Tips on how to play basketball better

A Complete Guide On How To Get Better At Basketball Fast

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Playing basketball is not a skill that you can master in an instant. Even professional basketball players have to spend a lot of time practicing every day.

However, if you are a novice or young basketball player and want to master the basic steps to improve your skills, Scott Fujita will guide you in the article below.

How to get better at basketball at home? Let’s read on to discover!

Detailed steps to get better at basketball

Contents

How To Get Better At Basketball

To be able to play basketball well, you need to know some basic basketball skills. The first step is always the most important to understand the movements often used in competition.

Related: 

• Basic skills of basketball
• How to become a basketball coach
• How to shoot a basketball

1. Master Your Ball Handling Skills

To become a better player, the first thing you need to do is develop strong basketball dribbling skills. Start with simple dribbling drills and work your way up to mastery.

It would help if you started practicing with a centered athletic position. Keep your nose behind your toes and loaded hips, so you will not lean forward. Balance is the key to effective basketball handling.

Start moving the ball around your body in a static and athletic position. Don’t hesitate to dribble forcefully to the side of your foot when handling the ball.

You should maintain a bounce height between your knees and hips for the best control. Practice a few times in that sweet spot and then start dribbling. It ensures to keep the ball within your range to score better.

To gain more ball control, you need to put more force in after each dribble. We recommend practicing two-handed dribbling every day until your dribbling skills become proficient.

Also, pay attention to the three basic basketball skills: midfoot, back, and crossovers.

You will need to combine or create new dribbles based on these basic moves in a basketball game. It is vital to make sure you understand this step well before moving on to the other steps.

Check out this video to get an ultimate guide on how to get better at basketball dribbling.

2. Identify And Fix Your Weak Spots

Once you’ve played basketball for a while, you’ll have a clear understanding of your abilities. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to self-assess your performance. Usually, it will take you five to ten minutes to think about and list all of your strengths and weaknesses on paper.

Finding out your weaknesses will help you determine which basketball drills you should practice. For example, if you have trouble at the free-throw line, increase your free throws practice next time.

To become an elite basketball court player, you need to identify and eliminate your flaws to perfect every game aspect.

3. Practice At A Game-Time Pace

Most basketball players perform better in solo practice than they do in basketball games. The main reason for this drop in form is that the pressure of time and the game’s fast pace sometimes overwhelms you.

If you tend to shine in practice games but are poor at shooting and dribbling in real matches, chances are you haven’t kept up with game speed. When practicing or playing one on one, imagine defensive players covering you. It will help you a lot in keeping up with the actual game speed.

Opponent defenders won’t wait until you’ve completed a dribble or tried to find the best throw distance to the basketball hoop. If you want to practice shooting, let’s assume there are a lot of opponents around you. Those who hesitate to practice will not be able to perform well in actual conditions. It would be best if you remembered that.

4. Improve Your Physical Fitness

You will not be able to improve your basketball skills if you are not physically fit. Whether you’re a defense or offensive player, fitness is essential to keep a basketball player competitive.

To be able to run across the field, you need to build endurance. Even if you’ve mastered basic skills like dribbling and passing skills, you won’t be able to keep up with your teammates if you’re quickly exhausted after five minutes of running. The best exercises for building endurance include endurance running, sprinting, or weight training to build muscle.

Power dribble before each game to warm up is also an excellent way to get used to the tempo of practice. Do these routines daily to increase your stamina. As muscle mass increases, it will help you become more aggressive to elevate you.

You need to practice shooting basketball frequently

5. Improve Your Shooting Motion

You need to take some shooting drills to build the foundation for your shots. The lower body is the starting point for every shot that can score points. So, you need to focus on training and training your lower body.

Start by pointing your toes in the same direction, first placing them perpendicular to the rim. During practice, try to find the most natural position for your body. If you push the arch of your foot into the floor to load your lower body, it will give you strength and consistency.

Keep your knees behind your toes and focus on letting energy and power flow from your feet to your hips and buttocks. Finally, stroke your toes, knees, hips, and shoulders. Don’t forget to flex your legs after each shot.

You can also use the hand-eye coordination method to make your shooting arm stronger. If you want to practice at home, stand in front of a mirror without a ball in hand.

6. Work On Your Hand Alignment In Playing Time

For a consistent ball feel, optimize your hand positioning. It affects the proper spin, feel connection, and controllability through which you fire. To find the correct hand position is to place the index finger of your dominant hand on the air valve of the ball. You can practice a shooting drill to get used to the feel of the ball in your hand.

