Did you know that people who regularly play basketball will improve their physical endurance, burn calories, build muscle, and develop self-discipline?
Despite the many benefits of playing basketball, it can be challenging to play the sport if you don’t know how to get better. The good news is that there are several simple things you can start doing today to improve your skills.
To help you out, we’ve created a guide that explains how to get better at basketball. Keep reading if you are interested in finding out more.
1. Improve Your Physical Fitness
It’s necessary to run many laps back and forth across the court when you are playing basketball. If you are not in great physical shape, you will probably feel worn out by the end of a game.
Here are some of the most helpful kinds of exercise you can do to start improving your physical fitness.
Cardio Conditioning
You can quickly improve your physical endurance by doing interval runs on a regular basis. This will prepare you for staying active when you are playing basketball.
Start by running at a rapid pace for two minutes. You can then jog at a slower pace for one to two minutes. Repeat these intervals for up to forty minutes.
Coordination Conditioning
It is necessary to have great coordination if you want to excel at playing basketball. One of the best things you can do to improve your coordination is to use the three-hop lateral speed skater.
This is an especially helpful exercise for those who want to improve their footwork skills.
Since the exercise involves transferring your body weight from one foot to the other, you will also strengthen your ankles and improve your balance.
Agility and Power
You will need lots of agility and power in order to jump and retrieve rebounds. You can improve your vertical jump by doing plenty of box jumps.
Consider doing skater hops if you want to improve your single-leg power.
You should focus on landing from your jumps by coordinating the movement of your knees, hips, and ankles. This will help you to prevent injuries.
It is also a good idea to have a good pair of basketball shoes such as the Nike Dunk Lows if you want to have more agility and power.
2. Improve Your Ball Control Skills
One of the fastest ways to become a better basketball player is by improving your dribbling skills.
All that you need to do to develop this skill is to start performing ball control drills on a regular basis.
Start in a centered position. Your nose should be behind your toes and you should make sure that your body is not leaning forward. Your hips should be loaded.
While holding this position, move the basketball around your body. You should also practice dribbling the ball while holding this position.
It is also a good idea to practice ball-handling techniques such as the crossover, dribbling between your legs, and dribbling behind your back.
3. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
By taking the time to identify what your strengths and weaknesses are, you will be able to figure out what you need to improve on in order to become a better basketball player.
To figure out your strengths and weaknesses, write down the things that you do well on the basketball court. After you’ve written as many things as you can, write down the things that you want to improve on.
You should consider asking your coach help you to design drills that can help you work on your weaknesses.
You will also need to spend a lot of time playing basketball. It probably won’t be enough to only work on your skills when you are practicing as a team.
Consider setting aside several days per week to practice on your own time.
4. Improve Your Shooting Skills
Shooting is one of the most important skills that you’ll need to master if you want to get better at basketball. There are lots of different elements to a good shot.
If you are not yet a good shooter, you should focus on the basics.
Make sure that you keep your eyes focused on the hoop when you are setting up to take a shot. Take a moment to grip the basketball with the tips of your fingers and make sure that your body is balanced.
You should then practice shooting smoothly while paying close attention to your follow-through.
5. Practice at Game Speed
It is easy to have good form when you are doing solo dribbling or shooting on your own. But these things become much more difficult when you are playing at game speed.
This is why you should pretend that defenders are guarding you when you are practicing basketball on your own.
Don’t give yourself extra seconds to plant your feet and prepare for taking shots. You should instead move your body at a game-time pace.
You should consider setting a stopwatch to time how long it takes you to advance down the court and take shots.
How to Get Better at Basketball: Practice Every Day
If you have been wondering how to get better at basketball, it is a good idea to first focus on improving your physical fitness. You should then focus on improving your ball control skills and shooting skills.
If you want to find out more about how to improve your physical fitness, consider checking out the Exercises section of our website.
