If being a basketball player is something you want to do, you have to work hard at it and practice a lot. Even when you’re playing for fun, you probably wish to be the best at it. By reviewing this piece, you will have what you need to tweak your game for the better.
If you feel you’ve been spending too much time on the the bench, ask your basketball coach what you can do to help the team the next time you are in practice. Hang on every word he or she says. This will demonstrate your intense interest in helping the team win by improving your own play and should get you more game time!
Your mind plays as big a part in making a free throw as your actual body does. You must train both your body and your mind. Relax, take your time and be focused.
Practice as many different shots as you can. You never know when you will need one during a game. If you only practice bank shots, then you will feel less comfortable making a 3-point shot or a lay-up. Practice them all and you will see improvements in all of your shots.
Don’t just practice playing against a zone defense. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion. If you haven’t prepared yourself for that, you might lose your game very quickly.
Always remember that to be a great basketball player, you’ve got to be a great athlete first. Put as much time into conditioning your body and increasing your endurance as you do shooting and passing. This will improve your play under even the most excruciating circumstances, making you an invaluable team member.
Good shooters rely on the perimeter shot, so practice getting open to get these key shots. A good play to run is having a post player work the ball down low and then pass it back out once the defense collapses. Run a drill during practice where the only shots you take are those from passes coming from inside the paint.
Learn something about basketball every day. Even if it’s the off-season and there’s nowhere to play, you can still improve your game. Read up on tips via books and websites or watch archived games to see what your favorite pro players can teach you. You may be surprised how much rubs off the next time you’re on the court.
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.
Work on making your forearms and hands stronger in order to improve ball handling. Strong hands make it easier for you to keep control of the basketball. Never assume you can just stand somewhere, catch and then shoot. Good dribbling skills will help you always stay in movement.
Alter your pace to confuse the opposition. As you are heading towards the net, straighten up and plant down your foot. The guard may think you’ve slowed down and may try to straighten themselves. When they do this, run ahead and push yourself forward.
To warm up your hands for a game, hold the ball ahead of your chest then slap it hard as you pass it from one hand to the other. This helps you to truly get a feel for the ball while the blood begins to flow through your hands, getting them ready to play.
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.
To help improve your basketball playing skills you will need to learn how to jump higher. One way that you can get better at this is by doing calf raises. Improving the strength of your legs, especially your calves will help you get more lift. Not only do you need to jump higher, you also need to be quicker, too.
Now, you need to get going and use the advice and guidance found in this piece. Keep these tips in mind and practice steadily to improve bit by bit. That plan will help you see results.
