3 Key Lessons to Improve Your Rebounding Skill

There are 2 occasions where you can get the ball off the bounce: when you are on the offense and when you are on the defense. Either way, you need to learn these lessons to become an overall rebounder of your team:

1. Rebounding is making the right body position.

Your coach always yells "rebound!" and you are getting sick of it because no matter how high you jump, your opponent is still able to grab the ball away from you. If this is your problem, then you might not be placing yourself in the right rebounding position. Remember this: rebounding doesn't start when you get the ball on its way down, it starts on the ground. Thus, knowing where to place your body to get the perfect position is one key to grabbing the ball. (I say one key because you have to understand the second lesson.)

The ideal position is placing your body between your opponent and the ball. Take note that not all rebounds come from the rim or the board, so positioning your body between the opponent and the basket isn't always possible.

2. Rebounding is anticipating where the ball will land.

You know the right position but it is useless if you don't know how to anticipate where the ball is going to go. This requires common sense. For example, if the ball is taken in the perimeter, it is likely that the ball will bounce off strong. A short shot may yield an opposite result. What you should do is to always put your eye on the ball and the moment the player taking the shot. Predict where the ball will land and position yourself right away taking into consideration lesson number 1. Take note that you can't always guess the position of where the ball will land but knowing this will increase your chances of placing yourself in the right position to get the rebound.

3. Rebounding is all about attitude.

As said by many, rebounding isn't about who jumps high or who stands tall; it is about who wants the ball more. This is the third lesson you have to learn. The attitude is all it takes to become a good rebounder. You may know how to position before rebounding and you may know how to anticipate where the ball will land, but if you don't want it, you won't get it.

Know the right position, anticipate where the ball will land, and wanting the ball more are the 3 main factors to become a good rebounder. Learn these and you'll be controlling the board.