People all over the world love to watch and play basketball. Many famous players, including Michael Jordan, Yao Ming, and Kobe Bryant, are global celebrities. You may not be on their level as a player, but if you love to play basketball, you can profit from reading the following tips.
When you’re passing the ball, make sure that you pass the ball to the location of where the person should be headed. You don’t want your pass to be the reason a person needs to slow down or double back. Your pass should be aimed for a little bit in front of the person that you are passing to.
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.
Practice lay ups over and over. The lay up is one of the most basic basketball shots out there. And you should never let this easy opportunity to score pass you by. While simple, it still takes practice in game-like scenarios to make sure you aren’t laying the ball up too hard or at a bad angle. Get the rhythm down and practice it repeatedly.
One way to help improve your overall basketball skills is to spend some time watching what the pros do. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. You are sure to notice the key skills each player has mastered, and from there you can start practicing.
When you are playing in a game, try your best to forget your misses. Nothing good can come from you dwelling on the last shot you missed or the last 20 you missed. Each shot is a new opportunity to score. Stay clam and keep trying even if you miss a few. Dwelling on the miss will lead to you overreacting and missing even more.
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.
In order to get a good shot, good footwork is essential when posting up. Focus on positioning yourself more quickly than the opposing player is just as important as having someone beneath the hoop. Once you’ve reached a good spot, you need to secure it. Expert footwork is the key to these skills.
There are some drills you can practice to help you become a better player. For example, power crossovers: first, dribble with your right hand hard, and then quickly move the ball to your left hand. Repeat while passing the ball back to your right hand. This will make you a better at crossovers.
If you want to become a better dribbler, do it blindfolded. If you aren’t using your eyes to watch where the ball is, you can instead use them to see where other players are or where the net is. You shouldn’t have to stare at the ball as you dribble.
Knowing how to handle the basketball is an important step in becoming a good player. Work hard to perfect your dribble with your weaker hand. The ability to dribble the ball well with both hands will keep opponents guessing. When you are able to take off dribbling to the right or the left, opponents will have a hard time predicting where you will go.
Having the proper stance when playing defense is going to help you with all of your defensive moves. You will be much quicker to counteract offensive moves and you will be much harder to get by if you maintain the proper stance. Whenever you are practicing, train your body to get in the proper defensive stance so that it seems natural to you.
To inbound a basketball successfully, you have to be able to look one way and pass another. Many times, defenders will follow your eyes to try to guess where you are going to throw, so if you can look to the left and pass to the right, you will fake many defenders out.
One of the best ways to always be in proper defensive position is to never break out of the defensive stance. Slide your feet from side to side or push off with your opposing foot so that you are always in position. Keep your body constantly facing toward your opponent in order to ensure the best possible defense.
Perhaps you are not quite ready for the NBA, but this does not mean that you should not focus on becoming a better basketball player. The advice that you have just read can be invaluable. Incorporate these tips into your game so that you can dominate the court the next time you play.
