When you wish to better your basketball game, you must practice. Make sure you perform drills correctly and keep working on an exercise until you get it right every time. Keep reading for some basketball pointers that will have you hoop ready in no time.
Never practice only against the zone. Your opponent may change their game up to keep you on your toes. Practice with each type of defense so you will know what to expect.
Core Muscles
If your child is training to be a high school basketball player, make sure that they train their core muscles properly. The core muscles are the hips, lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles. Core muscles are the connectors between arms and legs. If the core muscles are weak, basketball performance will suffer. A well developed core lets a player generate force with their legs to be applied to faster running and jumping higher.
Spreading the fingers is something you have to do to handle the ball right. This will help you keep a better grip on the ball. 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.
Knowing your opponent is the best way to play a tough defensive game. You should be look at scouting reports, practicing techniques and watch tapes. Remember which player shoots left and which shoots right. Once you start to get to know the other team, you can do a lot better when you’re on defense. Understanding the intricacies of the game will make you a better player.
A good basketball player is really quick on his feet. Speed always gives you an edge over your opponent. You need to really drill to get to the point where you can play fast. Though, you should never attempt to a play faster game than your abilities permit. This can cause you to get out of control and make careless mistakes.
Always have an awareness of the location and movement of your feet. An errant toe to the baseline while holding the ball will result in an “out of bounds” call. Going too many steps with no dribbling is a waking call and turnover situation. A foul will be called if your feet move while you attempt to screen other players.
Get someone to analyze how you play on tape. Do you see anything you could do differently? Be honest in your assessment but not overly critical. Seeing yourself realistically can be a great way to make changes in a positive direction.
Build a consistent routine for your free throws. If you aren’t able to be consistent then you’ll be off when you shoot. Free throw shooting is best improved by lengthy sessions of repetitive practice. If you have a glitch in the routine, you are likely to miss your shot.
Dribbling hard keeps the ball from being stolen from you. This makes the ball come back to you faster so the people on defense aren’t able to steal it as easily. If someone is close to you and is really good at guarding you, pass to another person that’s open.
You want to keep your vision completely clear at all times. Your eyesight will affect more than just making shots. You need to have the best peripheral vision possible. You need to know the location of other players on the court in order to make good passes and avoid turnovers.
If you want to make a 2-3 zone into something special, have the guards remain put until the opposing team’s guard makes their way about ten feet in from mid-court. Then, they ought to trap the point guard. Concurrently, have forwards go to the wings. The guard on point should make a pass that can easily be stolen by the forwards.
If you wish to do better a shooting three pointers, you should do it from where NBA players shoot from. Remember that high school, college and international standard lines are all shorter than the NBA distance. If you can score from NBA range, you’ll enjoy open looks at deeper range than your opposition.
Never stop your dribble unless you are going to shoot or pass the ball. After dribbling is stopped, your choices are very limited. If you decide not to shoot or pass, all you can do is pivot on your rear foot. This will leave you open for double teaming from opponents and you may lose control of the ball.
Switching up your dribbling rhythm can really throw the defense off. Dribble consistently, then break it up by dribbling fast. This will keep your opponent off balance so you can get in a good shot. The speed is important, but it works in tandem with the sound to disorient the player who is guarding you.
Foster a positive relationship with your team members regardless of whether you are playing or practicing. Basketball is a great game that can be elevated when the team is of one mind. The ability to intuit and appreciate the actions of your teammates can significantly improve your performance as a whole.
It is necessary to be capable of altering the path of your opponent. Whether you are playing offense or defense, gaining control over the path of your opponent is a critical skill. This enables you to get to the spot that you need to get to without letting your opponents control you.
These tips will help your game, whether it is for fun or competitive. Every skill can be improved on. You can play much better basketball by using the tips provided.