Playing Basketball is Fun

The first time you played basketball was probably very exciting. At that time, you were just learning passing, dribbling and shooting. Perhaps you think you have learned all you need to know about basketball. This article will provide you with what you need to know.

As you dribble, bring your body down just a little closer to the ground. This will make it easier to bounce the ball. If the ball has a shorter distance to travel between the ground and your hand, you are less likely to make a mistake that leads to a turnover.

If you hold the ball a lot, you have to learn crossovers. Moving the ball from hand to hand is a crossover. Crossovers must be done quickly to keep defenders at bay. When done properly, crossover dribbling is a great way to quickly switch direction or move around the court in an efficient manner.

Footwork is an important skill to practice daily if you want to improve your basketball game. Players with exceptional foot work can move around their opponents at will. It is essential to include both slow paced running and fast sprints in your practice sessions. You can practice first without a ball and then add dribbling to your footwork sessions.

When you are playing in a game, try your best to forget your misses. Nothing good can come from you dwelling on the last shot you missed or the last 20 you missed. Each shot is a new opportunity to score. Stay clam and keep trying even if you miss a few. Dwelling on the miss will lead to you overreacting and missing even more.

Jump on the ground and dive for those loose balls. Don't be afraid to hit the ground hard and get a little hustle on. Not only will this help the team, but the coach will surely notice your improved effort. Team moral is always a good thing to keep in high numbers.

If you want to improve your jump shot, try shooting free throws blindfolded or with your eyes closed. Your free throw percentage ought to be pretty good before you try this. However, once it is, you can use this technique to really get down a fluid and instinctive shooting motion with your arms and body. Just make sure to do this alone in a gym, as to not errantly hurt anyone or break a window.

Now that you learned a great deal about basketball, you should take your game to another level. Set your goals and practice all you can to better your skills. Apply what you have learned in this article to help yourself become a better basketball player.