The common ground for every professional athlete is that they have invested time in developing skills to help them perform in their respective sports. In sports like Basketball, the skills developed during your training sessions will be helpful in various game instances. Apart from watching the ball fall through the hoop, fans come to see professionals use their skills against each other. If you’re new to basketball, you should know that there are essential skills you will learn to improve your game. Why not grab a pair of basketball shoes and build your talent on the court? Read our article to learn helpful information about the skills you need to have.
Critical Skills to Excel in Basketball
Even when you have learned the sport, you keep polishing these skills to enhance yourself. There are always some things you need to keep grinding at to raise your gameplay to the next level. Below are the primary skills that must be constantly improved.
Passing and Shooting
Passing is an integral part of basketball, especially when done accurately. Unless you dribble to the net (which will prove impossible for a beginner), you must pass the ball around with your teammates until you’re close enough to shoot. Therefore, you must learn how to make and receive passes at any distance on the court. Your team needs to keep possession of the ball through accurate passes until there is an opportunity to shoot. Work on locating the right teammate to pass to, breaking guards to receive a pass, and practicing chest and overhead passes.
Shooting can not be stressed enough since it is the only way to win points in the game. While making shots might seem challenging at first, you will find that it gets easier with practice. You can aim for dunks or three-pointers, but focus on perfecting basic shots because they make up most of the shooting opportunities you’ll be getting. Try netting free throws and proceed with jump shots and layups.
Defending and Rebounding
As you perfect skills that will help you score points, remember your role in stopping your opponents from scoring. Defence doesn’t start from your net; it starts from the middle of the court, where you prevent the opposing team from completing passes or dribbling through. You can defend specific areas on the court or defend opponents directly. Watch out for opportunities to steal the ball and begin your attack.
Naturally, the ball goes to the defending team if the offending team makes a successful shot, but the ball may go to either team if the shot is unsuccessful. If you’re in position, you must be prepared to recover the ball after ball for your team. An offensive rebound allows you to attempt scoring after a miss, and a defensive rebound will save you from the opponent’s attack and allow you to attack.
Dribbling and Intelligence
Dribbling is a basketball skill that is quite complex to execute, even at a professional level, because your opponents are going to be on guard trying to prevent you from making your way. Dribbling requires good ball handling and well-timed movements in the right direction. Learn how to move the ball quickly through your path to the net before you focus on complex skills to beat defences.
Although intelligence is not a skill you grind through repeated physical exercises, you will build on it as you play more on the court. It is vital that the more you play, the more you begin to understand the game better and the more you make better decisions on the court. It means being in the correct position at the right time and using the right skills at the right time, executing your plays just as directed by your coach. You have to be able to read the game and be a functioning unit in it.
Other Basic Necessities for Basketball
Apart from the skills like passing, shooting, and dribbling that you train on the court, you should have some other attributes to excel in basketball.
- Strength and Endurance: You cannot be an excellent athlete if you cannot afford to give your all for the amount of time your team needs you. Running around the court, jumping, shooting and defending can be more exhausting than you think. You need to build your endurance for the strenuous nature of the sport.
- Teamwork and Team Spirit: The only way your team will function as it should is if everyone plays their role and is willing to cover for others during mistakes or in tight positions. It would be best to learn to deal with losses and relate with the team respectfully, no matter what. Maintain clear communication while playing so everyone is on the same page. A discord in the team will only lead to problems on the court.
Conclusion
It takes time to build the skills required to be a complete player. Training will prove difficult occasionally. However, you have to keep at it if you want to see the results. Set attainable milestones that will gradually motivate you to keep up your progress. Remember, mastering the fundamentals is also a critical skill to excel in Basketball.