Basketball is a fun sport to play when you are really good at the skills necessary to help your team. Perhaps you would like to better your skills and that is why you’re here? If so, the following article offers excellent tips that the pros use to help them better their game and you can use them, too.
When you rebound in basketball, make sure you make contact before your opponent.
You’ll be in control of what occurs if you are the first to make contact when boxing out. Hit them first before they get a chance to make contact with you so that you can get leverage. Be sure to anticipate and be sure you’re always first. This will provide you with an edge.
Practice lay ups over and over. The lay up is one of the most basic basketball shots out there. And you should never let this easy opportunity to score pass you by. While simple, it still takes practice in game-like scenarios to make sure you aren’t laying the ball up too hard or at a bad angle. Get the rhythm down and practice it repeatedly.
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.
Improve your offensive game by mastering the shot fake. With this move, players think you are going to shoot the ball, so they will jump up. Don’t really shoot the ball yet; instead, use this opportunity to maneuver around them and take your shot. They will be caught off guard and won’t have a chance to defend you.
When trying to pass the ball to your teammate, the chest pass is one of the most effective. To do the chest pass, have your knees bent while you step into the pass. Then, make sure your thumbs are facing down and that the ball is coming off of your fingertips.
When shooting free throws in basketball, make sure you properly line up with the basket. Your lead foot needs to be lined up with the rim’s center. If you’re right-handed, your lead foot will be the right foot. If your court has a hardwood floor, check it for a dot. If it has one, put your toe on it for a straighter shot.
In order to steal a ball from a dribbler without fouling him, start with your hands low and bring them up toward the ball. This way you hit the ball first with your hand and knock it away. If you start with your hands high and swipe downward, you are going to hit his arm and get called for a foul.
Stay conscious of your foot motion and placement. Stepping ever so slightly out of bounds while you have the ball can cause an overturn. If you take too many steps and don’t dribble, then you are walking. If you move either foot while trying to pick, take a charge or set a screen, it will result in a called foul.
Add stretching to your warm up, cool down, and work out routines. Stretching helps give you a wider range of motion with your arms and legs. That’s critical to basketball. It’ll allow you to do things with the basketball that others will find impossible, including between the leg dribbling and behind the back passing.
Practice the three key things around the basket: dribbling, shooting, and rebounding. Everyone loves to shoot the basketball, but it’s only one part of a basketball game. You need to master all three of the things here to be a great player. If you only know how to shoot, you won’t last long on the court for a real game.
To warm up your hands for a game, hold the ball ahead of your chest then slap it hard as you pass it from one hand to the other. This helps you to truly get a feel for the ball while the blood begins to flow through your hands, getting them ready to play.
If you want to be a better jump shooter, learning the proper way to jump is one way to improve. It is extremely important your jump does not drift from side to side. If you begin to drift your shooting arm will lose aim at the basket. Jumping straight up and coming straight down will increase your accuracy and consistency.
Only stop dribbling if you want to shoot or pass. When you stop dribbling, then you limit your options. You can’t do anything but pivot if you don’t shoot or pass. This leaves an opening for your opponents to double team and try get the ball away from you.
Never watch the opponents feet, always watch their chest instead. Many players have learned how to fake out opponents with their feet, so it is better to focus your attention on their chest. It is much more difficult to fake upcoming movements with the chest than it is with the eyes or feet.
Rebounding is one of the major keys to winning a game as any coach will tell you. Therefore, it’s important to practice getting rebounds, and part of this practice should be spent blocking people out. As well, when you’re by yourself, hop to it with that energy, and go get that rebound!
After reading the above article you now know the strategies that the pros use to help improve their basketball playing skills. It’s a simple game but in order to help your team win you need to get better. The tips and great advice here will go a long way to helping you improve your game.
