Of all the different sports commonly played today, basketball has to be one of the most entertaining and exciting. Millions of people love basketball. If you have ever watched the stars on TV and wished you can compete, then this article is for you. The following contains some professional advice from professional players who were once rookies like yourself.
For lightening fast dribbling, just like the pros, only use your finger tips on the ball. When you use all of your fingers, your dribbling will be much slower. Make this a part of your daily practice sessions until it becomes second nature to dribble with only the tips of your fingers.
Focus on your strong point to help you become a better ball player. Your best talent may not make you the star of every game, but learning to play your best angle will help you contribute more to the team. Focus on the skills you have and work to make them better.
It is important to practice all the different types of basketball shots. Practice a combination of long shots, layups and short shots. This will help you become a great all-around basketball shooter. Additionally, you should practice free throw shots during your practice. By learning the different techniques, you can ensure you play well during the game.
Watch professionals play to learn from their techniques. Attend as many professional games as you can, watch the pros on TV, or watch video of professionals. This is a great way to learn new techniques to try out on the court.
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.
Learn the positions on a basketball court. Each position has different roles to fill on both offense and defense. There are guards, point guards, forwards, power forwards, and centers. If you want to really enjoy basketball, learn the needs of all of the positions, not just the one you are most interested in.
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.
To give yourself a big advantage in any game of basketball, study the moves of your opponents. Players often have certain moves that they repeat or a certain approach that they favor. If you can make a plan to disarm their favorite move or approach, you can often outplay them.
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.
Lateral quickness is a very important part of becoming a good basketball player. You have to be able to move to your left and right quickly on both offense and defense. You can practice and improve your lateral quickness by moving left to right and back as quickly as possible with training exercises.
Pay attention to who has the hot hand. If a player on either team makes more than two or three consecutive baskets they are “on fire” as the saying goes. If they’re on your team, do what you can to make sure their streak keeps going to help your team. If it’s an opponent, put a little more defensive pressure on him.
Holding the ball correctly means using just your fingers, and that requires great hand strength. To build this, hold the ball in your right hand and squeeze your fingers together until it flies out and over to your left hand. Repeat on the other side, and continue until your fingers become tired.
To help ward off your opponent, practice using your other hand to help shield him away from you. You can’t push the person guarding you, but you can hold your arm out gently. Keep it up a little bit while you dribble.
Make sure you warm up enough before a game starts. Your warm up activities should be enough to make you break even a just a minor sweat. If you don’t, you’re going to risk injury. However, you’re also going to risk getting winded early in the game, which opponents will take advantage of.
You can now easily ascend from rookie to professional by following the tips above. Each idea is proven to improve your skills on the field. There is nothing holding you back from getting on the court and taking the game into your own hands. Get control of the ball and get control of the game.
