The key to mastering the game of basketball is to always be willing to practice. You should use your practice time wisely, though. Keep reading for some great basketball pointers that will have you hoop ready in no time.
Practice your defense more than your offense. Defense is essential to winning these games. While offensive players sometimes seem like the stars of the show, it is the efforts of defensive players that allow them to shine.
Make sure that you’re dribbling the right way.When dribbling the basketball, only use your fingertips instead of your palms. Using your fingers allows you to have better control the ball.
You need to keep your balance when you shoot. You have seen some crazy shots made by professionals, which is not the right technique.You should have proper balance when making your shots, which is sure to produce greater consistency.
When dribbling, make sure you hold your head high and look straight ahead. Anyone who watching the ball while they dribble surely needs to spend more time in the gym practicing. Take you ball with you everywhere. Whenever you are walking and it is appropriate, dribble there. If you’re looking at the basketball, you won’t be able to see what is coming at you.
Make sure that you practice your layups whenever possible.Layups sometimes wind up being 4 out of the shots in basketball. When practicing it is important to run at full speed toward the goal, run toward the goal and shoot. This will teach you to improve your jumps and shots throughout the game.
Good footwork remains a shot when you are posting up. You must beat the good spot ahead of your opponent. Once you find a spot, you’ll have to then secure your spot. These skills require powerful footwork.
Keep practicing your layups. Up to eighty percent of the baskets attempted in a game are layups. During practice you want to get up enough speed to quickly get to the rim then easily lay the ball towards the hoop. If you can do this right, you can master this shot.
Never try to push through an injury. Basketball is challenging physical sport and there’s always a risk of injury. Trying to continue playing even if you’ve got discomfort can make your situation worse. See a physician if you think your injury is serious enough.
To maximize your layups, begin your takeoff on the foot opposite from the hand you’re shooting with. This helps to maintain balance throughout your body properly balanced with forward momentum.
Learn how a bounce pass is thrown. It is best when the ball hits the receiving player near the waist. One good rule of thumb is to bounce the ball around three quarters of the way to the other player. It does depend on a variety of other factors, however.
Your forearms and hands should be strengthened if you to handle the ball better. Wrist curls can be great for working wrist muscles and improving your dribbling. You can’t just stand in one place and shoot for the whole game. You have to learn to move the basketball around to get things to happen.
Good footwork will help you to get rebounds off your teammates’ foul shots. The more quickly you get under the basket, so its important to slip away from him and get the ball. This gets you to secure the rebound without you committing a foul.
Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Go to actual games or watch on TV. When you find a player who has the skills that you want, then watch them and emulate.
Take a charge you can.
You will gain a lot of ball control with bent knees.
Try playing basketball games alone before and during the season. Sometimes during off season, or when practicing, you can’t play as a team or find even a single opponent. That’s OK! You can still accomplish a lot when playing solo. Practice free throws and work on pivot moves. Additionally, you can practice vertical jumping and dribbling.
Stop Dribbling
Only stop dribbling if you are prepared to shoot or pass. You are limited once you stop dribbling. If you cannot pass or shoot, you are stuck pivoting in place. This leaves an opening for your opponents to double team and that means you are also more likely to get the ball away from you.
Building core muscle is key to playing great basketball. That means their hips, lower back and abs. The core links together all of the extremities and if it isn’t strong, they will be dealing with a limited athletic ability. A strong core provides a center of force that can be tapped through the legs while running and jumping during games.
If you are serious about basketball player then you should be serious about your diet. When you play regularly, you have to load up on carbs to get energy, along with protein and fats. Good foods that provide these essentials include nuts, lean chicken and nuts. Avoid sugar and salt.
You have ways to alter the course of your opponent is planning on taking. Whether you are in an offensive or defensive stance, you must be capable of controlling the directions of opposing players. This allows you to go where you are going rather than letting them determine your path.
Talk to your teammates and find out what they like about your game. What do you need to focus in on and practice more? Perhaps you are quick footed, or you are always ready to lend a hand on the court. It’s great to get an idea of how your teammates think of your skills, this way you know what areas of the game to focus on.
It need not matter how much you play the game of basketball, the tips here will help improve your game all the time. Try one tip and see how much your game improves. You can play much better basketball by using the tips provided.