Whether you have been watching and playing basketball for years or you have just started getting into, you already know how fun the game is. However, do you feel like you know everything there is to know about basketball? If you think you could benefit from learning more, read on.
Improving your flexibility will greatly help you during a game. If you’re flexible, you’ll be able to move around defenders better. Flexibility will help you to move better when you’re being blocked. You’ll be able to do more moves than others which will result in you getting the change to score or pass freely without being blocked.
As you dribble, bring your body down just a little closer to the ground. This will make it easier to bounce the ball. If the ball has a shorter distance to travel between the ground and your hand, you are less likely to make a mistake that leads to a turnover.
If you are trying to create a charging foul against the other team, make sure you plant your feet to the ground. Don’t shuffle them or lean into the dribbler coming at you. If you do either of these things, you’ll actually be called for a blocking foul instead of getting a charge.
Try using hand signals to ensure that your passes are received. One thing that can frustrate you when playing basketball is to try and pass while a player is trying to run to the basket. Using signals helps communicate passes with your team. No signal, no pass.
Keeping your fingers spread will facilitate better ball handling. That makes sure that you don’t lose the ball when you hold it. However, remember to keep your palm away from the ball. Remember to maintain contact with the ball through your fingers only.
To become a better dribbler, work on becoming more flexible. The looser and more flexible you are, the better you will be able to elude defenders. Stiffer players are easier to defend. The more flexible you are, the harder it is to defend you. So to improve your dribbling, you need to improve your flexibility.
If you play organized basketball, keep track of your average fouls per minutes played. If you are not a starter who sees a lot of minutes, you want to know this just in case. You might get called on to put in a lot of minutes one game, or play repeated overtimes. The last thing you want to do is foul out because you aren’t used to playing so long.
Ball control is an essential skill for good basketball playing. One simple drill to improve your control is to use a ball in each hand for dribbling practice. Bounce one ball first and then just a second after, bounce the other. Alternate the bounce as you move down the court. As you gain more control, pick up the pace.
Master the stop and shoot. Basketball is so much about movement that sometimes the most effective manner to get clear of an opponent is to surprise them with no movement at all. Master dribbling up court fast and when you hit a mark you’re comfortable with, stop short, pull up and shoot. Your opponent will find it tough to stop their forward movement, so you’ll have a clear look at the basket.
To defend a person dribbling the ball, it is important to bring your arms up to the ball. When you reach for the ball, starting low means you hit the ball first and not the arm. Hitting the arm first means that you are going to foul — not end up with the ball.
Balance is an important aspect in basketball, especially when taking a shot. When shooting, make sure you are balanced both side to side and from front to back. Do not be leaning away from the shot or lunging forward. If you keep your balance on shots, you will make baskets more consistently.
Practice your dribbling skills while shifting your momentum to alternate sides. During game time, you’ll find yourself dribbling from all sorts of positions. You might be working with a court that’s open, but you may get swarmed by quite a few people. Being able to dribble while shifting momentum is the key to controlling and keeping the ball. Not being able to do this leaves you open for the ball to be stolen.
To make great free throws, you need to arc the ball about four feet above the net. If you don’t put an arc into your shot, you are unlikely to get the ball into the net. Practice creating an arc with your shots so you can master free throws when you face them.
As the start of this article mentioned, you’re probably aware of how exciting basketball is, no matter how long you have had an interest in it. But, the key to succeeding with this sport is doing your homework on it. The tips above are a great start for your goal of becoming a basketball expert.
