Do you remember the first time you played basketball? There were so many different things to learn about the game. Today, it may feel like you’re someone who knows everything about the game. The advice contained in this article is going to teach you that you still have a ways to go.
It’s natural to focus on offensive abilities when practicing the sport of basketball, but your practice time needs to focus on defense. Defense ultimately determines the winner of a game of basketball. Offense gets attention and praise, but when you lack good defense, any team can lose.
It’s natural to be drawn towards offense as a novice, but the pros know defense is where the game is won or lost. Defense is essential to winning these games. While everyone focuses on shots made, a good defense can kill the chances of even an amazing shot taker.
If you want to improve your game, concentrate on your strengths. Your talents might not make you a star, but when you make the most of your strengths, you might better contribute to your team. Know the things you’re great at and keep practicing until there is no one better than you.
Never practice only against the zone. Your opponent may change their game up to keep you on your toes. Be sure to practice for this eventuality so you will not become rattled and lose the game.
You need to practice more than defeating a zone defense. Learn how to play a man-to-man defense and a zone defense to get the best understanding of how the game works. You may lose control of the game if you aren’t prepared.
Learn good passing by drilling often without dribbling. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it will ensure the accuracy of your team’s passes. This may be hard and frustrating at first, but as you get the hang of it your entire team will begin to excel at passing.
Would you like to pull one over on the other team? How about the behind the back pass? Use your dominant hand to palm the basketball. Now, pull it behind your back. Flip your wrist towards the site where you want the ball to go. This is a very useful trick to confuse the opposing team.
One of the most vital attributes one needs to play basketball is quickness. Try to play faster than your opponents for an advantage. You will have to do a lot of drilling to play faster. Just don’t play any faster than you’re able to. This can cause you to get out of control and make careless mistakes.
Avoid errant passes by using hand signals. One of the more frustrating aspects of basketball is making a pass to a teammate at the same time they head to the basket. Players should use hand signals often when available for a pass. Without a signal, players shouldn’t attempt to pass.
Practice your footwork and control the position of your feet at all times. Just touching the baseline is going to get you called out of bounds. You will get called for walking if you take extra steps and are not dribbling. Do not move your feet when attempting to set up a screen, a foul can be called.
If you get hurt during a basketball game, don’t try to play while in pain. Basketball is very challenging physically, and this can cause further serious injury. If you try to keep playing, you can hurt yourself worse. Be sure to seek medical care if you have a serious injury.
Passing between the legs is great when you are being closely guarded. To practice this skill, bounce the ball between your legs so that it passes through as you step back and forth. This is a tricky move, but it will provide you a good advantage when you play.
Ask teammates what they admire about your playing skills? You may have a certain skill that you have perfected. You might be quick, or you might always be around to support them. Learn what other’s see as your natural skills and make sure to keep and develop those skills more fully.
Build a consistent routine for your free throws. A routine that is constantly in flux will only open up more opportunities for failure. If you want to perfect free throw shooting, pick a routine and repeat it continuously. This will help you develop a routine. If that routine goes off, it will cause you to miss your shot.
Develop a routine to use every time you shoot a free throw. It could be that you dribble several times, bend at the knees, brush your hair out of your eyes or do something else. As long as it’s quick, using a consistent routine can help your body retain the memory to make those shots after your “ritual.”
In your drills, you should attempt to move the basketball the length of the court in fewer than half a dozen dribbles. This may be difficult in the beginning, but if you manage it, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with. This drill can help you to have success with lay-ups during a fast break.
Passing between your legs can be helpful when the other team is riding you hard. This can be practiced by dribbling the ball as hard as you can between the legs while you step in either direction. Perfecting this technique will help thwart the opposing team while you’re trying to advance the ball.
Ensure that you have good court awareness. You don’t just want to be able to pass and shoot well. You need to have the best peripheral vision possible. If you watch the entire game instead of just focusing on the basketball, you will be able to see open teammates and oncoming defensive players.
Practice passing while looking another way. This should befuddle your opponent. If you do it right, the look makes members of the opposing team look in the wrong direction, which gives the person to whom you passed the ball plenty of time to make the shot. It can be quite powerful.
Take charge when the opportunity presents itself. Taking charges gives you an opportunity to get defensive stops, get the ball and lay the groundwork for fouls. It can be a momentum changer by making the other team think twice about dribbling the ball into the lane.
Your routines must be consistent for free throws. Inconsistent shooting will lead to inconsistent results. Practicing your free throw again and again is the only way to perfect it. Failing to stick with your routine can adversely affect your shooting accuracy.
Improve your shooting skills by taking hundreds of different shots from all angles and distances. To help you get even better, practice dribbling the ball and quickly pulling up for a shot. Only lift your head up to check out the target once you are in the air. This will help improve your accuracy during a game.
Good footwork can really help you to get those rebounds. The defender below you will be moving toward you, so find a way to slip around him and get to the ball. This helps you avoid the foul call and also grab the rebound.
Keep on dribbling until your shot or passing opportunity is imminent. After you have stopped dribbling, your options are quite limited. If you opt to not pass or shoot, you’re left with pivoting on your back foot. If you cannot shoot or pass the ball, you are in danger of getting the ball taken away from you.
Dribble with force to prevent the ball from being stolen. When you dribble hard, the ball bounces back to your hand faster. That means there is less time for the other side to grab it. If you are being closely guarded, then halt your dribbling and quickly pass the ball to a teammate who is open.
Don’t just practice while static; try to move around while shifting your weight to learn how to best control the ball. Dribbling during game play requires you to adopt a variety of dribbling skills. You might have a truly open court, but you might also be dealing with an onslaught of opposition. Remember to dribble while leaning in various directions. In this way, you can escape all kinds of difficult situations.
Take charge when the opportunity presents itself. Taking a charge allows you a chance to earn a defensive stop, take the ball for your team, and sets up one more foul against the opponent. This can have a major impact on the other team psychologically, and it can be a powerful play as well.
If possible, keep action beneath the knees. This prevents your opponents from stealing the ball. This will help you move the ball down the court easier.
Once you are in your defensive stance, remember to hold your ground. To do this, avoid lurching or stepping across the floor; instead use smaller, shuffling steps to move with your opponent. Remember to never let your feet cross and you will be a difficult player to get around.
Whether you keep possession of the ball or not is based in your position just before and right after a rebound. 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.
Maintain a lower position as you play defense. This allows you to jump faster and increases your reaction time should the person you’re covering do something. Always maintain a defensive position during game play. If you break the stance to shot-block, then recover the proper form immediately after the pass or shot.
Now that you have all these great new moves, you can improve your game dramatically. Build towards your goals with practice. A little effort and some new strategies can bring your game to a whole new level.
Practice dribbling as you sway your body from side to side. Remember that you must dribble in a variety of situations during a basketball game. It is likely that you will be fending off two or more players from the opposing team. You have to figure out how you can dribble while you’re working with your body leaning. This can help you out of jams.
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