Dear baller, wether basketball fan or just curious about it, wether rookie or professional, here I am going to tell you the secrets I have figured out about the art of basketball. Let’s see if you agree with me or not!
1.Body on the move: this is a fundamental rule of basketball technique. Actually, your basketball skills can dramatically improve just by following this hint. If you think of your body as something composed of separate parts, such as the hands to juggle the ball, the feet and the legs to run and jump, you cannot use it properly and make the best out of it. When we move, and especially when we play basketball, our whole body works, thus it is important to use it all.
So, when you dribble remember to:
- keep the basketball stance. So, squat in order to have more control over the ball, but also more balance and stability;
- swing following the movement of the ball as if you were a single entity. In order to do this you must be springy and follow the flow. So, use your legs to bounce on your knees, swing your hips to move the center of the gravity towards the ball and use your arms in their whole lenght, including the shoulders, to be able to hold the ball without blocking its flow.
When you shoot hoops remember to: - put your feet one parallel to the other and pointing towards the hoop. It is important to arrange your feet in order to find the balance.
- squat and then stretch out your whole body while jumping. This will make you jump higher and shoot more powerfully. If your body is coordinated and all the parts work together it will require a smaller effort and it will give a better result indeed.
2. Twitches, speed and direction changes: speed is important, but responsiveness even more. The winning strategy when you have to go past an opponent is to surprise him with sudden movements, changing not only your direction, but also the speed of your moves. Especially, it is very effective, when you are in front of the defense, to slow down for a second before speeding up faster than ever.
This kind of dribbling is called hesitation and it is the exact way you can get the renowned ankle-breaker!
3. It is always a matter of wrist: it is fundamental to use your wrists correctly every time you handle the ball. Actually, there is a lot of strenght in your wrist and it is important to use this strenght to have the ball move faster, higher and with more precision towards the aim. Whether it is a shot or a pass or a dribble, you must use the energy of your wrist by bending it down quickly and strongly. If you do it right, the ball will spin and thus move faster, higher and with more precision.
4. Be welcoming to the ball: the round shape of the ball suggests us that the ball must be embraced and stroke. Your hands must be welcoming to the ball and conform to its shape. When you dribble, remember to respect the pace of the ball and not to choke it and, as we have already warned, stop its flow. Try to find a rhythm, as if you were playing drums with the ball.
5. Relax and have fun!
I hope that these hints could be useful to you. See you at the court, dear baller!
