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.
Practice hitting your free throws. It looks simple to do, but it isn’t that easy. The following technique should be practiced often. Begin by holding the ball directly in front of your face. Keep your eyes on the goal and visualize the ball going into the goal. Then, shoot the ball using the trajectory you pictured.
When you are in control of the ball, make sure you always pay attention to what is happening on the court. Know where the other players are. Don not stare at the ground. If you do, there is no way for you to have the type of court awareness that you need to be successful.
When you think you have a good shot, take it. This can be difficult to learn. There is a balance between not shooting enough and shooting too often. You never want to miss out on taking a great shot because you are looking to pass, but you do not want to miss on a couple of points because you do not make the pass.
When throwing an overhead pass, it is best to keep the ball from actually going behind your head. If you do, the ball is easier to steal. In addition, it takes longer to throw the overhead pass if you bring it behind your head. Throw it from over your forehead.
Never leave the practice court without taking some practice shots. Do some free throws, lay-ups and 3-point throws every practice before you leave. Of course you are doing some shooting during practice, but this additional practice will help you in the long run. Keep practicing your shooting on a daily basis.
One great thing to do if you wish to be prepared while playing is to make sure your back isn’t turned to the ball. Passes and turnovers won’t take you by surprise because you will be more aware of what is happening on the court. Pay attention to open areas for passes, too.
If you are going to get rebounds in basketball, it is important to get between the person you are guarding and the basket. Then back up against that person and start moving him away from the basket. This way, if he tries to go through you or over you to get the rebound, he has to foul you.
Never throw the basketball at another player. Even if you are angry or aggravated, it’s never smart to take your anger out with the ball. Not only will you draw a foul, you can also do some serious damage to the person you are throwing at. Take a breathe before you do anything stupid.
In order to be more reliable shooting free throws, practice your routine. Focus on your shot and eliminate all outside distractions. As long as it’s quick, using a consistent routine can help your body retain the memory to make those shots after your “ritual.”
Want to try a drill which will really work you out? Try dribbling with two balls at once! This will help you learn to master dribbling with both hands, plus it will build your arm muscles very quickly. You can’t use your eyes for this exercise, so you will learn to dribble without looking at your hands.
To rebound a free throw attempt by the other team, you get the advantage of having four people on the lane, as opposed to three for the other team. Take advantage by boxing out, putting your body on the person next to you and moving him away from the basket. This gives you the best chance at grabbing a board.
It is important that you learn to dribble the ball without staring at your hand as you do it. If your eyes are always on the ball, you can’t see who is around you. That will leave you open to having the ball stolen by a defender when you are least expecting it.
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.
To set an effective screen, make sure that your feet are slightly wider apart than your shoulders and your arms are crossed on your chest. The wider feet give you balance, and the crossed arms take away the temptation to reach out and bump the player as he goes by — which is a foul.
Your diet is key to being a better player. Playing basketball uses a lot of energy, so it is important that you eat a lot of carbs, lean meats and protein. Good additions to your daily diet include whole grain bread, lean chicken and nuts. Look for foods with low amounts of fat and sugar.
Think hard about when it is appropriate to dive off the court trying to heroically save the ball from going out of bounds. If you are absolutely sure a teammate is there to catch it and control it, your coach will probably love the hustle. If, however, you are doing this on the opponent’s end of the court and leaving them with numbers while you get back to your feet, you should just let it go out of bounds.
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.