When facing a defensive player, choose a high release point to make it harder for them to block. Keep your wrists and elbows in line with the basket. Extend your arms entirely so that your elbows end above the eye at the point of the shot.

7. Learn From Game Tapes And Realistic Matches

For beginners, watching other basketball players play is also an excellent way to learn. Not only with basketball but also other sports. You can see how people play defense as well as set up attack tactics accordingly.

Professional games like the NBA are often thrilling but not suitable for learning. They usually pay attention to individual skills or highlights of the players. In contrast, high school and college tournaments use longer shot clocks. It is more suitable for the way teenagers play.

Observe and save skills that can be useful to bolster your offensive and defensive game. You won’t be able to practice defensive drills without help from other players. So this would be a good way to learn.

Don’t forget to play one on one with a defender

8. Try To Create Space From A Defender

Playing defense is difficult if you practice alone. Most of our exercises will revolve around attacking and scoring. So how can you master the shooting and scoring?

A helpful tip is to observe defensive players’ feet, hands, and noses. They will help you roughly determine their standing position to predict their next move. Make quick judgments and create space with jabs or jumps.

When creating space from a tight defender, you need to achieve three goals. These include breaking balance, keeping the ball close, and creating a lane to the basket.

We recommend that you combine watching the video tutorials below to get the best results.

Final Thoughts

For you to become a better basketball player, talent is not the deciding factor. Famous stars like Michael Jordan or LeBron James also have a hard time practicing to master skills and apply them flexibly during competition. Take time to practice every day, and you will quickly realize your progress.

Thank you for reading!

How to become a better basketball player, according to NBA legends

You play pickup ball with your friends each week, but you can’t seem to keep up.

You’ve been working hard in the gym, hitting the weights to boost your fitness, but nothing seems to be working. The best way to sharpen your skills on the court? By picking up tips, tricks, and training suggestions from some of the best professionals in the sport.

Whether it’s boosting your speed, stamina, shooting, or mental toughness, we have some options for you to help your pickup skills.

Here’s your basketball training guide:

Passing

Jason Kidd – former NBA point guard, Milwaukee Bucks head coach

Back when he was age 34, Jason Kidd had one of his best seasons, joining greats Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only players to average at least 13 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds per game. Kidd shares some tips on how to deliver pinpoint passes and achieve your personal triple-double: strength, speed, and endurance.

Passing Skills

“I always felt passing isn’t so much working on passing as it is anticipation: What does the eye see, and can the mind relay that to my body? What does this guy like to do? Does he like to go right or left? If I see somebody is going backdoor, can I get it to him in stride so that he can catch and finish?”

Hand-Eye Coordination

“How do you work on sight and passing? Try to throw a strikeout in the [batter’s] box. If you are playing strikeout with a buddy, if you see he doesn’t like the ball inside, can you throw on the inside corner on the plate consistently? I think this is good for anybody with a son or daughter—can you throw pitches to an 8-year-old consistently where you know he or she can hit it? Can you throw the ball so it is in their sweet spot? That isn’t a very easy thing to do.”

In the Gym

“I do a lot of leg work—stepups with 30-pound dumbbells, leg press, calves and calfraises—and I do situps in between each set. I’m a big fan of Pilates for maintaining your strength. I can go an hour or 30 minutes to stretch and work on my flexibility and my abs. I don’t run a lot, but I do try to swim five times a week. I also play one-on-one with a good friend not so much to beatng him but more to chase him, stay in front of him, andmove my feet.”

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Stamina

Kobe Bryant – Retired NBA legend, Los Angeles Lakers

When he was at his peak, Bryant was the NBA’s best overall scorer. Over the years Bryant bulked up with a regimen that combined Olympic lifts with track work. He shared his secrets for playing with the same intensity each time you hit the court.

Conditioning

“You want to make sure you go into the upcoming season in tip-top shape. My conditioning comes from running, whether it’s on a track, on a field, or on the court itself just doing suicides or sprints. Whatever your program is, the key is to push yourself to a level where you’re hurting. You can’t gain conditioning without going through it. You’re going to have to feel some pain, you’re going to have to feel like your lungs are burning, that sort of thing.”

Consistency

“If you watch me train, it doesn’t look like I’m overexerting myself. It’s an everyday thing. You have to abide by your program religiously.”

In the Gym

“During the season, I focus a lot on weight training, building up my strength level as the season progresses. Clean pulls, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, back squats, things of that nature. In the off-season, it’s about getting stronger as well as more agile. Then, obviously, you want to get on the court and work on your skills. I shoot between 750 and 1,000 makes a day.”

