The sport of basketball is so much more than a casual game here and there. It is possible to play this at home or in the park. If you love the game of basketball, you should keep reading to learn all that you can about this exciting game!
You need good balance when you shoot. You’ve seen the pros fall out of bounds when trying to shoot 30 feet from the basket; this is a bad move. Professional basketball players tend to improvise when need be. Point your feet towards the basket, guide the ball with your weaker hand and push the ball away with your strong hand whenever you shoot the basketball.
Do not only practice zone defense plays. A lot of the game is sure to be played in the zone, but your opponent could change to man-to-man coverage. Practicing these techniques can give you a competitive edge over your competition.
If you want to be a jump shooter, avoid pumping iron excessively. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. Shooting guards that end up with bulked up arms sometimes find that it affects field goal percentages.
Prior to basketball season, and even during it, you can play solo games. Basketball is a multiple player sport, but other people won’t always be around. No problem! It is possible to get a lot done even when playing alone. You can practice many different techniques, such as your free throw routine. This will help improve the hard parts of your game.
Core Muscles
If you have student that wants to play basketball for their high school team, they will need to spend some time training their core muscles. Core muscles include hips, abs and the lower back. Core muscles are the connectors between arms and legs. If the core muscles are weak, basketball performance will suffer. A strong core helps the legs move better, like jumping higher and running faster.
Make better passes through the use of coordinated hand signals. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another. You can get around that when you use hand signals, if a player can receive a pass. If you don’t receive a signal then realize your teammate is not able to get the pass.
Turning away from the ball can be a costly mistake in basketball. You have to be aware of what is going on with the ball at all times. Keep your eyes open for areas that are open.
You need to be quick to play good basketball. Always stay ahead of the opposition. Steady drilling will help speed up your play. Make sure you never play past the speed you are comfortable. Playing beyond your own capabilities sends the game spinning past your ability to control it, and turnovers are bound to occur.
You need to put a damper in your opponent’s plan if you want to be successful with defending. Force them out of their comfort zone. The more aggressive you are the better. Never let them control the game plays. If you allow this to happen, your opponent will have the upper hand. It’s important, then, to be aggressive and mess up their game rhythms.
To improve ball handling, consider focusing workouts on your forearms and hands. Do some wrist curls as much as possible and your dribbling should get better. Don’t think you can just go somewhere on the court, catch a ball and then make a successful shot. You must move the ball to have things happen.
If you want to put pressure on the offense, you need to change the pace of things. Plant a foot and start to straighten your body. Your opponent will see you as stopping, then will also stop themselves. Like them, push and run past them.
In order to help develop your non-dominant hand, you should use that hand only when trying to open things, and also when brushing your teeth. The more dextrous you become with it in your daily life, the better able you will be to control it. As a result, your basketball game will significantly improve.
To better your outdoor shooting skills, take about a hundred shots every day from various places on the court. You can get even better if you practice dribbling and pulling up quickly for a shot. Look at the target when you’re airborne and not a moment before. All these techniques give you the feel of actual game play, and this will help you become more accurate.
Keep all motion below the knees if possible. This will make your opponent struggle to steal the ball from you. To help this occur, you must be bending, however it will speed up your efforts to move down the court.
If someone shoots from the corner of the basketball court and misses, it will bounce over the net onto the opposite side. If so, you should be able to guess its next location and move to get the rebound.
You need to be able to alter your opponents path. It does not matter if you are on offense or defense, being able to control where the opposing player goes is very important. This enables you to get to the spot that you need to get to without letting your opponents control you.
You must know as a ball handler how to read when to take a shot and when you should be passing. Instead of hogging the ball and losing the game when you fail to make the shot, be a team player and pass it off to the player who has the better chance to make the winning shot.
No matter what kind of basketball you play, you will enjoy it more with more skills. You’ve taken the time to read this article, now go one step further by making use of it. As you develop your skills, you will automatically become a better ball player.