The first time you played basketball court it probably was magic. 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 is going to teach you that you still have much to learn.
When learning the game of basketball, it’s easy to get caught up in offensive play. But you should also give plenty of attention to defense. In the end, it’s defense that consistently wins you games. The offense gets lots of attention, but if the defense is lacking no basketball team will ever win a game.
Practice your free throws. Practice often using the following method.Start with the basketball right in front of your face. Keep looking at the goal while visualizing the basketball going through the goal. Shoot on the ball how you imagine it going in.
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 as you walk to the street. If you look your ball, you cannot see what is happening down the court in front of you.
Watching the pros can help you pick up on certain skills for improving your game. Go to games, watch them on TV and you can also watch videos. You will notice great skills from different players that you can practice.
Don’t pump a lot of iron if you want to be good as a jump shooter. Muscle strength is beneficial for playing any basketball position, but you can have too much. Some professional shooting guards worked on their arms so big that they started decreasing their field goals.
Play basketball games against yourself in and before it. Even though basketball is usually played with teams, practicing alone can be helpful. There is much that you can be accomplished when playing on your own. You can work on pivots and free throws or pivot moves. There is no shortage of things that can be done.
A great way you can prepare for what happens on the basketball court is to avoid having your back to the ball. This helps keep you aware of the action, and it takes away the surprise factor. Also, keep your eyes on areas that open up on the court for an easy basket.
Good footwork remains a shot when you are posting up. You always want to beat the opposing playing to an open spot. After grabbing the position, you need to make sure you hold it. Both of those skills rely on some solid footwork.
You need to be quick to be good basketball. Try to outplay your opponents for an advantage. You need to really drill to get to the point where you play fast. But do not try to go even faster than you are able. Playing beyond your speed can result in bad passes and lots of turnovers.
If you find yourself unable to shoot well, consider your shoulders. If your shoulders are in a bad position, no matter how good you are, you won’t make the shot. Make sure your shoulders are always square towards the hoop. You want your strong-side shoulder in perfect alignment with the rim.
Always know where you’re placing your feet are and what they are doing.
Practice passing while not looking in a different direction of the pass. This is a great technique in order to help confuse your opponents. When you do this right, the look draws your opponents to the wrong locale so that the person you passed to has a good long look at the basket before shooting. It’s quite a great play when done properly.
A good basketball drill to perform is to see if you can get the ball down the entire court in 5 or less dribbles. This initially seems undoable, but it helps build speed and stride. If you master this, you will be able to quickly take layups.
Practice with your weak hand as much as possible. Tie your dominant hand to the rear of your back and force yourself only use your weak hand. You will get new dribbling skills with your weak hand soon enough.
Be certain you are able to see clearly.This isn’t just so you can read the scoreboard and be able to make good shots as well as catching passes that come your way. You need to have to build your peripheral vision possible.
To help make the offense flow better it is a good idea to alter the pace. You can try faking a jump shot by planting quickly, and straightening your body. The guard will think you are slowing down and will also straighten themselves. When they do, try pushing forward hard and running right past them.
Don’t let your feet to cross and it will be hard to get around you.
To boost your ability with the weaker hand, use it for everything from opening jars to brushing your teeth. This will show in your basketball game as well.
Keep low as you defend. This will let you get to the jump quicker and let you react to your opponent easier. Maintain your proper defensive stance no matter what. If you need to block the opposing team’s shot, resume your stance as soon as you can.
There’s always room for improvement in basketball. Set goals and practice regularly if you want to hone your skills. Apply what you have learned in this article to help yourself become a better basketball player.