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Shooting

Cuttino Mobley – Former Houston Rockets, L.

A. Clippers guard

The former Clippers and Rockets guard was one of the best 3-point shooters in the league during his playing days. Here’s how to shore up your own longdistance stroke.

Warm-Up

“Start in at the rim, almost like a layup with jump-shot form, and shoot about 100 shots inside, then start moving farther out. It’ll just become muscle memory from repetition.”

Proper Form

“Tuck your elbow and line it up with your knee, and don’t shoot at the rim, shoot up over it. Put some air under the ball so you give it a chance to go in. Pretend you’re picking an apple out of the basket. Reach up, go inside the basket with your release, andfollow through with your index and middle fingers. That’s what your form should be: up, pick the apple out of the basket, then back down. You don’t want to be leaning back when you shoot, either; you just want to go straight up and come down on the same spot.”

In the Gym

“Do as many pushups pullups, and dips as you can. Your jump shot comes from your triceps and your wrist strength. You don’t have to be lifting all those weights to shoot.”

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Speed

Leandro Barbosa – Phoenix Suns guard

Leandro Barbosa, “the Brazilian Blur,” previously won the Sixth Man Award earlier in his career, partly because he’s proven himself to be faster than just about anybody in the NBA. His experience will help improve your speed.

Take Up Soccer

“When I was a kid, I used to play soccer without shoes on the street. I don’t have a lot of ball-handling skills like Steve Nash, but my thing is just to get the ball down the court and score. Soccer really helped me develop my quick feet.”

In the Gym

“I don’t do a lot of upper-body stuff, but I do leg presses, Romanian deadlifts, and some other lower-body work every day. I also try to do exercises while I’m wearing a weighted shirt. People say it can be bad for your knees, but I do a lot of exercises with it on to keep my legs strong. Sometimes, I’ll just walk around the locker room with it on. Then, when I take it off, I can really feel the difference.”

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Mental Toughness

Gilbert Arenas – Former Washington Wizards guard

“Basketball is all mental,” says eccentric guard Gilbert Arenas. “Everyone’s talent is the same, but the mental aspect separates stars from superstars.” Heed his advice and be as tough upstairs as this former clutch shooter.

Redirect Your Energy

“My confidence got hurt coming into the league [Arenas was drafted 31st overall in the second round; he expected to go higher], but after seeing an old highlight tape, I realized that it’s just basketball. I put all my frustration and energy into basketball for two weeks. I did it, and I got to play, and I just decided that [my intensity] is what got me on [the team], and this is what’s going to keep me on it. ”

Find a Training Partner

“You need someone to challenge you, because it keeps you motivated. He’s going to make you work hard for what you do. You need somebody like that.”

The Psychology of Game Winners

“When we play pickup games, I won’t shoot the ball until it’s the last shot,” says Arenas. “I’m the only one who’s going to take it all the way until we lose or we win. I’ve been doing that for the last three years. You have to have that mind-set: If you don’t make it, you have to live with it. As many shots as Michael Jordan’s made, he’s missed three times as many.”

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Basketball for beginners: tips for beginners

Basketball is one of the team sports that continues to be very popular among both teenagers and adults. What are the basic rules for playing basketball?

Whether it's a team game on the school playground or an Olympic sport, basketball has a lot of public interest. Dynamic turns, fierce struggle for points - all this makes a basketball game especially spectacular. To learn more about the situation on the field, see basketball rules below .

Basketball rules for beginners

Basically, the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's basket. Points are scored by the team whose player made a successful throw. As in football, the team defends its basket and does everything to prevent the opponent from gaining a points advantage.

Depending on the type of shot, a different number of points can be awarded for it: 1, 2 or 3. Free kicks get the least points, the best result can be obtained by hitting the basket in front of or behind the three-pointer. throw a line. The course of the game is evaluated by the judges on an ongoing basis.

As a beginner, also remember the answer to the question: How many people play basketball? The game is limited in time and divided into four parts, the so-called quarters .

Depending on the region in which games are played, one quarter can be 10 minutes (WNBA rules) or 12 minutes (NBA). At the end of the time, the judge, based on the results obtained by the teams, announces the winner. If the opponents have the same number of points, a draw is made followed by 5 minutes of extra time. There are short 2-minute breaks between each part of the match and one longer 15-minute break in the middle of the game. In each of these periods, the team has 24 seconds from the moment the ball is tackled to take the action resulting in a field goal.

How many players play basketball - the number and functions of people in the team

Basketball has two teams, each with 5 players plus 2 substitutes. If necessary, for example, after an injury to a player, they enter the court to replace him. One of the players acts as the team captain - this person represents the team in contact with the judges. Additionally, the coach and his assistant (on the side) participate in the game.

