Have you ever thought that you’d like to be a professional basketball player someday? Don’t just dream about it, do it! You’ll find a lot of useful advice in this article.
Always protect the ball when you are in possession of it. Keep your dribble off to the side of your body to make it more difficult for another player to steal the ball. While you generally want to avoid dribbling in front of you, you can do so if there are no other players in your immediate vicinity.
Picking the right basketball shoe can be very important to your game. If you need support for your ankles, choose a high top sneaker. Make sure that the sole of the shoe has enough traction to prevent slipping. Always buy a shoe that is the correct size by having your feet measured at a sporting goods store.
Learn to pass more in basketball, even if it means giving up a good shot. Unless your team is down and must have the score, letting other players take a chance will improve the team as a whole. Taking all the shots that you can will cause other players and probably the coach to view you as selfish and not a true team player.
You want to always be aware of foot placement and what you’re doing. If you step on the baseline, you will be out of bounds. If you take too many steps and don’t dribble, then you are walking. A foul will result if you try to take a charge or set a pick and your feet are moving.
To give yourself a big advantage in any game of basketball, study the moves of your opponents. Players often have certain moves that they repeat or a certain approach that they favor. If you can make a plan to disarm their favorite move or approach, you can often outplay them.
Play full-court basketball whenever you can. If you love playing, then you probably know a half-dozen spots where you can play street ball or playground pick-up games. While these are good, they don’t give you the practice or experience of getting down the whole court. This matters in fast break situations, both offensive and defensive.
To increase the efficiency of your layups, begin your takeoff on the foot opposite from the hand you’re shooting with. Use your left foot when shooting with the right hand. Your body will be better balanced and moving in the direction of the basket. Your body will also be kept between the defender and yourself.
As with almost all sports, good mental conditioning is as important as physical conditioning. It is a good practice to use deep breathing exercise before a game to get yourself in the proper frame of mind. A clear mind, focused on the game, is less likely to make mental errors during a game.
Even though dribbling movement should start with the feet and below the knees, finish or follow through the movements with your whole body. The right combination of eye and arm motions can actually throw your defender off for even a half of a second, giving you the daylight you need to make a play or pass.
To take care of your leather basketball, only use it in an indoor gym. If you take it outside, the cement and asphalt will tear up that leather. Instead, buy a rubber indoor/outdoor basketball to take to the cement court. They are cheaper and bounce just as well outside.
A chest pass is the most effective method of getting the ball from one player to another. This type of pass gives you plenty of strength and allows you to fully control where the ball goes. Using a chest pass is also the quickest way to pass the ball but only use it when there is no defender between you and your teammate.
Having the proper stance when playing defense is going to help you with all of your defensive moves. You will be much quicker to counteract offensive moves and you will be much harder to get by if you maintain the proper stance. Whenever you are practicing, train your body to get in the proper defensive stance so that it seems natural to you.
To inbound a basketball successfully, you have to be able to look one way and pass another. Many times, defenders will follow your eyes to try to guess where you are going to throw, so if you can look to the left and pass to the right, you will fake many defenders out.
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.
Many basketball players want to gain weight to play more physically. This is especially true for taller players who play near the basket. To gain weight, lift weights and eat a balanced diet, including a lot of fruits and vegetables. Of course you should know not to use steroids to gain muscle mass.
Now that you have had a chance to read up on some great pointers, it’s time to get out and practice. You need to practice a lot and believe in yourself. Learn from the advice in this article to become the best player you can be.
