Basketball is beloved sport worldwide. You can play at the park or in your driveway. Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of basketball.
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. Victory requires the ability to play defense. Offense gets attention and praise, but when you lack good defense, any team can lose.
Learn how to hit a free throw. Practice a lot with the following technique. Begin by holding the ball up to eye level. Keep looking at the goal and visualize the ball going into the goal. Shoot on the ball how you saw in your mind.
Focus on your strengths to get better ball player. Your strengths might not make you a star player, but learning to play your best angle will help you contribute more to the team. Know your strengths and keep practicing until there is no one better than you.
A great way to bolster your basketball ability is to observe those who are considered to be the best in the sport. Attend as many professional games as you can, watch the pros on TV, or watch video of professionals. Watch great players to learn the specific skills that make them exceptional.
Make sure to practice your layups frequently. Layups sometimes wind up to 80 percent of the shots taken during a game. When practicing this technique, then jump and shoot smoothly. This method will teach you in perfecting your ability to jump and then shoot.
Free Throws
Make use of hand signals so that wild passes can be avoided. It can be frustrating making a pass when a player moves away towards the basket. Hand signals can help you communicate with your teammate on the court. If your teammate misses your signal, then they may miss the ball as well and the other team could gain possession.
Free throws require as mental focus as physical. Stay calm and collected to increase your ability to make free throws.
Make sure that your regular practice catching passes. You can do the rest of your team a favor by practicing how you (and they) are more versatile.
Never have your back to the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. This will help you stay on top of quick changes in possession or plays attempted by your opponent. Maintain awareness of open areas on the ball court that may allow you to quickly score a basket.
You can learn how to better pass the ball if you forgo dribbling during practice. It is hard to play with no dribbling, but your accuracy is sure to inprove.
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 made their upper body to the point of harming their field goal rate went down.
Dribble very hard to prevent the opposing team players from stealing the ball. A hard dribble returns the ball back to you faster, leaving less chance of it being snatched by the other team. If the defense gets to be too much, look to pass the ball to someone who is open.
Play games with yourself during the season and out of season. Even though you play on a team, you can still practice on your own. There is still much that can accomplish playing on your own. Work on free throws or your pivot moves. There is no shortage of things you can work on.
Speed is a key attribute in the sport of basketball. Try to play faster than your opponents by being fast to win the game. You need to really drill to get to the point where you play fast. But don’t try to go even faster than you are able. Playing beyond your speed can result in bad passes and lots of turnovers.
In order to help develop your non-dominant hand, you should use that hand only when trying to open things, and also when brushing your teeth. Being able to dribble and shoot the ball with both hands will make it much more difficult for opponents to defend you. That can make your game better.
Always be aware of the locations of your feet and what you are going to do with them next.
Ask a video of you can see how yourself in action. You can see where you can improve and notice things you missed in the game. Be honest in your assessment but don’t be too harsh.
To keep your opponent on their toes, keep your dribbling steady and regular, then surprise them. You can surprise the opponent by changing up your dribbling. Changing the speed also changes the sound which can be off-putting.
Practice looking in a different direction when passing. This will make your actions very confusing the other team. When you do this right, this technique distracts the opposition and gives your pass recipient a chance to focus on the basket. It’s a play when done properly.
To maximize your layups, take off using the foot that;s the opposite of your shooting hand. This will keep your body and allows you to use yourself as a barrier between the defender and yourself.
Double dribbling is a major rule, and something that must always be avoided. This is when you are dribbling, then you stop and then you begin again. If dribbling stops, you must pass or shoot the basketball. It is against the rules to recommence dribbling. This will make a turnover occur which means the opponent will get the ball.
Try some drills that require you to move the basketball from one end of the court to the other in about five dribbles.This may seem quite difficult at first, but if you do it, your speed and stride will be truly impressive. This is a vital skill to give you points on those fast breaks.
You will have better ball control by bending your knees just a bit.
When you’re in possession of the ball you have to know when a shot should be made or a pass needs to be. It’s best to be a winning team, than someone that lost the game.
You can improve your outside shooting game. This is a good way to simulate game conditions and increase accuracy.
Use the hand you aren’t dribbling with to keep the ball. You don’t want to be pushing any of your opponents (that’s a foul), but it is possible to use your free hand to secure the ball. Keep it up a little bit while you dribble with your other hand.
You should know your weaknesses. Make an honest assessment. If you’re constantly missing foul shots, try practicing these more than three pointers. If you play weak within the paint, work on short shots and try training to play much more physically. Strengthen your weaknesses so you can be an all-around player.
We hope this article has given you the information you need to enjoy basketball to the fullest. It isn’t hard, but does take some effort. After you get going, you are sure to start playing more often than ever before. All you need to do is hit the court and have some fun!