Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world that involves a lot of skills athletics, and hard work in order to become good at the sport. The sport has changed a lot since the beginnings and nowadays, we have a lot of fast-paced action, three-point shootout, and unseen ball control and movement that can win you the game.
However, all of these skills are perfected through training. Nobody is born with developed skills for basketball. It even took professional basketball players years of practice to perfect their skills and get to a level that they are on right now.
Apart from training, the second most important thing is dedication and setting the right mindset. Just because perfecting basketball skills requires a lot of hard work, you’ll need to prepare yourself mentally for the challenge. In other words, you should set a goal and stick to it no matter what.
So, if you want to improve your basketball skills and be better at the game, we’ve selected few crucial points that you need to focus on.
Let’s get started.
Ball Control is Crucial
The fundamentals of the sport rely on having a fluent and skillful ball movement. That’s why most professional basketball players are working on improving their dribbling skills. This doesn’t mean that they’ll want to improve head-to-head battles, but dribbling will improve your ball movement and you’ll be more confident on the court.
The first thing you need to work on is your athletic position. Make sure you keep your nose behind your toes and your hips loaded without leaning your body forward. Your athletic position is crucial for improving your ball movement just because it is all about balance.
Make sure you practice dribbling with both hands and increase the speed and power of each ball movement as you progress. Once you’ve built a strong foundation, it is time to focus on dribbles that you might use in games.
Weak Spots
In order to become better at basketball, you need to know what to improve. Every player has a different set of skills and talent, which means that they are good or bad at different things. That’s why it is important to know your weaknesses and start working to improve them.
The best way to know what needs improvement is to separate your training into multiple sections, such as free-throw showing, 3-point shooting, dribbling, jump-shot, dunk, etc.
That way you’ll dedicate more time to individual skills and get a better idea of which area to improve. Once you find your weak spot, start practicing that category of skills more until you improve.
Remember, practice makes it perfect!
Game Speed Practice
One of the common mistakes that beginners make is practicing at a slower speed than an actual game. This won’t improve your skills when the pressure is on and you’ll not build fitness. That’s why it is important to dedicate one day of the week when your practice will be performed at game speed.
Since games are now played at a really fast pace, it is very important to build up your skills when you feel tired or under pressure. Most people make mistakes or have poor shots in a real game, even though their practice sessions were flawless.
When you are defending you won’t have many seconds to rest in between challenges and you have to be ready to tackle players at all times.
Work on Your Physical Fitness
Basketball is a sport with a lot of constant running and physical contact, which is why you need good endurance to last the entire game. Even if you develop the right skills for the game, you’ll struggle to keep up with your team 5 minutes into the game.
The best way to build endurance for an actual basketball game you need to do some heavy lifting and hit the gym. Gaining some muscle is the best way to improve your strength for head-to-head battles builds up endurance for the entire game.
There are some great endurance exercises in the gym that can help you improve your stamina, and shape you into a more aggressive basketball player.
Lower Body Shooting Mechanics
Most people focus on their upper body when they practice shooting, but if you really want to improve your shooting, make sure you work on the lower body shooting mechanics. Remember, a good shooter relies on strong mechanics where every muscle of the body needs to work together in order to make sure the shot is flawless.
There are many things to work on such as pointing your toes in the same direction, pushing the arches of your feet into the floor, or keeping your knees behind your toes will help you deliver a better shot.
Watch College Basketball Games
As a beginner in the basketball world, it is very hard to learn from some of the greats in the NBA league since they play on another level. That’s why you need to focus on college basketball games where young players still have impressive skills but they don’t play at the same level as NBA.
Additionally, the NBA has a 24-second shot clock that improves the pace of the game and makes every match really fast. On the other hand, college basketball games have a longer shot clock that changes the entire game to a more traditional playing style.
Watching college basketball games is the perfect way to learn more about the fundamentals of the sport. You can also take inspiration in the top 5 greatest shooting guards of all time, watching some highlights from classic games.
Final Words
As you can see, the best way to improve your basketball skills is by practicing and diving deeper into the sport. If you want to become a professional basketball player, make sure you develop a strong mindset since the road is very hard and requires a lot of dedication.
Some of the all-time greats like Kobe Bryant made it to that level only through practice. He made more than 100,000 practice shots in one summer just to improve his shooting at the peak of his career and his training was often more challenging than an actual game.
So, if you want to improve your skills, make sure you dedicate enough time for practice on the court.
