Basketball is a fascinating game, and while not everyone can play in the NBA, there are many people who play recreationally and even show a lot of dedication and commitment to improving their game. Basketball is, of course, immensely popular, and as such, you may be someone who is interested in upping their own expertise in the game.
Some of us enjoy the game as a sport they would rather watch than practice. Others prefer to place the occasional flutter on a bookie. More information about which can be found in this Bet365 review. Whatever your angle or motivation, basketball is a lot of fun.
Whether you play recreationally or you know a few guys that you would want to put in their right place, improving your basketball game is not a matter of talent per se, as it is a matter of hard work and, most importantly, consistency. Today, you will find out a number of practical tips that will help you to get yourself started on the right way to improving your basketball game.
To see your goal through, you will need to remain consistent, and that will definitely take some work. The good news is that if you do love basketball, you will have no trouble sticking to a routine.
#1 Work on Your Shooting Game
Shooting in basketball is half the game. When playing under pressure, you can quickly get tricked into dropping the ball, but if you have an implacable aim, you would hardly have to contest too many balls. In fact, that is a worthwhile angle to explore. Some players, even in the NBA, don’t like to attack the basket or even confront others.
So, they do the next best thing they can build up a strong shooting game that can often disrupt the pace of play. After all, your opponents expect you to attack their basket, but when you can shoot it accurately from the 3-point line, you become a whole new threat all by yourself!
Therefore, practicing shooting is important. It’s not a matter of how “good” or how “bad” you are. Really, all you need to do is go out there and build up the muscle memory so that you succeed. Revise your scoring every week and if you see no improvement, look up videos on shooting or even ask a coach or a fellow player who is clearly not struggling with this.
#2 Build Up Stamina
One of the things that many players miss out on is building up stamina. Lacking stamina will impact your entire game, from how well you shoot to how quickly you can respond to a threat or a change in the pace of play. Building stamina isn’t linked to spending long times at the gym, but you can pretty much improve your overall physique by incorporating some exercises.
In fact, even doing push-ups and pull-ups at home will add a lot to your upper-body strength, which is what you need to be a better shot. Then, if you add some aerobic exercises, such as sprinting, jogging, or skipping rope, you are looking at boosting your overall play by a whole lot!
#3 Practice Clean Dribbling
Look, many people get tempted and want to show some new cool trick they have picked or watched, but the truth is before you can do that, you must absolutely learn how to dribble. Simple, clean dribbling is what will allow you to find your place out there. You don’t want to start with tricks because even if you pull off a trick, it would be rather embarrassing to skip a ball or drop it because you don’t really have control over it.
Don’t worry, though, because most dribbling drills are available even today on YouTube, and you can look at them yourself. You may need a tennis ball and two basketballs to practice for most of those exercises, and they may look a little repetitive, but they will do the trick and make you a much better basketball player.
#4 Look Up Exercises
The next stage of your success as a basketball player – whether you play for fun or semi-professionally – is to look up exercises. NBA players usually have coaches and entire teams who can analyze their play and tell them where they are lacking. However, this won’t be the case with you.
But hey, there is a really easy way to solve any of that, and not least, you can always look up videos and try new exercises. It’s best to start with some basics that will help you improve your overall play, such as shooting accuracy, reflexes, stamina, fighting for a ball, and so on.
Just focus on getting these exercises right first, and don’t look for anything more exotic, so to speak. Once you have mastered them and your body can tell you what you need, you can start looking for something more challenging. There are tons of videos, of course, and it never hurts to swing by a local basketball club and talk to the coach.
Most of these guys are serious, but there is never a shame in trying, and if you are showing a lot of promise and don’t get in the way, you are bound to at least get someone qualified to talk to you and help out.
#5 Find Someone to Play With
Look, you can drill all sorts of exercises over and over again. The best way to make sure you know how to put the theory into practice is to find someone who is willing to play with you all the time, or at least regularly.
That is how courts out there usually are. You have groups of people who come and get together to play. You will definitely benefit from having that group of people waiting out there for you, and remember – it’s always good to be welcoming to newcomers.
They may be just trying to learn, or you may even learn something. On many occasions, you will see players acting a little more aggressively on the court and claiming to be better. That’s alright. Remember that if you want to improve your game, there’s no place for ego.
#6 Build a Routine
It could all feel a little overwhelming at first, and when you give everything, you are supposed to do a consideration. There are the exercises, the drills the shooting accuracy to work on, and it all does feel a lot already! Look, there is no need to be this way. In fact, the best way to sort out any doubt you have is to build a routine.
Allocate what hours you have for basketball and see what you have to work on. Is it shooting accuracy? Fantastic, dedicate a few weeks working on just that. Your routine can change from one week to the next, but it’s important that you stay true to your goal – which is becoming a better player after all. What you don’t want to be doing is skipping your allocated sessions.
Therefore, it’s advisable that you sit down and look carefully through what time you have available on your hands. Remember, shooting 1 hour a day is probably better than shooting 7 hours on Saturday.
#7 Don’t Give Up
Not everyone will feel and see results immediately, and that makes it very easy to want and give up – don’t. Giving up is the only way that you end up not fulfilling your ambitious goal of upping your basketball game. As long as you are playing and trying, you will get better, and there are really no two ways about this.
Sometimes it may take a while for all that shooting exercises to really catch up, but trust that – once they do, you will derive great satisfaction from all the hard work you have put in, and your shooting accuracy will be there for life if somewhat rusty if you don’t use it. It really is like driving a bike!
#8 Avoid Injury at All Costs
Basketball is a dynamic game, and whether you play professionally or not, it’s very easy to get heated and injure yourself. Avoiding injury, though, is the best way you have to really reach your full potential. Don’t break your back over balls and if you feel that the gear you are playing in isn’t too comfortable, do the best thing – change it.
Picking the right sneakers is usually a great way to get yourself started, and we recommend that you go for that. Try a few pairs, and don’t go overboard in terms of pricing. You can find plenty of good shoes. Remember that wrist bands are very helpful too, especially if you are feeling a bit of strain there.
Remember to take your game at a pace you are comfortable with and slowly build up into a pace that is difficult for less-trained opponents to keep up with. It’s all about patience and having the right attitude, well – that and the right gear!