If you watch a professional basketball player in action you will soon see that they have a range of skills that all combine to help them make the most of the natural talent they have for the game.
Having the right clothes and shoes will help you to look and feel like the real deal, and you can get kitted out at sites like AND1.com.au so that you are ready to hone your skills on the court.
Once you look at the part, there are a number of critical steps you need to take to improve your skills and give yourself a greater degree of confidence when the ball comes to you. Whether it is your ball control skills that need improving or you need to find a way to boost your endurance levels, if you can improve all around it will elevate your game to a whole new level.
Here is a look at some of the main things to work on so that you improve your basketball skills and raise your confidence to greater heights.
Source: nba.com
Contents
1. Good ball control is absolutely essential
One of the main skills that you really need to prioritize is ball control.
Many top players would probably agree that if you manage to develop your dribbling skills it makes it easier for everything else to fall into place.
A good exercise to work on so that you improve your ball control is to remember that the key to excellent ball-handling is all about how well balanced you are. Start this practice routine by taking a centered athletic pose, which means keeping your nose behind your toes and having your hips loaded without actually leaning forward to do so.
Once your body is static and in this athletic position, start to move the ball around your body.
You should aim to maintain a bounce height that is midway between your knee and hips. This position makes dribbling easier and is known as the “Sweet Spot” because it keeps the ball near your shot pocket and makes it easier to shoot with greater efficiency.
Practice dribbling with the ball every day and it will give you a great foundation for other moves.
2. Work on your weaknesses
Even professional basketball players have certain weaknesses. What makes them better players is identifying these weaknesses and then working on them to bring these facets of their game up to a better level.
Being able to identify your weaknesses will allow you to work on eliminating them, making you a better player in the process.
Source: nba.com
3. You need to be ready to play
You can’t expect to take your game to new levels without having the physical capacity to play the game with more intensity and skill.
All good basketball players tend to be able to demonstrate a good level of endurance and overall physical fitness. You might need to use some weights to build muscle mass and work on some endurance-building exercises too.
Improve your physical fitness and it will help you take advantage when you raise your skill levels.
4. A way to be game-ready
When you are doing solo dribbling or shooting practice it is easy to think that you are setting a reasonable standard, only to discover that you struggle to replicate that performance in a competitive game setting.
A good way of addressing this issue would be to do a certain amount of practice at what could be classed as game speed. In other words, imagine that there is a defender guarding you and you don’t have the extra seconds to be able to plant your feet and prepare your shooting motion.
Learning to practice at game speed and making quick decisions and actions will definitely improve your game when it comes to a match situation.
Source: backyardsidekick.com
5. Work on your hand alignment
What you need to remember is that hand alignment is the key that unlocks consistency when it comes to shooting.
It would be a good strategy to regularly practice your hand alignment on the ball. A good discipline to follow would be to position the index finger of your dominant hand where the air valve on the ball is.
Once you become familiar with this central position you will find it easier to adopt this centered position more naturally.
This higher release point when shooting makes it more difficult for a defender to block your shot.
6. Your lower body needs working on for better shooting prowess
The fundamental point to bear in mind about the physical mechanics of shooting a basketball is that all great shots start in the lower body and rely heavily on rock-solid mechanics.
Every part of your body needs to be in unison if you are going to produce a level of consistency and accuracy with your shooting. Try pointing your toes so they are in the same direction. Next, lean to square them with the rim, push the arches of your feet down to the floor, and with your knees behind your toes, feel the energy work its way through to your hips.
Working on your foot positioning and lower body alignment will improve your body shooting mechanics and will make you a better basketball player when you become more accurate and consistent.
Source: dearbasketball.com
7. Find ways to create more space
Great basketball players seem to have a natural ability to create the space they need against a defender so that they can score. This is something they work on and it is a good idea to focus on ways of creating space from your defender.
What you need to keep in mind is that your task should be to force the defender into making a decision so that you can take advantage when presented with an opportunity to take a shot.
A good tip would be to practice using your shoulder against a defender’s chest as this will create a shield and deliver that vital bit of extra space you need.
8. Watch teams in action
Last but not least, you might want to watch a few more college basketball games in order to further your education.
As opposed to professional NBA games, college games are more of a study of the fundamentals of basketball play in a team setting.
Watching how these developing players move the ball around and generate scoring opportunities will give you food for thought and inspire you to raise your game to a new level.
Follow these useful tips and it should help you take your basketball skills to a higher level.
