When you want to understand how to cook something, you look up a recipe online. As you continue cooking new recipes, you are better at it, and your food comes out tastier. The same goes for the game of basketball, so read the helpful hints below to better your game.
You should practice boxing out the other players to improve your rebounding. It is really easy to do, but many experienced players forget about it during the game. Boxing out is simply getting in front of the other player when the shot is in the air. This puts you in a prime position to grab the rebound.
Proper balance is essential when shooting. Sometimes you’ll see professional players fall out of bounds while making a shot from afar, but this doesn’t work at all times. They are improvising. Balance needs to be maintained to consistently make successful shots.
Work on flexibility. Flexibility is very important during basketball. This is because you may have to stretch to grab a ball that is in the air. Additionally, increased flexibility helps protect your tendons and joints from the damage caused during this fast playing sport. Do flexibility exercises often and always stretch before beginning any game.
If you play organized basketball, keep track of your average fouls per minutes played. If you are not a starter who sees a lot of minutes, you want to know this just in case. You might get called on to put in a lot of minutes one game, or play repeated overtimes. The last thing you want to do is foul out because you aren’t used to playing so long.
Always know where the other players are, both on your team and the opposition. You need to know who is close enough to steal the ball from you, who you can pass to and who might be able to rebound if you miss. Staying on top of the game means knowing the lay of the land.
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.
If you want to become a better basketball player, exercise your forearms and your wrists whenever you possibly can. This will significantly help you with your ball handing and control. A strong dribbler always has strong forearms. Practice wrist curls in your exercise routine to improve forearm and wrist strength.
If you want to be sure that you are dribbling correctly, dribble in some dirt. When you’re done, take a look at your hands. If your fingers are dirty while your palm is nice and clean, then you are holding the ball correctly. A dirty palm means you need to refine your technique.
To play the best defense, you have to beat your man to the place he wants to go and force him to go somewhere else. This means that your feet have to move quickly, so practice shuffling from side to side without crossing your feet. This is the quickest way to move laterally on the floor and will frustrate your man.
To better your vertical jumping in basketball, try doing some deep knee bend jump exercises. Begin by standing straight. Quickly crouch down as low as possible with your bottom nearly touching the ground, then jump upwards as high as possible. The minute you land, crouch immediately and jump back up again. Try doing this about 15 times, and when you’re able to, try increasing it to 20, 30, and so on. Don’t do these exercises more than four or fives times every week.
Always try and play against players that are better than you. That’s how you improve your game the fastest. Not only do you see and learn what they do, but you just get better yourself from playing against them. You’ll figure out what works and what doesn’t work pretty quickly.
In order for a basketball team to play well together each player should be good at passing the ball. If you can’t make a simple pass then it is much easier for the opponent to defend you. Not only will passing help advance the ball down court quicker, it sets up your teammates for wide open shots.
Keep dribbling when you’re going to switch the body’s momentum from side to side. You will dribble during different situations. While the court may be open at times, this only means you’re likely to get swarmed. You must know how to dribble the ball no matter what your body is doing. By nailing this skill, you have a better chance to avoid a turnover.
Put the ball in your hands as much as you can during off-time. You might have seen ball players holding the ball in random places, and there’s a reason for that. The more you hold the ball, the more you will handle it, and the more you will be able to control it on the court.
Basketball is a sport anyone can enjoy, but only those who take the time to learn about it will find success with it. From practicing daily to reading expert advice, the more work you put into your game, the more you will get out of it. Today, use these tips and work towards success.
