Anybody who plays basketball would love to become a better player. Perhaps you are here because you would like to better your skills? Or maybe you’re just a newcomer to the sport altogether and interested in just being able to understand it a little bit? Either way, read the following article for excellent tips on the understanding basketball.
Footwork is an important skill to practice daily if you want to improve your basketball game. Players with exceptional foot work can move around their opponents at will. It is essential to include both slow paced running and fast sprints in your practice sessions. You can practice first without a ball and then add dribbling to your footwork sessions.
When dribbling, make sure to keep your head straight up. If you find that you keep looking down at the ball, you haven’t practiced dribbling enough. You need to gain the advantage of being able to see the court while dribbling. Then you can surprise your opponent with smart passes and quick drives to areas where they are not.
To improve your game, concentrate on your strong points. Your skills may not turn you into the star player, but knowing how to make the most of your skills will make you a more valuable player. Perfect what you can do well by practicing and developing the strengths you already have.
If you are in a good position to receive a pass, put your hand up in the air so the current dribbler can see you. The basketball court is surprisingly small when you’re actually on it. And when you’re playing in a game filled with ten people, there’s a lot of chaos going on in that small space. Sometimes that hand is necessary so that the dribbler sees the option.
It is important to stay focused during the game. If you miss a shot, brush it off and continue with the game. Although you may feel bad about missing a shot, it is important to regain your focus quickly and continue on. Remember that even the professionals miss shots.
If you are trying to create a charging foul against the other team, make sure you plant your feet to the ground. Don’t shuffle them or lean into the dribbler coming at you. If you do either of these things, you’ll actually be called for a blocking foul instead of getting a charge.
Work on becoming a more clever basketball player, rather than trying to master a few clever plays. Your opponents will eventually figure out your plays, but will have difficulty if they cannot anticipate your overall playing ability. Learn to be surprising, quick thinking and more agile in your ability to get the ball and work the court.
When prepping for the basketball season, walk around with the basketball as often as you can. Take the time to throw the ball from one hand to the other, and even flip it around your back. Your goal is to improve your hand/ball coordination so that the ball feels as if it’s part of you.
Stay low when playing defense. Keep your shoulders lower than the offensive player you are guarding will give you a better chance of moving more quickly. A lower stance will help you play the ball as well. Try to remain about an arm’s length away. When you get too far away, the other player can shoot easily.
If you are posting up, strategic footwork is important to becoming open and making a good shot. While actually being beneath the basket is key, establishing a good position prior to the opposition is even more so. Once you’re in position, you also need to secure your spot. Footwork is the key to either of these.
When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. Whenever your shoulders aren’t in a good position, you simply will not shoot well, regardless of your skill level. Your shoulders should be facing the hoop. The dominant shoulder needs to be aligned correctly with the rim.
To develop an accurate shooting stroke, put your dominant hand under the ball and use your other hand on the side of the ball, as a guide. If you develop this consistency, you will be able to follow through with your shooting hand and get a high, looping arc that is more likely to go through the hoop.
Patience can be a key component to getting the best shot. Taking a perimeter jump shot from near the three point line while early into the offense is probably not the best idea. Instead, get into your half court set and begin looking for the open shot. Look down low for an easy basket or outside for an open three point shot.
Have a good support system off of the court and appreciate their efforts. Whether it is your parents who support you by bringing you to games and financing your necessities or it is the sponsors who support your team, they all contribute to a winning team and should be acknowledged and appreciated.
A good rebound player can be a huge advantage for his team. Rebounding is about attitude more that skill. Think of every shot as a potential miss and be ready to position yourself to get the ball. Be alert for team members who are in a good position to make the shot.
Stick with full court basketball during practice. It might be fun to play some half court ball games, but you aren’t teaching your team how to deal with the full court. Plus, the rules of a half court game may be quite different than a full court game. It’s best to practice what you’ll be doing during game time.
As you can see from above the game of basketball is a lot of fun and simple to learn. Anyone can play basketball, but in order to play it well you need to master some simple tips, just like the ones you learned about here. Take all this information and use it to help improve your knowledge about basketball.
