How To Improve Your Basketball Skills And Achieve Star Status

What should I know about playing basketball? What should I need to understand in order to strengthen my game?

Make sure you are dribbling the right way. You need to use the tips of your fingers rather than your hand’s palm when you are dribbling. This provides you with much more ball control. Keep the ball by your side as you dribble instead of right in front your body. Look up, not down.

TIP! Learn the mechanics of a free throw. This is something that seems simple, but in reality it can be hard.

Always dribble with your head up when dribbling instead of focusing on the ball. 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 as you go about your day doing errands like walking to the dog. If you have to watch the ball, you’re unable to see what’s going on down the court before you.

Make sure to practice your layups frequently.Layups sometimes wind up to 80 percent of the shots in basketball. When you practice, be sure to run at the goal with full speed, then shoot while jumping in the air. This method will assist you to improve your ability to jump and shots throughout the game.

Balance is vital to good shooting. Having good balance will allow you to keep better control of the ball as well as play a better defense. Taking a shot when you are off balance will probably lead to a turnover. Keep your balance so you can consistently win points.

TIP! Work on improving your strengths to become an even better player. While you may have a particular skill that isn’t going to make you stand out as the star player, honing it can help you become an integral part of your team’s success.

Learn how to throw a proper bounce passes. A useful bounce pass will hit the other player near their waist.A good estimation is to target the ball to bounce roughly 3/4 of the distance that the receiving player is. There can be other factors in play to keep in mind, however.

Free throws require both mental and physical skill. Stay relaxed and collected to increase your free throw percentage.

Free throws require both mental and physical abilities. You can train your body to complete the motions of making a free throw, but if you are mentally prepared to fail, you will. Be relaxed and concentrate on the basket and you will help you make more free throws.

Practice catching often. You can do the rest of your team mates will be happier if you (and they) are more versatile.

Do not only practice by playing against the zone defense. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your opponent might flip the switch to man-to-man coverage just to change things up and surprise you. If your practice did not include this, you might lose control rapidly.

One of the keys to becoming a great basketball player is developing core muscles. That means their hips, lower back and abs. Without a strong core, a player’s performance may not be as good as it could be. Building a solid core helps maintain the leg strength that lies at the core of a strong game.

A good tip about passing is to drill without dribbling the ball. Playing basketball without dribbling is very challenging, but builds your passing skills.

Don’t pump too much iron if you wish to become a jump shooter.Muscle strength can be great for basketball players, but there is such a thing as too much. Some professional shooting guards made their arms so big that they started lowering their field goals.

Understanding your opponent is a good way to shut him down on defense. You should be look at scouting reports, practicing techniques and watch tapes. Know the dominant hand of every player. 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. One of the most important keys to being a solid defender is an understanding of your opponent.

TIP! Playing basketball well means developing good court “eyesight.” This means more than just being able to see well enough to play, but “seeing” the court deeply.

Understanding the opponent is a good way to shut him down on defense. Watch tapes and stay up on the court. Once you start to get to know the other team, you can dial in on the best way to defend. A defender is someone who is good at his position.

To get better at shooting free throws, use the same routine prior to every shot. This could mean two dribbles before taking your free throw, how you position your feet, or some other thing you do to get into a rhythm before shooting. As long as this is a quick set of movements and it’s consistent, using a consistent routine can help your body retain the memory to make those shots after your “ritual.”

Take any opportunity to strengthen your weaker hand and build your skill by using it to brush your teeth or open jars. If you can become more dexterous with it in all aspects of your life, you will be bettering your control of it. You will soon see a difference on the court if you are consistent with these simple exercises.

TIP! If you are serious about basketball then you should be serious about your diet. You need to eat carbs, fats and protein on game days.

Try some drills that require you to move the basketball from one side of the court to the other in no more than five dribbles. This may seem quite difficult at first, but if you achieve it, your speed and stride will be truly impressive. This will help you points on fast breaks.

Don’t allow your feet get crossed and it will have difficulty getting around you.

A missed shot from the corner of the basketball court will usually go to the opposite side. This knowledge will help you get more rebounds.

TIP! When in possession of the ball, you need to grasp when it is wise to shoot and when you ought to pass. Better to be responsible for a shot that leads to a win, than to be that one player whose bad shot cost the team a win.

Changing your pace can help you keep the offense guessing. As you are heading towards the net, plant your foot and then straighten up. The guard is going to think you’re starting to slow and may try to straighten themselves. When they do this, push ahead hard and outrun them.

Always stay low when playing defense. This stance will keep you ready for whatever comes your reaction time should the person you’re covering do something. Stay in a defensive stance all the time. If you break the stance to shot-block, quickly get back into your stance.

Focus on the ball and where it is going. Rebounds and recoveries are important parts of a basketball game. You need to be able to get the ball if your opponent misses the shot.

You can improve your shooting game. This helps to simulate game and improving your accuracy.

Are you a little more informed now? Are you now prepared to take on any challenge? Will you be able to handle being a much better player after reading these tips? Practice all you can and work hard towards your goals.

A dribble that’s penetrating is something you have to do when you’re up against a zone defense. Getting by defenders and into lanes cause the defensive players to collapse or shift on the ball. If you’re close enough to the hoop, take the shot. If someone has a better shot, pass to them.