Basketball is not just a gym class sport. You can play at a park or right in your driveway. If you enjoy shooting hoops, you will enjoy learning how to improve your game with the information presented here.
Make sure that you’re dribbling the ball correctly. You want to dribble with the tips of your fingers, not your whole hand. This provides you with much more ball control. You should be dribbling the ball at your side instead of in front of your body. The ball should always be dribbled at waist level. Do not look at the ground; look up at all times.
Learn to crossover if you have the ball fairly often.This term refers to switching the ball back and forth from the right hand to your right hand and back again. The action must be done quickly if it is going to work. If you do it right, a good crossover helps you get past your opponent and to the rim.
Practicing Alone
Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. Bouncing the pass to the receiver should be at their waist. Remember you should bounce the ball approximately three-quarters of the distance between yourself and the receiving player. Of course, there are factors that should be taken into consideration when passing using the bouncing technique.
Play basketball games with yourself during the off-season. Even if you can’t get a bunch of people together to play, practicing alone can be helpful. You can still accomplish a lot by practicing alone. Work on your free throws or three pointers. You don’t need other players to work on something.
Hand signals can help you from making bad passes. Hand signals can help you if your teammate on the court.
If you have a high school level basketball player for a kid, be sure their core muscles are properly trained. This includes their abs, lower back, and hips. The core is the muscle group that links the arms and legs together. If their core strength is poor, then so will their athletic performance be. When your core muscles are strong, you become a more powerful force on the court. This means greater speed and higher jumping skills.
Never play through pain after an injury when playing basketball. Basketball is very physical sport and there’s always a risk of injury.You can quickly turn a strain into a debilitating medical issue if you continue to play with an injury. See a physician if the injury is serious.
Never turn away from the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. This keeps you more aware of the court and you won’t be surprised when turnover potentials come up or quick passes. Keep your eyes open for easy shots.
Play a good defense by knowing your opponent. Watch replays and follow scouting reports. Pay attention to dominant hands. Once you understand the opposition, you will now how to mount your defense. A person that knows about defending makes a strong defender.
The key for controlling the ball control is to spread your fingers out. This can help you better control of the ball. Don’t allow yourself to have your palm touch the ball either.
Understanding your opponent is a good way to win with defense. Watch tapes of their games and see how others move on scouting reports. Once you understand the opposition, you can dial in on the best way to defend. A defender that has knowledge will be good at what they do.
Take charges whenever you have the opportunity. When you take a charge, you have the opportunity to get a defensive stop, your team gets the ball and an additional foul is set up against the other team. This can make for good psychological warfare.
Build your core strength and focus on your footwork. Your body will retain balance and move quicker when your core muscles. Focus on the back, abdomen, and hip muscle groups. Jump rope like a boxer to improve your footwork speed.
Pay close attention closely to the shoulders if you’ve suddenly developed a shooting slump. When your shoulders are positioned improperly, your shot is unlikely to succeed. Keep your shoulders squared with the hoop. Your shooting arm’s shoulder also be lined up perfectly with the rim.
You have to practice hard every day if you desire to step up your outside shooting game. For even better results, practice the run-up to your shot in addition to the actual shot. Don’t look at the target until you are in the air. This improves your accuracy.
You need to be quick to be good basketball. Try to outplay your opponents for an advantage. You have to be steady as you can play quickly. Don’t play too fast and risk your skills allow. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and excessive turnovers.
Always be sure of where your feet are and what they’re doing.
Double dribbling is a major rule, and something that must always be avoided. You get called for double dribbling if you stop your dribble and then begin again. If you have stopped dribbling, you’ll need to either shoot or pass the ball. You can’t pick up the dribble again. That’s called a turnover, which will result in you having to hand over the ball to your opponent.
Try some drills that require you to move the basketball from one end of the court to the other in about five dribbles.This can seem impossible, but once you master it, you’ll have great speed and stride length. This will help you to have success with lay-ups during a fast break.
Strength and flexibility training can improve your skills in basketball. Stamina and physical strength are two things you need to do well in this sport. Even kids can benefit from strength training. As they age, bring weights in to further enhance exercise.
Being a good passer is key to being a good basketball player. Passing helps confuse the opponent. Plus, it shows you are all about the teamwork, which your fellow team members will appreciate. The time will come for you to share your individual abilities. Make sure everyone gets a chance to display their skills by passing the ball as much as you can.
To make your three-point shot better, make sure you attempt shots from where the NBA three-point line would be. The standard line is much closer. If you can make a basket from there, then you can start working from a range further than the defense expects.
Whether you’re playing for fun or looking to become a professional, your game will be much more enjoyable once you’ve bettered your game. Now that you’ve read this article, go out there and put it to use. As long as you’re learning, you’ll be improving your game.
When it comes to playing defense, the name of the game is forcing the opposing player to the sidelines. If a player remains in the court’s middle, they will have more options available to them. When they are sidelined, their choices for moves becomes very limited.