Sports are a long-time tradition in the world and basketball is a favorite of many. You boys and girls enjoy playing the game and perfecting their skills on the court. One great way to improve your game is to learn all you can about how the game is played and how to play like the pros.
When you’re dribbling the ball, you should avoid looking down at the ball. You should be able to dribble without staring at the ball. If you can dribble without seeing the ball, you’ll be able to keep your eyes on the rest of the game. This will help you to know who is open for a pass or if you have a chance to take a shot.
Practice dribbling the ball on a number of different surfaces. As you get used to how the ball reacts, you will be able to adjust your game accordingly. How you handle the ball can make or break the game. Turnovers lead to points that your team may not be able to recover from, so your skills in this area need to be solid.
When you are dribbling the ball, be sure that you are doing so with your head up. If you have your eyes on the ball instead while you are dribbling it, you cannot keep an eye on those defending you. This could lead to them stealing the ball away from you.
If you feel you’ve been spending too much time on the the bench, ask your basketball coach what you can do to help the team the next time you are in practice. Hang on every word he or she says. This will demonstrate your intense interest in helping the team win by improving your own play and should get you more game time!
When rebounding, start moving as soon as the shooter uncoils. When you react and move quicker, you better anticipate their moves and get more rebounds. When they start to uncoil, start contact by blocking them out. Make sure to do the same thing on offense since the shooter will most likely try to uncoil after the rebound. This can boost your number of rebounds.
Practice your layups a lot. Layup shots make up nearly 80% of a game’s shots. When practicing this technique, run toward the goal and shoot. Knowing how to run and jump quickly and smoothly will assist you in knowing how to leap and shoot more effectively while playing.
When shooting, always arc the shot, never throw straight. You have a much better chance of making your baskets when there is an arc on your shots. If you do not know how much arc to put into your shooting, find one that works best for you during practice and try to consistently produce the same arc during games.
To improve your basketball dribbling skills, set cones out on the court and practice dribbling in and out of the cones. Go from one end of the court to the other at different speeds to enhance your ball control. After you have been up and down the court several times, practice stopping and shooting from various positions.
Stamina is key to playing a good ball game. Basketball games are filled with running back and forth along the court. By increasing your stamina, you can stay in the game longer. One way to increase your stamina is by running a few miles each day, followed by a cool down workout.
Keep your footwork in mind while playing defense. Taking short steps will give you a better foothold on your opponent. Remember to push off your front foot. When you take long steps, it is more difficult to defend against a driving opponent. Check your distance from your opposing player by extending one arm.
It is important that you protect the ball if you have it. Dribble to the side to ensure that no one can steal it from you. If no one is nearby, you can dribble in front, but be sure to take it to the side if someone approaches you or you go for the net.
To play solid defense, if you are guarding the person with the ball, keep your eyes on the basketball. If you look at his eyes instead, he will fake a pass one way, just by looking in that direction, and then dribble around you the other way. The ball can’t lie about where it’s going.
Moving without the ball is an important skill to master if you want to become a better scorer. Standing still while on offense just makes you that much easier to guard. Instead, you should stay active and constantly be moving around. You’ll not only wear down your opponent, but you’ll also get more open shots.
Passing the ball is a necessary part of basketball. You should practice a variety of passing options and work to determine which pass is best for each situation. Try to make the simplest pass possible to ensure a successful transfer of the ball to a teammate. Pass the ball when your teammate is in a better position on the court or when you are being closely defended.
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.
As you can see, there is more to basketball than just getting the ball through the net. Take what you have learned from this article and others, to make an impact on the level of your game. Strive to be the best and put what you know to the test.