How basketball is played - serve and ball

Two teams, a hard-surface field, which is abundant in towns and villages,

a basketball backboard with a basket and a suitable ball - this is the set you need to start the game. You can afford some freedom during a regular match. However, it is worth knowing the rules that govern the rules of this team sport.

What does a basketball court look like?

The rules define the exact dimensions of the field on which basketball can be played. Its surface must be firm and level, 28 m long and 15 m wide. The playing court is specially divided into sectors with strong and clearly visible lines of uniform color and 5 cm wide.

The three-point field goal line is located at a distance of 6.75 m from the center of the ring , and the line of free throws - 4 m. In the center of the site there is a circle with a radius of 1.8 m. M above the playing field.

Basketball Features

Basketball stands out from the crowd used in other team sports. The first thing that catches your eye is the orange color. The size of the ball varies considerably depending on whether we are interested in women's or men's games. A slightly smaller ball (size 6) is intended for the fair sex. According to the rules, gentlemen use a larger ball, the circumference of which is up to 780 mm. Therefore, the ball used in women's competitions is also lighter than in men's games.

The ball may be in different states. A live ball is meant when it is in play, especially when the jump ball is legally executed and when it is at the disposal of a teammate. However, he becomes dead when he is accurately thrown through the ring of the basket, when he falls out of the car, after the referee's whistle, or after the sound of the clock signal.

Basketball mistakes and how not to make them?

Common errors in basketball include incorrect movement with the ball (so-called dribbling errors, step error), crossing the line (crossing errors) and errors resulting from exceeding the time limit for a given maneuver (expressed in seconds - the aforementioned 24 second rule ).

There are separate categories of illegal play for jump ball errors, outs and fouls. A dropped ball is taken from a circle marked exactly in the center of the court. This is when the referee tosses the ball, thanks to which he returns to the game and the teams begin to fight. In this situation, the contestant cannot catch it. You can bounce off the intercepted ball up to 2 times.

The referee signals that the ball has gone into touch when the ball leaves the designated playing area. Interestingly, if a player bounces off the field and, while still in flight, passes the ball over the line to his partner before he touches the ground, there is no out. On the other hand, a foul is an intentional violation by another player. It is also wrong to throw the ball through the hoop from below and deliberately throw it into your team's basket.

You should keep this in mind when playing basketball.

When playing basketball, remember the basic rules of this sport. A summary of the principles learned earlier will also be helpful. Unlike football, here on censorship the ball is in contact with the lower body because you are playing basketball with your hands. It is forbidden to touch the ball with the foot, so intentionally blocking or kicking will be considered a technical fault. It is also forbidden to hit the ball with your fist and move it with your hands across the field (except for two hits). What is a two-act? These are two steps after which you must immediately pass the ball to a partner or throw it into the basket while you are still jumping.

If you're interested in learning more about this topic, bookstores have a lot of interesting basketball publications and stories about famous players. In addition, to start your adventure in this dynamic sport, look for comfortable shoes, professional balls, equipment and other accessories.

Once you have collected all the equipment, all you have to do is exercise regularly and enjoy this unique sport.

Playing defense in basketball

Hello, dear visitors of the website basketball-training.org.ua ! Today I want to share with you my observations and conclusions, which I received as a result of 's desire to improve his game in 's defense.

It so happened that the first few years of playing basketball (mostly on street courts) my defense game consisted of constant attempts to cover the opponent's shot. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t work very well (I ended up either on the opponent’s back or on his head). It's a hell of a defense. A couple of years ago, I reconsidered my vision of playing defense, which I want to share with you.

Defensive Tips for

Basketball Players The first video that gave any hint of developing a basketball player's defensive skills was 's three-minute performance by Bruce Bowen on the TNT Fundamentals series. Then there was a short article on how to play defense against A. Gomelsky. Well, the last, but probably the most important training video was the company's products Better Basketball - Better 1 on 1 Defense . Even after skipping over half of what was said (some because of the language barrier, something because of banal restlessness) and putting even less into practice, I became much better at defending myself.

By the way, in this article everything will be exclusively about personal defense (and not a word about zone defense, although it is also worth writing about). So, I highlight the following stages of defense in basketball:

Stage 1: Defense against player without ball.

