If you feel like you could benefit from some advice about bettering your basketball game, this article can help you. It’s time to lace up and get out there to make improvements each time you practice. Even if you just play for fun, wouldn’t you like to stop the defense or be able to better make that 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.
Practice makes perfect. This is especially true in basketball. Learning how to shoot a basket, how to dribble and how to pass a ball is important to playing good basketball. Spending as little as 30 minutes practicing a day can really help develop your game and make you a better player.
Knowing how to perform a crossover is a must when you handle the basketball frequently. Crossovers involve sending the basketball from one of your hands over to the other one. This must be done quickly to be successful. When done correctly, the crossover dribble help you to change direction in order to move down the court efficiently.
Practice your free throws as often as you can. Free throws in basketball can turn the tide of a game. They are your opportunity to score points with clear views of the basket. You should aim to land at least 80% of the free throws you take. Great free throw shooters can top 90%.
It is important to stay focused during the game. If you miss a shot, brush it off and continue with the game. Although you may feel bad about missing a shot, it is important to regain your focus quickly and continue on. Remember that even the professionals miss shots.
Even though you may miss ten times in a row, you will succeed eventually. Keep calm and focus on your form instead of letting your emotions get to you. This will help you develop good habits and grow as a player. Each shot you take is unique and has nothing to do with the previous ten shots you just missed.
To be a great basketball player, you have to make the ball part of your body. It may seem silly but roll it in your hands, dribble in the driveway, go for walks with it and take it with you wherever you go. The more time that ball spends attached to your body, the harder it will be for defenders to take it from you on the court.
If you want to be sure that you are dribbling correctly, dribble in some dirt. When you’re done, take a look at your hands. If your fingers are dirty while your palm is nice and clean, then you are holding the ball correctly. A dirty palm means you need to refine your technique.
Stick with full court basketball during practice. It might be fun to play some half court ball games, but you aren’t teaching your team how to deal with the full court. Plus, the rules of a half court game may be quite different than a full court game. It’s best to practice what you’ll be doing during game time.
If you can dribble with both hands, you will truly be a threat to the opposing team. You can go left or right around a guard without worrying about losing the ball. Practice dribbling with both hands at the same time to build your skill without staring at the ball.
Repetition in shooting is important to success. Once you perfect your shot, being able to repeat it will ensure you can score often. Practice repetition by laying on your back and resting the ball on the fingertips of your shooting hand. From this position, “shoot” the ball and practice getting the proper spin and rotation.
Increasing the strength of your hands is a great way to improve your ball handling skills for basketball. Finger pushups should be a regular part of your basketball practice routine. You can also increase hand strength by squeezing a tennis ball on and off throughout the day. Begin by doing this every other day and build up to 6 days per week.
Get your hands up when playing defense. Get your hands in their face and obstruct their vision. They might be taller or faster than you, but if you get your hands up in their face and obstruct their field of view, you have a better chance of disrupting what they are intending on doing.
In order to be a great basketball shooter you need to be confident. One of the reasons why professionals get very far is because they are confident in their abilities. You won’t hit every shot or defend every play, but if you let it affect you then there is no way you will play good basketball. Be a better player by being confident!
Think hard about when it is appropriate to dive off the court trying to heroically save the ball from going out of bounds. If you are absolutely sure a teammate is there to catch it and control it, your coach will probably love the hustle. If, however, you are doing this on the opponent’s end of the court and leaving them with numbers while you get back to your feet, you should just let it go out of bounds.
How confident are you that you can get out there and put these tips to use? This article has explained many strategies for improving your game, and now it’s up to you to make it happen. It takes time and practice, but you can do it. Get on the court and use that energy!
