Dribbling Isn’t Enough – Great Tips To Improve Basketball Skills

The sport of basketball is a surprising treat! You learned how to dribble the ball and make a shot. You find that you’re probably an expert on the game today. The following article will show you that you still have a ways to go.

Make it a point to concentrate on both your defensive and offensive skills. Focusing only on offense does not make you a well-rounded player. Victory requires the ability to play defense. Offense receives all the glory, but it is nothing without the best defense.

TIP! To improve your game, concentrate on your strong points. Your team will benefit more if you stop trying to be the star of the game and work your best.

Make sure that you practice your layups whenever possible. Layups sometimes wind up being 4 out of the shots in basketball. When practicing this technique, then jump and shoot smoothly. This method will assist you to improve your ability to jump and shots throughout the game.

A good way to practice sound passing is to drill without dribbling the ball. It is tough to play when not dribbling, but it will help your team make great passes.

Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You are able to train your hands and legs to free throw well, but if you think you will fail, you will. Relax and concentrate on your basket to increase your free throws.

TIP! Work on catching passes frequently. Don’t just work on waist-level, perfect passes, though, work on receiving tougher passes as well.

Don’t bulk up if you wish to become a jump shooter. Muscle strength is great for any position in basketball, but it is actually possible to have excessive amounts for playing on the perimeter. Some shooting guards made their arms so much that it started lowering their percentage of field goals.

Would you like to learn how to fool your opponents? Try doing a back pass. Use the dominant hand to hold onto the back pass.This is a very useful trick the other team.

Learn good passing by drilling often without dribbling. It’s hard to play without dribbling, however, it can help you and your team create more accurate passes. Don’t let it frustrate you, just be patient.

TIP! When an injury occurs while you are playing ball, don’t keep playing with pain. Basketball is physically challenging, and injuries are not uncommon.

Play basketball games with yourself during the off-season. Even though basketball is usually played with teams, practicing alone can be helpful. You can still accomplish a lot when playing alone. Work on your free throws or practice pivot moves. There is no shortage of things you can be done.

Never try to push through an injury on the court. Basketball is challenging physical sport and you can get hurt. Trying to play while injured will just cause more damage.See a physician if the injury is serious.

Have other players give you information about what they think are your strengths and weaknesses. Do you do something particularly well? Perhaps they see you as someone who is fast on the court, or that you’re a really good teammate. 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.

TIP! Speed is everything in basketball. Make an effort to do all things on the court more speedily than the opposing team.

Pay close attention to your shoulders if you’re starting to slump when you shoot. When the shoulders are wrongly positioned, all shots will fail. Be sure shoulders squared up to the hoop. Your shooting arm’s shoulder also be lined up perfectly with the rim.

Speed is a key attribute in basketball. Try to play faster than the opponents for an advantage. You need to really drill to get to the point where you play fast. But don’t try to play faster than you actually are. Playing beyond your speed can result in bad passes and lots of turnovers.

Give your layouts the most by launching from the foot that opposes the hand you are shooting with. This means that when you’re shooting from your right hand you have to use your left foot to take off. This will allow you to be more balanced while moving closer to the basket while keeping your body between the defender and you.

TIP! Take every charge you can. By taking charge you can create a defensive stop so you can get the ball, and allows you to create setups so that the opponent will foul you.

Passing between the legs is something that helps when you are being closely guarded. Practice this by bouncing the basketball between your legs while taking steps. Mastering this technique can help give you a significant advantage.

You need to take charge anytime you can.This can be devastating to the opposing team and mess up their rhythm.

Never break your defensive stance as this will assure you are in your proper position for defense. You need to learn how to slide your feet instead of crossing one foot in front of the other. Don’t let your feet get crossed and it will be hard to get around you.

Don’t let your feet to cross and opposing players will be hard to get around you.

Always attempt to remain low when you are playing defensively. This will help you as you jump and react to the man in front of you easier. Stay in a defensive stance all the time. If you need to block the opposing team’s shot, return to formation as quickly as you can.

When dribbling, bend your knees. The ball is harder to control dribbling when you stand up straight. It also leaves you open to a steal from the opposing team. Just bending a little bit at your knees can really help you to control the ball better.

TIP! Shoot hundreds of shots every day from every position on the court to improve your shooting skills. If you wish to get even better at this, try dribbling and then stopping to make a quick shot.

If you wish to get your weaker hand built up, start using it for everyday tasks like shining your shoes or opening doors.This will help you a force to be reckoned with your basketball game also.

This makes it more difficult for your opponents if they want to steal the opposing players to get control of the ball from you. It will be necessary to bend over, balance and bending but just keep moving toward the goal.

Use whatever hand you aren’t dribbling with as a shield between the ball and your opponent. You can’t push with that arm, but it can serve as an obstacle that helps keep your opponent from reaching in. Just make sure it is kept slightly up while you use the other hand to dribble.

Keep your dribbling in a rhythm until you want to confuse your opponent. Changing your pace quickly can confuse them.

This article has provided you with excellent ideas for improving your game, so the ball is in your court. Build towards your goals with practice. Make use of these good tips to improve your strategy and become the player you have always dreamed of being.

One way to force turnovers is to make your opponent change course. Whether you’re playing offense or defense, controlling what the other player does is essential. In this way, you can move as necessary without allowing your opponents to direct you.