Basketball is not an especially complicated sport. You can pick up the basics in a few short minutes. Of course, if you desire to be more than a casual player, there’s a lot you can learn from this article.
Learn proper dribbling. Avoid using your palm while dribbling. Instead, use your fingertips. Dribbling this way improves your ball control dramatically. Keeping the ball to your side will help it from getting in the way. Always look up and never look down at the ground.
Learn how to maneuver a crossover if you have the ball fairly often. This is when you switch hands while dribbling. The action must be very swift if it is to be successful. When done properly, crossover dribbling is a great way to quickly switch direction or move around the court in an efficient manner.
You should learn the best way to throw a great bounce pass. Bounce passes should not go above or below the receiving players waist. It’s generally a good idea to pass the ball about three-fourths of the distance between you and the receiving teammate. It does depend on a variety of other factors, however.
Free Throw
Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You must be mentally strong to be a consistent free throw shooter. Relax and concentrate on your basket to increase your free throws.
Don’t bulk up if you want to be good as a jump shooter. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. Some guards increase their upper body to the point of harming their field goals.
Play games against yourself in and out of season. While it’s a team sport, you may not be able to find others that will play. That’s fine. You can accomplish a lot by practicing alone. Work on free throws or three pointers. You can always practice something.
Make sure your fingers are apart from one another when dribbling. This will help you keep a better grip on the ball. Keep your palm off the ball too. When passing and shooting the ball toward its target, the sole contact point should be fingers.
Boost your defensive abilities by studying the opposing team and its players. Study video tape on your opponent and read over any scouting reports. One simple thing to know before the game is if your opponent shoots with their right or left hand. When you know your opponent, you will be better able to play an effective defensive game. Knowledge can make you a strong defender.
A consistent routine will help you to achieve great free throws. Inconsistency will ruin your shots. To better perfect free throw techniques, try using repetition via practicing one routine repeatedly. If you alter your routine then chances are the shot will not be good.
You need good vision if you are going to play basketball. This means more than just being able to see well enough to play, but “seeing” the court deeply. Your peripheral vision should be the best it can be. If you look across the whole game and not just focus on the ball, you can see oncoming defensive pressure in advance, as well as open teammates.
Strength Training
Strength training can be a major help in basketball. Strength, flexibility and stamina are all important things to have in basketball. Even youngsters can strengthen their arms and legs to improve game play. As they become adolescents, let them start using weights for added benefits. Once they transition into adulthood, strength training must continue to be a core part of their exercise routine.
Work on your 3 point shot by shooting from the established NBA distance. Remember that high school, college and international standard lines are all shorter than the NBA distance. You are less likely to be guarded, the farther you are from the basket.
Shoot from every point on the court thousands of times a day to get better. Become better and better by practicing your fast dribble then stopping abruptly to make a shot. Do not focus on the target until you are already in the air. Doing so allows you to move more precisely and with greater accuracy.
Keep the action beneath your knees, if you can. The other team’s players will have a difficult time stealing the basketball from you. This also allows you to cover large distances across the court, which makes it difficult for opposing players o block you.
Be sure that off-court exercises are proper for playing on-court. You can run longer distances to build up stamina. To build speed, try doing wind sprints. Both are necessary for playing good ball. Build up your core muscles and the strength in your forearms. The aggression and confidence you get from this can also assist you more than most things if you’re shooting.
A missed corner shot will usually end up on the opposite side of the basketball court. It may bounce back right into the opponent’s hands.
What your position is in relationship to the rebound can help you figure out if you will still have the ball. Jump using both feet for increased power and stability and grab the ball using both hands. When the ball has rebounded, you want both feet to be more than shoulder width apart so that you can keep your balance.
Perhaps you just learned to play basketball shortly before reading this article. Perhaps you grew up playing the sport. No matter the case, the information below can help you play better. Use these tips when you next play a game of basketball.