Playing basketball just come easy to some people. People who are naturally tall have the biggest advantage but a majority of us just aren’t bless with that superior height advantage. So what is a player to do? The key is to find your own natural advantage and make the most of that. Work on your speed and reflexes. Know that your smaller size may cause taller players to underestimate you which you can use to your advantage. Use the following tips to help you make the most of your skills and enthusiasm.
When you are practicing your shooting, make sure that you practice shots that you may be required to make during a game. You should try to shoot the ball while moving around, standing still, and right after you receive a pass. You can have someone toss you a ball while you’re running in order to practice taking a shot after the ball has been passed to you.
One of the most important things to understand is when to make the shot. Taking a dangerous shot can result in the ball being overturned. If you do not feel comfortable making the shot, pass it to a teammate and either let them make the shot or get into a better position to make the shot.
Jump naturally when shooting the ball. Do not overjump or else you will throw the ball’s trajectory off course. Learn this technique by performing it in slow motion during your practice sessions. Jump vertically and do not release the ball until you are at the peak of your jump.
Be careful not to travel when dribbling the basketball. Traveling occurs when you take too many steps in between dribbles. It’s most likely to happen when going up for a shot. Just one extra step will mean the difference between a score and a turnover, so practice shooting as often as you can.
Perform skills, practice your ball handling and shoot free throws when you are practicing alone. Even though you play on a team, practicing alone can be helpful. That is okay. You can still accomplish a lot when playing solo. Whether focusing on foul shots or how to pivot with the ball, you can look for ways to improve. You can always practice.
Your child should work on their core muscles if they want to become a basketball player in high school. Core muscles include hips, abs and the lower back. The core muscles link lower and upper extremities. Without a strong core, they won’t have strong athletic performances. A strong core helps you jump higher and run faster.
Don’t just practice offense. Unlike some other sports, basketball players need to play both offense and defense constantly. There are no breaks in the game, and a great shooter can negate his or her benefit to the team by being a very poor defender. You need to become good on both ends of the court.
To properly handle the ball, you have to spread your fingers out. The ball will not get away if you always keep your fingers spread when handling the ball. Try to keep your palm off of the ball as well. When passing and shooting the ball toward its target, the sole contact point should be fingers.
Make sure you have prepared for your games by taking care of yourself. Don’t see your team short by staying up all night, eating junk food before games or skipping practice because you have things you would rather do. make a commitment to your team by being there for the team on the court and off the court.
Speed and agility is important, but you need to know how to practice to improve those skills. Running yourself ragged by training for long lengths of time or by running long distances won’t benefit your play on the court. Instead, practice sprints and other short bursts of exercise. This better mimics how on the court play really is.
Set up an obstacle course with chairs or pylons and then dribble around them. This will help you learn how to get around opponents while keeping control of the ball. As you get better, make sure your back is to the obstacle as you go by to protect the ball from it.
When it comes to making the shot, the key is to hold the ball the right way. Practice makes perfect, so hold your hands like they are claws and space out your fingers. Hold the ball with your fingers, not your palm. Hold the ball in your hand while watching TV to build your muscles.
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.
In order to play basketball you need to have good legs and be free from injuries. Unfortunately many people who play basketball develop injuries to their ankles. You can prevent these injuries by getting yourself a good pair of basketball shoes. Although they are pricier these days, it’s well worth it if you want to prevent those horrible ankle injuries.
As you can see, you don’t have to be seven feet tall to excel in basketball and enjoy it and help your team win. There are many popular players who aren’t giants, just as there are many tall people who don’t play basketball. The heart of the game is in the play, not in the height. So take these tips and apply them to your game and you may find that you have many natural advantages of your own to bring to the court.
