
Basketball is a fast-paced sport that is exciting to watch and challenging to play well. There are a few important things to keep in mind when playing ball. You can read the tips below to better your skills.
When dribbling, make sure you hold your head high and look straight ahead. Lack of practice will manifest itself in looking down towards the ball when dribbling. You can practice dribbling almost anywhere. Try dribbling even when walking to a store. Remember, if you are directly staring at the ball, there’s no way for you to see what’s happening on the court.
Shooting has much to do with proper balance. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard. They improvise to do that. You need to maintain good balance while shooting, which is sure to produce greater consistency.
Put the emphasis on your strengths can help you to be a better basketball player. The best talent you have isn’t going to have you starring in every highlight reel, but having a good skill set can benefit your team. Figure out what you do well at and then you can practice that until you perfect it.
Never practice only against the zone. While you might see a zone defense mostly, a team can switch defenses to man-to-man quickly in order to confuse you. If you haven’t prepared yourself for that, you might lose your game very quickly.
A great way to learn how to pass is by doing drills often with no dribbling. While this may be difficult, it gets you used to finding teammates and thinking on the run. Don’t get upset if it seems hard, this will improve your team’s passes over time.
You can play basketball solo before and during the season. You may not always be able to find someone to play with you. That is okay. You can still get a lot accomplished with solo games. You can practice free throws or pivot moves. This will help improve the hard parts of your game.
Understanding the opponent is a good way to win with defense. Watch tapes of their games and see how others move on the court. You should know if a player is right or left handed. When you know your opponent, you will be better able to play an effective defensive game. A person that knows about defending makes a strong defender.
Build up your forearms to become a better ball handler. Wrist curls can be great for honing ball handling skills. Don’t just think you’re able to stand around, catch the ball and then shoot it. You need to be able to move the basketball to make things happen.
Dribbling the ball fast and hard will help you to keep better control of it. The ball bounces faster, giving the guard less time to steal. If you are being closely guarded, then halt your dribbling and quickly pass the ball to a teammate who is open.
Make sure your vision is good. While it will allow you to catch passes and read the score, there is more to it than that. Working to improve you peripheral vision will help you become a more successful player. Having good court awareness to see everything around you lets you see plays develop before they happen, either by warding off the defenders or getting the ball to open teammates.
Stay in your defensive stance while defending your basket against opponents. To do this, avoid lurching or stepping across the floor; instead use smaller, shuffling steps to move with your opponent. If you never allow your feet to cross one another you will invariably be a very hard player to get passed.
Changing pace can help you keep the offense guessing. As you approach the goal, plant your foot and then straighten up. Your opponent will see you as stopping, then will also stop themselves. When they do, push ahead hard and outrun them.
As this article mentioned, basketball is a beloved sport enjoyed globally. This article has given you some of the knowledge you need to truly excel. These tips will ensure you grow as a player.