A wonderful thing about basketball is that the basics are easy to learn. You can pick up the basics in less than a day. However, you can always learn new things if basketball is something you wish to be good at, and this article will give you some tips to get started.
Make sure that you’re dribbling the ball correctly. Use the fingertips, not the palm, for the best dribbling. This provides you with much more ball control. Dribble to your body’s side instead of doing it out front, and bounce the ball at your waist’s level. Never look at the ground. Always look up.
Make sure you are dribbling the ball correctly. Don’t use your palm to dribble, use your fingers.This allows you to control of the ball much better while you dribble.
Learn to crossover if you have the ball fairly often.This technique passes the ball back and forth from the right hand to hand. The move must be very swift if it is to be successful. When you do it right, the crossover dribble help you to change direction in order to move down the court efficiently.
Start out with proper balance before attempting to take a shot. Everyone has seen professional basketball players make a shot from 20 feet away as they are falling. They have just improvised, is all. Non-professionals should focus on having good balance to ensure good shots. As time passes, you will make more and more baskets with this method.
Don’t pump a lot of iron if you want to be good as a jump shooter. Muscle strength is beneficial for playing any basketball position, but it is actually possible to have excessive amounts for playing on the perimeter. Some professional shooting guards make their arms so big that it started decreasing their field goal percentage.
Play basketball games with yourself during the off-season. Basketball is sport played in teams, but other people won’t always be around.You can accomplish a lot with solo games. Work on free throws or your pivot moves. There are always things that can do.
Never practice only against the zone. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your rivals could opt to go to man-to-man covering to keep you guessing. If your practice hasn’t included this type of scenario, you might lose control rapidly.
Pay close attention closely to the shoulders if you’re starting to slump when you shoot.If your shoulders aren’t correct, your shot is not going to go in. Be sure to keep the shoulders squared towards your hoop.The shoulder that’s dominant should be perfectly aligned with the hoop rim.
Ask someone to take a video of you can see how yourself in action.Are you able to see missed or things that you could improve on? Be honest with yourself but not overly critical.
Play basketball games with yourself during the season and before it. Basketball is usually a team sport, but just because you can’t find others, doesn’t mean you have to just stop thinking about it. That’s fine. You can still practice when playing alone. Go to the free throw line and work on your shots. You can always work on something.
To get better at shooting free throws, always go through the same routine before each shot. This might mean that you dribble the ball twice, touch your forehead, touch your forehead, or any other movement. As you adopt this routine, using a consistent routine can help your body retain the memory to make those shots after your “ritual.”
Dribble hard if you don’t want to avoid the ball being stolen. If someone is guarding you closely, it’s time to pass to an open teammate.
A smart tip to follow while playing basketball is to always keep your eye on the ball and not away from the play. This helps keep you aware of the action, and it takes away the surprise factor. Also, keep your eyes on areas that open up on the court for an easy basket.
Try some drills that require you to move the basketball from one side of the court to the other in no more than five dribbles. This may be difficult in the beginning, but if you achieve it, you’ll have great speed and stride length. This will help you accomplish great layups on those fast break opportunities.
Don’t let your feet to cross to become a hard to get around you.
To play good defense, you have to upset and disrupt your opponent. Force them into an uncomfortable zone. The more aggressive you are the better. Don’t let your opponent decide their own plays. This will give your opponent the chance to run over you. Force them to act and their rhythm will get disrupted.
Always stay low when you are playing defensively. This allows you jump fast and increases your reaction time should the person you’re covering do something. Remain in a good defensive pose always. If you need to block the opposing team’s shot, quickly get back into your stance.
If you wish to get your weaker hand built up, start using it for everyday tasks like shining your shoes or opening doors. This also can significantly help you with your basketball game.
Use your non-dribbling hand as a barrier between your opponent and the ball. You never want to push the opponent with your hand, but it is possible to use your free hand to secure the ball. Keep it up and dribble with your other hand.
You will gain a lot of ball control with bent knees.
This makes it more difficult for your opponents if they want to steal the ball. It will take flexibility, but you should be able to get down the court faster.
Understanding your teammates is a vital part of basketball. It is a sport that requires team work. Offense and defense aren’t 1 on 1. The whole team has to work together. If you believe others can help you improve, let them know. The result benefits you and your entire team.
Perhaps you just learned to play basketball shortly before reading this article. Perhaps you were good at basketball already. Either way, you can benefit from the information contained within this article. Use the information from this article to help improve your game.