow a bit older, they can add free weights to their strengthening routine. Adult players must use strength training to prevent loss of mobility, speed, and power.
When you are on defense, make sure to keep yourself low. This helps your reaction time against your opponent. Always stay in the proper stance on defense. If you must break your stance to block someone’s shot, return to formation as quickly as you can.
As the point guard approaches within 10 feet of the middle of the court, your guards should take action and create a 2-3 trap. This is when they should trap him. Then, have the forwards on blocks run to the wing players. A pass should be thrown by the point guard for forwards to steal.
You can improve a weak hand by using it in daily life. If you gain more mastery of it in all walks of life, you improve overall control. So, drill with the weaker hand and use in it in real life.
Keep your knees loose when you dribble the ball. The ball is harder to control dribbling when you stand up straight. It also leaves you open to a steal from the opposing team. To help out your ball control, try bending the knees.
If possible, the action should remain below your knees. Opponents will have a hard time stealing the ball from you if you keep it low. It will be necessary to bend over, but you should be able to get down the court faster.
Use the hand you are not dribbling with to keep your defender away from the ball. You don’t need to be shoving the opponents, but you’re able to keep them away by using the arm that isn’t dribbling as a separator. Just keep it raised a little while you dribble with your dribbling hand.
Work on taking shots from various on-court locations. You will want to learn how to be steady and have a good grip on the ball. It is possible to succeed when shooting in an off-balance way, but the odds do suffer. The basketball’s valve can improve your grip. Cover the valve with your palm, and spread your fingers around the ball.
A missed corner shot will usually end up on the opposite side of the basketball court. If that happens, you need to anticipate when it will land so you can catch it on the rebound.
Be aware of your position when a shot is made so you can be in a good spot to grab a rebound. Jump with both feet for improved power and balance and retrieve the ball with both hands. When you land, ensure your feet are beyond shoulder width apart and hold the ball near your chest.
Basketball provides lots of potential as both a spectator sport and physical activity. However, you can enjoy the sport more by learning as much as you can about basketball. The article above should be a great resource for you during your quest to learn more about basketball.