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.
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 rebound in basketball, make sure you make contact before your opponent.
You’ll be in control of what occurs if you are the first to make contact when boxing out. Hit them first before they get a chance to make contact with you so that you can get leverage. Be sure to anticipate and be sure you’re always first. This will provide you with an edge.
Don’t prepare more for a game than you do for a practice. If you don’t tape up for practice, don’t do it for games. You will naturally take games more seriously than practice. However, you don’t need to start panicking over a game by overpreparing. Have a consistent and calm routine.
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.
Spreading out your fingers is key to handling the ball correctly. This can help you avoid losing it when you hold it. Don’t let your palm touch the ball either. You should only use your fingers to touch the ball when passing or shooting.
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.
Be careful about trying to block shots. In most organized leagues, blocking the shot on the way down or when in the imaginary cylinder above the net results in a goaltending call. This just gives the opponent the attempted points, whether they would have made the shot or not anyway.
To get offensive rebounds in basketball, you have to learn how to follow the basketball off the rim. Get used to watching people shoot, and see how the ball caroms off. Then get used to anticipating those bounces, so you can get around the defender before he even thinks to box you out.
Move without the basketball. Running the baseline has advantages. You can possibly lose your defender in the paint for a second and become open. At the very least you might distract the ball defender’s attention for just a second. Even if you can’t get open, set a screen for who has 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.
Don’t think that a shot has to be perfect to be taken. A lot of good shooters constantly remind themselves that the standard goal is large enough to take in two balls at once. There’s also a backboard that sometimes gives a lucky bounce. That leaves a good margin for error where you can make a less than perfect shot and still get points.
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.
Always run when entering or exiting the court. It doesn’t matter if the situation is a time out or a substitution. Never, ever show an opponent that you are worn down or tired. The psychological warfare of basketball is always waged, whether the clock is ticking down or not.
Bounce passes cause the defender to bend over to try to get the ball from you, often leaving them off balance. This is a great way to pass the ball to a teammate, allowing you to spin around your defender while they have no balance, leaving you open to take a shot.
If you have a defender right in front of you, consider using an overhead pass. You can throw the ball so high that the defender can’t reach it, protecting it from their grasp. Aim high on the person intended to receive it so they can catch it near their chin.
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.
