The first time playing basketball court it probably was magic. You learned how to dribble the ball around from player to basket.You might feel like you’ve mastered the game right about now. The tips below can show you to be a better ball player.
When learning the game of basketball, it’s easy to get caught up in offensive play. But you should also give plenty of attention to defense. Basketball games are often won by the defense. Without good defense, a basketball team will lose the match.
Practice hitting your free throw shot.Practice a lot with the following technique. Start out by holding the basketball right before your face. Keep looking at the goal and visualize the basketball going into the hoop. Then shoot the ball with the trajectory that you imagined.
You must have good balance when you shoot. You have seen how pros shoot a basket from thirty feet away and fall out of bounds, but these shots aren’t going to be based on fundamentals. You need to be balanced properly if you’re going to be making shots, and over time this will lead to consistently making baskets.
Learn what a crossover is and how to do it. When you do a crossover, you move the basketball very fast from one hand over to the other hand. Crossovers must be done quickly to keep defenders at bay. Once you have learned how to do a crossover, you can travel down the court quickly.
Receiving Player
Learn how to throw proper bounce passes. A bounce pass that’s good is going to end up hitting the receiving player at waist level. A good estimation is to target the ball to bounce at about 3/4 of the distance to the receiving player is. There can be other factors in play to keep in mind, though.
Practice your pass catching often. When you practice, drill yourself to pay attention to errant throws and passes that are picture perfect. Some passes may be too high, too low or off target, so you should practice receiving passes often. So you should do the team a favor by knowing how to take in any kind of a pass that comes from someone.
Free throws require both mental focus as physical skill. Stay relaxed and collected to increase your free throw rate.
Practice catching often. You can do the rest of your team mates will be happier if you (and they) are more versatile.
Want to make the other team not know what’s going on? Try the back pass. To accomplish this pass, grasp the ball using your dominant hand. Next get the ball pulled up behind the back. The last step is to flick your wrist in the direction you want the ball to move. This helps trick your opponents.
Play games with yourself in and before it. Even though basketball is usually played with teams, you can still practice on your own. You are able to do a lot by practicing alone. Practice pivoting or doing free throw shooting. There is no shortage of things you can work on.
Never turn away from the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. This will give you from unexpected turnovers or quick passes. Keep your eyes open for easy shots.
Figuring out the opponent is a great way to do well against a tight defense. Review videotapes and monitor scouting reports. For example, you might look to see which players favor their left side and which have dominant right hands. When you know some of the other player’s moves, you’ll have a leg up during a game as you’ll be able to predict what he is going to do. A person that knows about defending makes a strong defender.
Speed is a key attribute in basketball. Try to play faster than your opponents for a better advantage.You need to really drill to get to the point where you can play quickly. Don’t attempt to play too fast and risk your chances. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and excessive turnovers.
Practice looking the other way when you make a pass. You can really confuse opponents this technique. When done right, looking this way will make the opponents go to the wrong place so that when you pass the other person has a better chance at making a shot. It’s a great play when done properly.
Ask someone to take a video of you playing and watch it. Are you able to see missed opportunities or ways in which you could have improved? Stay honest when you’re assessing yourself, but don’t over criticize yourself either. A realistic view of yourself can be quite helpful.
Dribble with force to prevent the ball taken from being stolen. If someone is guarding you closely, pass to another person that’s open.
You need to take charge anytime you can. This can throw off the other team.
Take a charge if you can. By taking a charge, your team will get the ball. Perfecting this play can really give you an advantage on the court.
Changing pace can help you keep the offense is paying attention. As you run towards the net, straighten up and plant down your foot. The guard will think you are reducing speed and will also straighten themselves. When that happens, run ahead and push yourself forward.
With all of the fabulous advice you’ve received, only you stand in your way. Make goals for yourself and keep improving. Fitting these techniques into your game strategy is going to significantly improve your game.
Don’t stop dribbling until you are ready to pass or shoot. Standing there without dribbling takes away most of your options on offense. If you don’t have the chance to shoot or pass, you can just pivot with the foot in the back. This situation leaves you vulnerable to a double team by the defense, and you risk losing the ball.