Basketball: Taking It To The Hoop With Success

What things should you learn about playing basketball? What should I learn to become a better player or appreciate the game more thoroughly?

Dribble properly. Proper dribbling technique involves use of the fingertips, not the palm of the hand. Using your fingertips provides you with more control. When dribbling the basketball you should bounce it to your side instead of right in front. Never look at the ball; instead, look forward.

TIP! Dribble the ball correctly. Don’t use your palm, use your fingers.

Always keep your head up and looking forward. You haven’t practiced enough if you keep looking at the basketball while dribbling.Bring your ball no matter where you go. Dribble the ball when you’re walking the shops. If you look your ball, there is no way you can know what else is happening on the court.

A great way to hone your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing.

When dribbling, make sure that you look forward and keep your head up. Anyone who watching the ball while they dribble surely needs to spend more time in the gym practicing. Bring the basketball with you everywhere you go. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking the dog. If you are looking at the ball, you cannot see what is happening down the court in front of you.

TIP! Always dribble with your head up and looking forward. By focusing your sight on the ball, you cannot be fully aware of your surroundings.

Don’t bulk up if you wish to become a jump shooter. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, it is possible to have too much for perimeter play. Some shooting guards make their field goals.

Would you like to fool your opponent? Back passes are a great way to confuse other team is still wondering what happened. Use the dominant hand to hold onto the back pass.This is a very useful trick to confuse the opposition.

Perfect your bounce pass. This means your pass should be aimed towards the receiving player at the level of his waist. One good rule of thumb is to bounce the ball around three quarters of the way to the other player. There are other things to keep in mind, though.

TIP! Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. Good bounce passes need to hit the other player waist length when they receive it.

Ask teammates what they admire about your skills on the court. Do they feel you do something really good at something? Maybe you are nimble or you are a strong defender.

Understanding the opponent is a tough defense. Watch tapes and see how others move on the court. When you know your opponent, you will play a better defense. A defender that knows about defending makes a strong defender.

You need to practice more than defeating a zone defense. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion. Practicing these techniques can give you a competitive edge over your competition.

TIP! You need to practice more than defeating a zone defense. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your rivals could opt to go to man-to-man covering to keep you guessing.

Pay close attention closely to the shoulders if you’ve suddenly developed a shooting slump. When the shoulders are wrongly positioned, all shots will fail. Keep your shoulders squared with the hoop. The shoulder that’s dominant needs to be lined up with the rim.

Done Properly

Keeping your fingers spread will facilitate better ball handling. That makes sure that you don’t lose the ball when you hold it. Don’t let your palm touch the ball either. Fingers should be the only point of contact as you pass or shoot the ball at its target.

TIP! To properly handle the ball, you have to spread your fingers out. The ball will not get away if you always keep your fingers spread when handling the ball.

Practice passing while not looking in the direction when you pass. You can really confuse opponents with this technique. When done properly, 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 quite a powerful play when done properly.

To increase the efficiency of your layups, take off with the foot that opposes your shooting hand. This helps to maintain balance throughout your body properly balanced with forward momentum.

When you’re working out, concentrate on core strength building and your footwork. When your core is strengthened, you will have more balance and be able to move more swiftly. Work your ab, back, hip and buttocks muscles. Just like boxers, you can improve your footwork and speed by jumping rope.

TIP! When you’re working out, concentrate on core strength building and your footwork. Your body will be more stable and easier to move when you have strength in your core muscles.

You need to put a damper in your opponent’s head. Don’t let them get comfortable out there on the court. Be aggressive as you execute.Do not allow them choose the plays to make.

Take every charge if you can.

Don’t break out of defensive stance always remain in the proper defensive position. Slide your feet from side to side or push off with your opposing foot so that you are always in position. Don’t let your feet get crossed and it will be hard to get around you.

You will gain a lot of ball control with bent knees.

Use the hand you are not dribbling with to keep your defender away from the opponent away from the ball. You don’t want to be pushing any of your opponents (that’s a foul), but you can hold your arm out gently. Keep is slightly up when you dribble with your opposite hand.

Always stay low when playing defensively. This allows you to jump or react quicker. Remain in a good defensive stance always. When you must break from your stance in order to block shots, make sure to return to form right away.

TIP! When on defense, try to keep yourself low whenever you can. Doing this allows you to have quick reactions, especially to your opponent.

Do off court exercises that will assist you in becoming a better player. Running for short quick bursts at a time will help you become quicker, while running sprints will help you with fast-paced moves. Lifting weights and doing resistance training is going to help you get more muscle.The confidence helps you have more than anything when shooting.

If you are serious about basketball then start changing your diet. When you play on a regular basis, you have to load up on carbs to get energy, along with some fats and protein. You should eat more lean sources of protein, nuts and whole grain bread. Avoid sugar and salt.

When you dribble, keep your knees comfortably bent. Standing straight up lessens your ability to control the ball and increases the chances that it will be stolen. Just a slight bend in your knees can have a huge impact on ball control.

TIP! Bend your knees when dribbling the basketball. Standing straight will make you see that it’s harder to handle and easier for the opposing players to take.

Now do you have the answers you were seeking? Are you ready to take the court by storm? Can you imagine yourself really improving your game now? Continue to practice and use the above advice and enjoy the outcome.