Basketball is a game that is perfect for everyone. Regardless of background, few people can resist the allure of basketball. Invite your friends over and dazzle them with your newly learned skills. What moves you say? Continue reading this article to learn new things that you can try.
Dribble while your head is up and your eyes are forward. Looking directly at the ball means you aren’t good at the game yet. Take the basketball to all the places that you go. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking the dog. Don’t look while dribbling, because you won’t be able to see what’s going on.
Pay attention to what you are good at. Your skills might not make you an all-start every time out, but playing up your strengths makes you a great contributor. Know your strengths and keep practicing to get even better.
Remember to practice a lot of different possibilities so that you will not limit your game. Most of the basketball game will probably be played in this zone, but the other team might decide to surprise you and do some man-to-man coverage. Practice with each type of defense so you will know what to expect.
To make sure there are no errant passes, use hand signals. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another. These common miscommunications can be avoided by utilizing hand signals, which tells the passing player the other player is ready for a pass. If you don’t receive a signal then realize your teammate is not able to get the pass.
Ask fellow team members what they like about your skills on the court. Do you do something really good? Perhaps you have good dribbling skills or maybe your footwork is enviable. It’s great to get an idea of how your teammates think of your skills, this way you know what areas of the game to focus on.
A smart tip to follow while playing basketball is to always keep your eye on the ball and not away from the play. That will keep you aware, so you don’t get surprised by turnovers or quick passes. Maintain awareness of open areas on the ball court that may allow you to quickly score a basket.
Concentrate on your shoulders if you have gotten into a shooting slump. When your shoulders are positioned improperly, you will never make the basket regardless of how good your abilities are. Be sure shoulders always remain squared towards your hoop. If your right hand is your dominant hand, your right shoulder must be aligned with the rim. For left-handedness, the opposite is true.
Speed is everything in basketball. Always stay ahead of the opposition. To increase your quickness, you must practice playing fast while running drills. However, don’t try and push past your limits. If you play basketball past your own speed ability, then you can lose control of you game with bad passes and needless turnovers.
Free Throws
To help you shoot better free throws you need to come up with a consistent routine. A routine that is constantly in flux will only open up more opportunities for failure. The easiest way to make sure you’re doing great at free throws is to do repetitions of the same routines time and again. If your routine is off, then you will miss the shot.
Mix things up offensively to keep the other team’s defense off-balance. While you run at the net, plant the front foot and start straightening your body. Your defender will likely think you are taking a shot or passing, and straighten up as well. After that, push hard in a forward motion and scoot by them.
Practice dribbling while you switch your body’s momentum from one side to the other. This will happen during games frequently. It would be great if you are always able to go full speed ahead, but more times than not you will need to move and flow with the defense in front of you. Going through the court will be easier if you can quickly adjust your direction without interrupting your dribbling. This allows you to get yourself out of a tough spot.
Keep the activity below the knees if possible. Doing this makes it more difficult for members of the opposing team to steal the ball from you. You need to bend your knees to have this happen, but you will be able to move along the court fast because you’ll be throwing off your defenders.
Use whatever hand you aren’t dribbling with as a shield between the ball and your opponent. However, you’re not actually going to push with this hand; instead, you’re going to separate yourself using this hand. Keep it up and dribble with your other hand.
If you’re serious about basketball, seriously consider your diet. When playing regularly, you are going to need lots of carbs for serious energy, along with some fats and protein. One way to keep your body in basketball shape is to incorporated grains and proteins into your diet. Avoid using excessive sugar and salt.
As you hit the ground after catching a rebound, improve your balance by spreading your legs wider than your shoulder span as you land. Keep your hands on either side of the ball and hold it tight to your chest. Take care with elbows, since it is a foul if you strike someone on the opposing team.
Where you are ahead of and post-rebound will determine your success. Jumping with both feet creates a more balanced, powerful motion. During the jump, use both hands to gain possession of the basketball. Once you gain possession of the ball, your feet should be positioned more widely than your shoulders. Hold the ball near your chest and regain your balance upon landing.
Confidence is key in the game of basketball, and everything you’ve read here should have improved yours. Now you know some tips even your opponents don’t know. Drill as much as you can but remember that playing basketball should be fun. Whatever the case may be, it is fun to win the game.