Basketball is a great game for men, women and children. Regardless of background, few people can resist the allure of basketball. Gather your friends and show them your new moves. What skills might those be? Keep reading to find out.
Dribble the ball the right way. When dribbling the basketball, use your fingertips rather than the palm of your hand. This helps you to control the ball better. Keeping the ball to your side will help it from getting in the way. Keep your head up and do not look at the ground.
Always keep your head up when dribbling instead of focusing on the ball. If you have to look at the ball while dribbling, that means you need to practice more. Take your basketball 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.
Would you like to completely fool the opposing team, making them look silly? Give the back pass a try! If you wish to try this pass, get the ball in your dominant hand. Then, put the ball around your back. The last step is to flick your wrist in the direction you want the ball to land. This should trick the opposing team.
When avoiding errant passes, use hand signals. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another. Players should use hand signals often when available for a pass. If your teammate misses your signal, then they may miss the ball as well and the other team could gain possession.
If you experience a basketball injury, don’t keep playing. It is possible to receive an injury when playing basketball because it is a sport that is physically challenging. If you keep playing when you are injured, you could end up with an injury which keeps you from ever playing again. If it is a serious injury, see a doctor.
Don’t let the ball go behind your back. This helps you become aware of the court and lowers chances for surprises from turnovers and quick passes. Also, you need to stay aware of areas which might open up and give you an easy basket.
The key to ball control is to spread your fingers out. This makes sure that it does not escape away from your grip. In addition, keep your palm off of the ball. The only things that should touch the ball are your fingers, as you shoot or pass.
One of the most vital attributes one needs to play basketball is quickness. You need to be faster than the opposing team if you want the advantage. Playing fast takes practice, though, and steady drilling. However, don’t try to be faster than you’re physically able to be. Doing so can cause the game to spin out of control as turnovers and faulty passes are made.
To make your layups count the most, take off from the foot opposite your shooting hand. If you use your right hand to shoot, use your left foot to take off. This way you keep your body away from defenders, your momentum going in the direction of the basket and your body stays balanced.
To be a good dribbler, and a more versatile player, you have to develop not only your dominant hand but your weaker side as well. Being able to effortlessly dribble with both hands gives you the ability to run both sides on an opponent and keep them off guard. Exercise your non-dominant hand by securing your dominant hand at your side or behind your back. You will quickly strengthen your non-dominant hand for dribbling.
A good way to develop ball handling skills is to make your forearms and hands stronger. Wrist curls are great for working wrist muscles and improving your dribbling. One thing that is important to remember is that it is difficult to be static and be a scorer. You need to be able to move the basketball to make things happen.
As soon as the ball leaves your teammate’s hands after a free throw, start moving into position. Defenders will start to move at you, so you need to get around them to grab the ball. Then you gain the ball without the foul.
Take any opportunity to strengthen your weaker hand and build your skill by using it to brush your teeth or open jars. If you gain more mastery of it in all walks of life, you improve overall control. This will begin to spill over into your basketball game as well.
Use the hand you aren’t dribbling with to keep the opponent away from the ball. Never push your opponent away because that ends up in a foul, but lightly use your other hand to keep separation between the ball and your opponent. Just make sure it is kept slightly up while you use the other hand to dribble.
You can now hit the court confident that you will be playing to the best of your abilities. You might have gained some useful tips that your friends don’t even know about. Just remember that games are supposed to be fun, so take it lightly. No matter what, being a winner is always fun.