The key to mastering the sport of basketball is practice.You should use your practice time wisely, though. Keep reading for some great basketball pointers that will have you improve your game.
Shooting has much to do with proper balance. Your knees should be bent with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. Having a good foundation under you while shooting will always yield better results over time as you keep on practicing and honing your skills.
Always keep your head up and looking forward. You should never be looking at the basketball while you’re dribbling. Bring the ball along when you go out. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking to the dog. If you are looking at the ball, you will be unable to see whatever is going on at court level.
You need good balance to shoot well. While the all-time greats have shown time and time again how they can shoot while off-kilter, this is not appropriate for most people. You need to be balanced properly if you’re going to be making shots, which is sure to produce greater consistency.
Speed is everything in basketball. If you can play quicker than the opposing team can, then you will be at an advantage. You have to be steady as you play quickly. Never try though to get too fast that you can’t make any plays. If you play beyond your speed, the game gets out of control, with errant passes and turnovers.
Do not restrict your practices to zone defense plays. Most of the basketball game will probably be played in this zone, but your opponent may try to switch things up to do man-to-man coverage. If you haven’t practiced against it, you might lose your game very quickly.
Don’t pump too much iron if you wish to become a jump shooter. Muscle strength is great for any position in basketball, but you can have too much. Some shooting guards made their arms so big that they started lowering their percentage of field goal percentage.
High percentage free throw shooters typically have the same free throw routine prior to each and every shot. Whatever you do before each shot, from dribbles to body motions, should be the same each time. This consistency will get your body in tune to do the same thing every time, increasing your chance to make shot after shot.
Ask fellow team members what they admire about your playing skills? Do you do something really good at something? Maybe you are quick like lightening or you are a strong defender.
The key for controlling the ball control is to spread your fingers out. This will help you avoid losing it when you hold it. Your palm should not be touching the ball as little as possible.
To be a good dribbler, and a more versatile player, you have to develop not only your dominant hand but your weaker side as well. Getting by an opponent should be a lot easier if you can dribble using both hands. You can actually force yourself to utilize your weak hand by tying your other hand behind you. Your weak hand will soon develop better dribbling skills.
You need to be quick to play good at basketball.Try playing faster than your opponents for a better advantage.You have to do a lot of drilling to play faster. But do not try to go even faster than you are able. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and excessive turnovers.
Ask someone to take a friend to record your games so that you playing and watch it. You may see where you observe the game and what plays you missed. Be honest in your assessment but don’t be too harsh.
Mix things up offensively to keep the other team’s defense off-balance. When you running towards the basket, try planting the front foot and start straightening up. Your opponent will see you as stopping, then will also stop themselves. As they do, push forward hard and run by them.
Passing between the legs is something that helps when you are being closely guarded. Practice dribbling the basketball between your legs. Mastering this skill will provide you a major advantage on the court.
Practice looking the other way when you make a pass. You can really confuse opponents this way. 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 a play when done properly.
You should always have your free hand between you and your opponent when dribbling the ball. You don’t need to be shoving the opponents, but you’re able to keep them away by using the arm that isn’t dribbling as a separator. Keep it up and dribble with your other hand.
Free Throws
A solid routine will help you to achieve great free throws. If you aren’t able to be consistent then you’ll find yourself missing free throws.The best way to perfect your free throw shooting technique is through repetition by practicing it repeatedly until you get it right.
For example, a misfired shot launched from the corner of a basketball court usually hits the net, bounces off the site, and lands on the opposite side. It may bounce back right into the opponent’s hands.
No matter your basketball experience, this article is going to help your game. Try one tip at a time and you are sure to see improvement in your game. You can make every shot count, pass better, rebound like a pro and overall improve how you play every day.