A great knowledge base can help you with anything you do. From changing a tire to playing basketball, you have to understand the situation to do it right. When it comes to the latter, there is nothing better than reading the tips you will find below and then using them yourself.
When dribbling the basketball you should keep your head up. If you must look at the ball while dribbling, you haven’t practiced enough. You can practice dribbling almost anywhere. Walking to your mailbox? Dribble the ball. Maintaining unbroken visual contact with the ball makes it difficult to be aware of your surroundings.
Always follow through when shooting. A great way to practice is to hold your follow through until the ball goes in the basket or misses. This will give you some clues on why you missed a shot or where you need to strive for consistency. Watch how other players follow through and follow their lead.
To be successful with free throws, you need to be sure you’re taking the best approach. When at the foul line, have your feet about a shoulder’s width apart. Now, use both hands to dribble the ball. Bend your knees and and picture the ball going into the basketball as you take your shot.
When learning to dribble, you need to learn to dribble with both hands. This is important because you may have to switch hands when dribbling during a game. Also, learn to dribble behind your back and between an opponent’s legs. This may seem silly, but you may actually use this technique.
Do sprints in your practice drills. Basketball is a very active sport for the entire game. And there are times in it when you need to pull up your last bit of energy for an extremely fast sprint to the opposite side of the court. Your body needs to be used to sprinting, even when worn out. You only accomplish this through practice.
There are passes that can confuse the other team momentarily. You should try a back pass. To start, grab the ball using your good hand. Then, move the basketball around your rear. Pass the ball from behind your back by flicking your wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. This should should thoroughly fool your opponent.
If you are the parent of a young up and coming basketball player, make sure the coach you trust them with isn’t too obsessed about winning. Although this may sound counterproductive, it’s actually more important that your son or daughter be encouraged thoughtfully and with care, rather than screamed at and threatened. Check out the reputation of any coach first.
If you want to improve your jump shot, try shooting free throws blindfolded or with your eyes closed. Your free throw percentage ought to be pretty good before you try this. However, once it is, you can use this technique to really get down a fluid and instinctive shooting motion with your arms and body. Just make sure to do this alone in a gym, as to not errantly hurt anyone or break a window.
Good rebounding is a key aspect of a success basketball player, so practice rebounds and jumping. Many easy baskets come from the second, third or even fourth shot taken. Practice getting your own rebounds. It is very common for a ball to hit off the rim and head right back towards you.
Listen to your coach. Even if you don’t agree with him or her, your coach is the one with the plan. Remember, you’ve got four other people on the court with you, so a team plan of action is vital to your success. If just one person goes a different direction, then you’ll fail.
It is important that you learn to dribble the ball without staring at your hand as you do it. If your eyes are always on the ball, you can’t see who is around you. That will leave you open to having the ball stolen by a defender when you are least expecting it.
If your defender is playing you low, pass the ball to teammates using the overhead pass. Be aware of where your teammate will catch the ball. If you throw it too low, the ball will be uncontrollable. If you throw it too high, your teammate may not catch the ball at all.
Lateral quickness is a very important part of becoming a good basketball player. You have to be able to move to your left and right quickly on both offense and defense. You can practice and improve your lateral quickness by moving left to right and back as quickly as possible with training exercises.
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.
Learn how to make the offensive or defensive player go where you want them to go as opposed to forcing you to go where they want you to go. This means that you need to pay attention to your surroundings and watch out for traps and screens. You can avoid them if you encourage your opponent to go where you want them instead of falling into a trap.
Now that you know what it takes to better your game, start using these ideas as you play basketball. As you become a great player, you will be pleased that you took the time to read this article. With every win, you will feel great accomplishment, pride and a sense of joy.
