Improving your ball handling and shooting accuracy is essential for any basketball player who wants to take their game to the next level. Whether you're aiming to play in High School basketball or hoping to feature in college basketball picks one day, the first step to improving your skills is to develop a good foundation of fundamental drills. Doing basic drills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting can help you gain more control over the ball and improve your accuracy.
This article offers some tips to help you master ball handling along with shooting accurately, which will significantly boost your game.
Drills to Improve Your Basketball Ball-Handling Skills
You can do a few drills to improve your basketball ball-handling skills. One of the most effective drills is the figure 8 drill. You must dribble the ball in a figure 8 pattern around two cones or chairs about five feet apart. As you move through figure 8, focus on keeping your eyes up and maintaining control of the ball with both hands.
Another great drill, "Around The World," requires you to dribble around all four corners of a square court while changing directions at each corner. As you go around each corner, focus on keeping your body low and using quick direction changes to keep defenders off balance.
You can also perform "Crossover Dribbling" to improve your ball-handling skills. This drill requires you to dribble back and forth across half-court while alternating between crossover dribbles and regular dribbles with both hands.
Tips on How to Improve Your Court Awareness in Basketball
Improving your court awareness in basketball is all about understanding the game and anticipating what will happen next. To do this, you need to pay attention to the players on the court and their movements. Watch how they move around each other, set up plays, and react when something unexpected happens. You should also pay attention to where the ball is at all times and try to predict where it will go next. Practice drills that help you become more aware of your surroundings on the court, such as dribbling or passing drills. This will help you develop a better spatial awareness to make quick decisions when needed.
How to Develop a Strong Shooting Form for Basketball
Developing a solid shooting form for basketball is essential to becoming a good shooter. To begin, ensure you have the correct stance. Bend your knees and keep your weight on the balls of your feet so that you can move quickly in any direction. Next, hold the ball correctly with both hands, keeping it close to your body and at waist level. Ensure you use proper hand placement when gripping the ball; use your fingertips instead of cupping it in the palm of your hand. When shooting, extend both arms straight out in front of you while keeping them parallel to each other and pointing toward the basket. Keep your eyes focused on the rim as you release the ball from just above eye level with a smooth follow-through motion until both hands are pointed toward the basket.
With these tips and your commitment to practice the drills, you will surely be on your way to mastering ball handling and shooting accuracy in basketball.