The spring basketball for our association will be beginning Feb 25th.  Contact Coach Dowdy for information if you have not yet registered.

If you are a parent who doesn’t have a clue how to help your child play better basketball, then you’ve come to the right place. In order to begin to follow the game you will need to know the basic rules. The following article offers you excellent tips on what to look out for when a basketball game is on.

When handling the ball, make sure you spread out your fingers. This makes it less likely that the ball will slip away from you. Also, keep your palm from making contact with the ball. Only your fingers should be involved in the process of getting the ball to where you want it to go.

If you are in a good position to receive a pass, put your hand up in the air so the current dribbler can see you. The basketball court is surprisingly small when you’re actually on it. And when you’re playing in a game filled with ten people, there’s a lot of chaos going on in that small space. Sometimes that hand is necessary so that the dribbler sees the option.

It is important to practice all the different types of basketball shots. Practice a combination of long shots, layups and short shots. This will help you become a great all-around basketball shooter. Additionally, you should practice free throw shots during your practice. By learning the different techniques, you can ensure you play well during the game.

When dribbling, try to keep the ball low to the ground. This makes it more difficult for opponents to steal the ball away from you while dribbling. Keep the ball low and pass it from hand to hand while weaving in and out through your opponents. This will help you maintain control of the ball.

Practice the skill of pass catching. During practice you should come up with drills where you perfect catching bad passes along with the good ones. During a hectic game, every throw is not going to be perfect. By learning to catch errant passes, you will do your team a great favor.

Work on becoming a more clever basketball player, rather than trying to master a few clever plays. Your opponents will eventually figure out your plays, but will have difficulty if they cannot anticipate your overall playing ability. Learn to be surprising, quick thinking and more agile in your ability to get the ball and work the court.

If you are good at shooting the ball then the last thing you want to do is lift weights. Strong muscles are certainly useful for basketball, but you can overdo it if you plan to play on the perimeter. You might see a decrease in your goal percentages if your biceps become too large.

A player’s free-throw percentage is generally much higher than their field goal percentage. While part of this has to do with being in action with defenders right on you when shooting field goals, the other part is the dedicated form and practice put into this “free” shot. Be sure you spend some time practicing your free throws during each practice.

When you have to shoot free throws in a basketball game, make sure that you clear your head before you shoot. Depending on your state of mind, free throw shots can either be your hardest or easiest shots. Try clearing your mind and concentrating on the shot. Many players find it useful to imagine the ball going into the hoop. These shots take skill and finesse so emotions like anger can negatively affect your focus and alertness.

A great way to practice the fast break is to get the ball up the court in less than five dribbles. It may seem impossible, but the more you practice this rule, the easier it becomes. During game time you will notice yourself using this to your advantage during the fast break.  We don’t allow aggression to get out of hand.   If other parents get jealous of your child new skills, this formum discussion has some good tips in dealing with that.

To make sure that you protect your ankles while you play basketball, wear shoes that are a little bit higher around them and lace them up. If you play in lower shoes, it is very easy to turn your ankle. Higher shoes keep you out on the court playing longer.

As stated above, knowing about basketball begins when you understand all the simple rules. There really isn’t much to it, all it takes is a bit of studying. Thankfully you just read an informative article that provided you the basic rules about the game of basketball. Keep this material close next time you want to know what’s going on.