Would you let just anyone work on your car, or try to do it yourself without finding out the proper way to do things? Why would you expect to become a great basketball player if you don’t research the game? Use these tips to improve you game to an expert level.
Learn proper dribbling. Don’t use your palm to dribble, but use your fingertips instead. Using your fingertips will allow you to have better control when dribbling the ball. Dribble to the side of your body rather than directly in front of you, bouncing at waist level. Look up and never down at the ground.
Be sure to dribble correctly every time. When dribbling the basketball, use your fingertips rather than the palm of your hand. You’ll have a lot more control over the ball this way. Bounce the ball no higher than your waist and keep the ball at your side rather than in front. Always look upwards, never at the ground.
Free throw practice is vitally important. This is one of those shots that seem easy but in real life are difficult. Practice regularly and employe the technique that follows. Start by holding your ball before your face. Visualize the ball sailing into the hoop. Shoot the basketball exactly as you saw in your mind.
Focus on your strong point to help you become a better ball player. Your strengths might not make you a star player, but you’ll be contributing a lot to your team. Knowing what you excel at and then practicing that can help you become perfect at it!
You need to keep your balance if you’re shooting. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard. They improvise to do that. Consider proper balance when you shoot, and eventually you’ll consistently make baskets.
Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. A good bounce pass should hit the player on the receiving end at waist level. It’s best to bounce the basketball about 75 percent of the way towards your teammate. Of course, there are also other factors involved.
To be a better basketball player you should concentrate on the things that make you great. The best talent you have isn’t going to have you starring in every highlight reel, but having a good skill set can benefit your team. Know what you are good at, then practice it until you’re absolutely perfect at it!
Do not only practice zone defense plays. While a good chunk of the game will most likely be played in zone, your opponent might flip the switch to man-to-man coverage just to change things up and surprise you. Practice with each type of defense so you will know what to expect.
Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You can train your body to complete the motions of making a free throw, but if you are mentally prepared to fail, you will. Relax and focus on the net, and you’ll be able to make more.
A great way to learn how to pass is by doing drills often with no dribbling. It is quite challenging to play the game without dribbling, but it does make sure you and your teammates make accurate passes. Don’t get frustrated if it’s hard at first because it will get better over time.
You may have better luck honing your passing skills if you forgo dribbling during practice. This is very hard to accomplish, but it forces you and your fellow players to work on accurate passing skills. Work through the initial frustration and see how the challenge will improve your game in the long run.
Would you like to learn how to fool your opponent? Consider the back pass. Hold the ball using your dominant hand. Then, put the ball around your back. Lastly, flick your wrist in the direction that you want the ball to land. It is an effective means of confusing your opponents.
If you want to take jump shots, don’t build your arms up too large. Strong muscles are certainly useful for basketball, but you can overdo it if you plan to play on the perimeter. As a shooting guard, having bulky arm muscles can actually reduce the number of successful shots.
Ask your fellow team members which of your skills that they admire. Can they tell you what you’re really good at? They may say that you are a great team defender or are always playing with excellent speed. By understanding what your teammates see as your best skills, you can ensure that you keep a strong focus and hone these abilities even more.
Are you interested in being able to fool the other team? Try the back pass. To properly perform this pass you will need to have the ball in your dominant hand. Now, pull it behind your back. Pass the ball from behind your back by flicking your wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. This should should thoroughly fool your opponent.
Make sure, no matter what else happens, you can see where the ball is. This will help you stay on top of quick changes in possession or plays attempted by your opponent. Also, you need to stay aware of areas which might open up and give you an easy basket.
If your son or daughter wants to play high school basketball, they need to work on core muscle training. Focus on hips, lower back and abs. Without a strong core, a player’s performance may not be as good as it could be. If your core is solid, you will have greater strength in your legs. This helps with fast running and high jumping.
When working out, focus on building your core strength and perfecting your footwork. If the core muscles are in good shape, you will feel lighter on your feet. You should get a good workout in your hips, buttocks, back and abs. Similar to boxers, jumping rope can better your speed and footwork.
Have someone taper your games and then watch it to see how you look on the court. Can you see where you can improve your form? Are there things you might have done differently? Be honest in your assessment but not overly critical. It is prudent that you look at yourself as others do and not as how you would like to be.
Be aware of your own actions and the position of your feet. Placing even a single toe atop the baseline while holding the ball will result in you being ruled out of bounds. Not dribbling when you take more than a few steps will result in a walking call as well as a forfeit of the ball. In addition, moving one foot while working on setting a screen or pick will produce a foul.
Work on making your forearms and hands stronger in order to improve ball handling. Wrist curls are great for working wrist muscles and improving your dribbling. Making a goal isn’t just standing there as the ball miraculously comes to you and then shooting it at the basket. You have to start moving the basketball around to get things to happen.
Practice passing while looking in other directions. It can be very confusing to your opponents. When it’s done properly, it will cause the opponents to go to the wrong area so that you can pass to someone that has a good look at a basket before shooting. It’s a great play if done properly.
The trick to grabbing a rebound on a teammate’s missed free-throw is to plan your footwork in advance. The person defending the position down-court from you will be coming at you, so you need to find any way you can to slide around him that gets you to the ball. You’ll be able to grab the rebound without fouling your opponent.
Practice with your weak hand when it comes to dribbling. By being able to easily dribble with two hands rather than one, you have a huge advantage over your defenders. Immobilize your dominant hand by tying it behind your back, then practice using your other hand for everything. Very soon, you will develop dribbling skills with the hand you considered weak.
Perform drills where you attempt to get the ball up full-court in 5 dribbles or less. This may be difficult in the beginning, but if you manage it, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with. You will find that it becomes easier to score and make layups.
You can make the 2-3 zone a lot more dangerous by having two defenders stay in this zone until a point guard is beyond the time line. At that point, both guards should move in for the trap. While this is going on your forwards can be sprinting to the players located on the wings. This can cause the point guard to pass the ball in a way that your teammates can easily steal.
Be sure that you’re able to see clearly. You will need it for more than checking the scoreboard or passing and shooting. Peripheral vision is important during game play. Tunnel vision makes it difficult to play effectively, so try to view the entire court and all players.
When you’re able to fix something on your own, you feel pride in what you have accomplished. This is true for basketball as well as many other things in life. Your skill and ability will help your team win and gain the appreciation of the members of your team.
In order to improve your game, make sure you do plenty of strength training. You need both stamina and strength to be a good player. Even young kids can improve if they exercise the right way and strengthen their core. When they become teenagers, they can start using weights to increase their exercise. As adults, it will be imperative to maintain a strength training routine.
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