Basketball is a fun sport that a lot of people enjoy playing all over the world. But in order to play it well you need to practice. If you’re in search of different tips to learn so you can improve your basketball playing skills you have come to the right place. Read on for expert basketball tips.
If you need to improve your basketball shooting ability, practice as if you were really in a game. Rather than taking your time to throw the perfect shot, act as if there are defensive players around you, trying to distract you and take away the ball. This will help you shoot better under pressure and make the shots that count.
When handling the ball, make sure you spread out your fingers. This makes it less likely that the ball will slip away from you. Also, keep your palm from making contact with the ball. Only your fingers should be involved in the process of getting the ball to where you want it to go.
When you think you have a good shot, take it. This can be difficult to learn. There is a balance between not shooting enough and shooting too often. You never want to miss out on taking a great shot because you are looking to pass, but you do not want to miss on a couple of points because you do not make the pass.
When dribbling, try to keep the ball low to the ground. This makes it more difficult for opponents to steal the ball away from you while dribbling. Keep the ball low and pass it from hand to hand while weaving in and out through your opponents. This will help you maintain control of the ball.
Keeping calm and reacting maturely to getting beat is as important to your game as anything else. If your opponent has played harder and has out-hustled you, don’t get upset or stressed out, as your game will only suffer. Instead, think about how to match the intensity of your opponent. Beat them at their own game.
Learn how to do a crossover if you plan to be in possession of the ball a lot. Crossovers are when you move the ball from one hand to the other while dribbling. If done quickly, the opposition won’t be able to get the ball away from you as you can pass it to the side they are not on.
Three pointers are a very attractive part of a basketball game. One way to achieve making more three-pointers is by using a drill where you start five feet away from the goal. Once you hit a net shot from there, move back a few feet until you hit another net shot. You keep moving back until you’re on the three point line, and of course you should be jogging for conditioning purposes as well.
When dribbling, try to make your moves below your knee joints. This will mean you have to bend over to dribble the ball and move, but there are advantages. It creates a little more personal space, making the ball harder for an opponent to steal. It also makes it far easier to shake off an opponent for a drive, a shot or a pass.
As with almost all sports, good mental conditioning is as important as physical conditioning. It is a good practice to use deep breathing exercise before a game to get yourself in the proper frame of mind. A clear mind, focused on the game, is less likely to make mental errors during a game.
As you can see from the above article anyone can improve their basketball playing skills with a few simple tips. All you need to do is practice as much as possible and you too, can master the skills that the pros possess. Hopefully what you learned here has provided you incentive to practice these tips.