If you want to excel in basketball, you will have seen that it takes a lot of practice and dedication. Even if you’re only playing fun, you’ll still want to be a good player. Reading the information here should help you become a skilled player.
Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Victory requires the ability to play defense. Offense is often what gets the glory, but most winning basketball teams play great defense.
Always keep your head up and looking forward. You haven’t practiced enough if you keep looking at the basketball while dribbling.Take the basketball around off-court wherever you go. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking to the dog. If you are looking at the ball, you can’t see the court.
Make sure that you practice your layups whenever possible.Layups account for up to 80 percent of all shots. When practicing this technique, then jump and shoot smoothly. This method will teach you in perfecting your ability to jump and then shoot.
In order to be a great shooter, good balance is key. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard. They are merely making up the play on the spot. You need to maintain good balance while shooting, which is sure to produce greater consistency.
Make sure that your regular practice includes catching passes. You can do the rest of your team a favor by practicing how you (and they) are more versatile.
Do not practice by playing against 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 may lose the match fast.
Try using hand signals to ensure that your passes are received. It can be frustrating passing to a teammate when you’re both heading to the basket. Avoid this with hand signals that let you know if the player is open to receiving the pass. If you don’t see a signal, try to find someone else to pass to.
A good way to practice sound passing is try doing it without dribbling the ball. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, it helps the team make better passes.
Don’t pump a lot of iron if you want to be good as a jump shooter. Muscle is good, but there is such a thing as too much. Some shooting guards worked on their arms so big that they started decreasing their field goal percentage.
Focus on your footwork and your core strength in your workouts. Your body is going to be more balanced and be able to move faster when you have strong core muscles. Focus on the back, buttocks, and hip muscle groups. Jumping rope is a favorite amongst professionals when practicing. By jumping rope, you improve speed and footwork.
Would you like to learn how to fool the opposing team?Try doing a back pass. Use the dominant hand whenever trying a behind the basketball when trying this pass. This is a very useful trick to confuse the other team.
Never play through pain after an injury. Basketball is very physical and you can get injured. You can quickly turn a strain into a debilitating medical issue if you continue to play with an injury. See a physician if the injury is serious.
Passing between the legs is great when you are being closely guarded. Refine this skill by bouncing a ball with force between the legs while stepping backwards or forwards. Mastering this movement gives you a big advantage on the court.
Always be aware of where you have your feet and what they’re doing.
Ask someone to take a video of you can see how yourself in action.You can see things differently as you observe the game and notice things you missed. Be honest with yourself but not overly critical.
If you want improve your free throws, you have to develop a routine. Failure to use consistency may make your shots less accurate. You have to practice time and time again. Just keep repeating free throws, if you want to perfect that technique. You will probably miss your shot if the routine you use is not perfect.
Practice looking in a different direction when passing. This can go a long way toward confusing the opponents. When you do this right, this technique distracts the opposition and gives your pass recipient a chance to focus on the basket. It’s quite a great play if done properly.
Practice with your weak hand as much as possible. Tie your strong hand behind your back and force yourself only to use your weak hand. You will improve dribbling with your weak hand.
To turn a normal 2-3 zone into a trapping machine, have your top two defenders (your guards) wait until the point guard has come about ten feet past the time line (midcourt). At this point, your guards must rush the point guard thus trapping him. Concurrently, have forwards go to the wings. The point guard will then probably throw an easily interceptable pass.
You must disrupt and upset the play of your opponent if you want to be successful as a great defensive player. Force opposing players into an uncomfortable zone.Be aggressive as you execute.Do not let them choose their plays.
Your forearms and hands should be strengthened if you to handle the ball better. Wrist curls can be effective at helping you to control the ball handling skills. You can’t just stand and shoot. You need to be able to move the basketball around to get things to happen.
If you wish to shoot on the outside better you should work on shooting hundreds of times every day from a lot of places on the court. To get even better, try to practice dribbling and quickly shooting. While in the air check out your target, but never before that. This helps to simulate game conditions and improving your accuracy.
Use these tips mentioned above and you’ll improve your game in no time. If you use the above advice, you are sure to see a positive shift in your game. Before you know it, you will be a superior player.