The essence of defense is to prevent the opponent from getting the ball . This is probably one of the most difficult stages, but also one of the most effective. Agree, it is difficult to attack without having the ball. So, this stage of defense is incredibly difficult, because you have to give a lot of strength, not to be fooled by movements of the body, head and legs. A good result of such a defense is that the player does not receive the ball throughout the attack. Also a good result if the ball is received, but: in an awkward position (far from the ring; in the corner of the court) or in the last seconds of the attack. Shitty result - the ball is received quickly and conveniently.

Stage 2: Defense against the player who received the ball.

When a player receives the ball, he is in the classic "triple threat position". This means that he can shoot the ring, pass or start the dribble. This means that we will have to confront all three threats at the same time. So, the best option is to take a position that will minimize the range of movement of the enemy. First of all, close its strong side from the passage by sitting a little to the side of it. As an option - from the side of his supporting leg; those. You will know the direction of his movement (he will not step with his supporting foot).

Let's conditionally divide the opponent's body into 2 levels: the first zone - to the waist; the second zone is above the belt. So, in order to start dribbling, the ball must be in the first zone. Both zones are suitable for a pass, and for a throw, the ball must go from the first zone to the second. I hope it's clear for now. So, one hand is playing with the bottom zone (preventing dribbling and low passing), the second is defending against a shot and a pass from the upper zone. Remember about the legs: with bent legs it is much easier and faster to make a jerk. If the legs are straight, then for a jerk they must first be bent.

And one more piece of advice: pull the player all the time with your movements. Let the probability that these "ritual dances" help to knock out the ball will be small, but you will be able to knock the opponent out of his usual rhythm. And it's worth a lot!

Excellent defense: the ball is knocked out. Good defense - loss on pass, inaccurate pass, throw from an uncomfortable position.

Stage 3: Defending against the dribbler.

Assume that previous attempts to get possession of the ball have failed and the opponent has started to dribble. How to defend yourself then?

Let's not consider those situations in which the opponent is obviously weaker than you. It's just not interesting. The opponent is stronger, faster and jumpier than you - that's a good situation. Like I said, close his strong side. But if you don't know its strengths and weaknesses; you don’t know how to hold: from a throw or from a pass - that is, a good solution. We are trying to make sure that you are the leader. One side is obviously closed - and the player is deliberately skipped to the other. So you can not lose in the starting jerk and not guess the direction of movement: it can only go in one direction. Try to push the opponent with the ball to the end line, from where he can no longer comfortably attack the basket. Clamp into a corner, press to the line.

Again: Close one side tightly. Better - if it will be his forte; if you don’t know which one is strong, close your weak side and let defenses under your strong side. And a safety net: sometimes it's better not to let a player throw from an average distance. Allowing him to get under the ring. After all, there will be a safety net in the form of a “big” one, which cannot be thrown so easily.

Stage 4: Maintenance completed.

It can be a double step and a throw, a simple throw after a stop, a jump, a pivot (reversal), a series of displays, etc. Let's take a closer look at this.

Double step. Remember: he has 2 steps to complete the attack, and you have 2 steps to hit the ball down, and then another full step to block. I recommend doing this:

• A series of small touches to the ball during a double step (as if you were playing a drum). Thus, you will not knock out the ball, but you will disorientate it accurately. Yes, and in order to keep the ball, you have to make more.
• Trying to hit the ball from below! When hitting from above, there is a very high chance that you will hit your fingers - this is a foul. But from below: few people expect such a blow, few people close the ball from below. And taking the ball up for a throw, he will receive an additional impulse, the push of the ball - throwing it as it was previously thought would not be so easy.

A little tip: after picking up the ball by the opponent, very often the ball goes down, and this is done strongly and abruptly. Just substitute okay from below at the level of the opponent's lower back: he himself will knock the ball against your hand. This is a very cool and often unexpected trick for the opponent.

• If it was a jump stop, or just a stop, then you need to get as close as possible and raise both hands vertically up. Now you can not be afraid of a foul.

Stage 5: Jump Shot.

It's good if you jump high and sharp - then try to block at the moment when the ball leaves the thrower's hand. You can just try to brush it off at the moment when the supporting hand is no longer involved in the throw, and the ball is on the wrist. I will not talk about how to set a block shot, this is a topic for a separate article.

Remember that you can block the thrower's vision with your hand: just don't poke it in the eyes, just bring it closer to the thrower's face. A good way (if you have not already jumped out for a block shot, and the throw is being made) is to simulate contact with various organs of the opponent (guys, you understand what I mean). Belly, solar plexus, groin - all this interferes with concentration at the time of the throw. Well, and often on street sites there is a clap of hands: at games they can give a foul, but on the street it can bring down that very concentration.

And finally, I suggest watching the old film , about the individual protection of basketball players, filmed in the USSR.

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