Folks from all parts of the world have grown to love the sport of basketball, and it is pretty easy to see why. The fast pace and intense skill level involved make basketball a truly popular pastime for millions. If you are interested in gaining additional knowledge of the sport, this article is for you.
Know how to dribble the ball in the correct way. You’ll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm. This allows you to control the ball better. Dribble the ball around the height of your waist, and over to one side. Never look at the ground. Always look up.
One of the hardest skills to learn in basketball is how to relax while shooting. Concentrating on the back of the rim or where you want the ball to hit on the backboard are great ways to practice this. It might seem strange learning how to relax, but the more you do it, the better prepared you will be come game time.
Try yoga to improve your basketball game. You might not want to tell your teammates about it, since some of them are going to likely laugh. However, the increased flexibility and agility you get helps prevent injuries or at least leaves able to get back up quicker when you get knocked down. Don’t laugh; Kareem Abdul-Jabaar used it to extend his NBA career.
When you play basketball, be sure that you remain properly hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after playing. Becoming dehydrated can negatively affect your game and your health. It is possible to lose up to 2% of your body weight through dehydration. That can also cause between a 10% and 20% decrease in your athletic performance.
When a teammate passes you the ball, make the most out of it. If you have an open shot, go ahead and shoot. If you do not have an open shot or think that you can get open, do the right thing and pass it along to another teammate. They may have the shot that you don’t.
If you play organized basketball, keep track of your average fouls per minutes played. If you are not a starter who sees a lot of minutes, you want to know this just in case. You might get called on to put in a lot of minutes one game, or play repeated overtimes. The last thing you want to do is foul out because you aren’t used to playing so long.
If you want to become a better basketball player, exercise your forearms and your wrists whenever you possibly can. This will significantly help you with your ball handing and control. A strong dribbler always has strong forearms. Practice wrist curls in your exercise routine to improve forearm and wrist strength.
Basketball has reached popularity of tremendous proportions in recent years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But, it may be the case that you are not as knowledgeable on the topic as you would like. Hopefully this article has been a good start in your education when it comes to basketball.
