43 Super Messages Carried Masterfully

One of the skills important for a player to learn before playing the actual game of basketball is passing the basketball. Passing is the act of the handing over the basketball to the player’s teammate. Communication between the team members is crucial in passing. You have to acknowledge the pass first, either verbally or nonverbally, before handing over the basketball to a player. Passing can be used as an escape route if the player is heavily guarded by the defenders in order to keep the ball in the team’s possession and later on shooting the basketball to the team’s basket. In basketball, passing skills are acknowledged by statistics, which are called an assists. Passing the basketball may be done in several ways.

The Chest Pass

This pass is thrown in a straight line with high velocity used on the court’s perimeter. When the recipient is moving, this pass is made ensuring that the player doesn’t over reach to catch the basketball. When the recipient is stationary, this pass is made ensuring that the player who will accept the basketball doesn’t have to move. This pass is received in a triple threat position wherein the feet are shoulder width apart, elbows and knees bent, the shooting hand at the top and the other hand on the side of the basketball. In passing the basketball, it must be held at the level of the sternum, then by pushing the back foot and taking a step with the front foot while extending the arms to make the pass.

The Bounce pass.

The accuracy of this pass is dictated by its trajectory and speed. The change of directions of this pass makes it difficult for the defender to judge where the basketball will go, therefore making it hard to steal. This pass is easier to handle than an overhead pass where the recipient is moving. This pass should be caught by the recipient with a stride when he is moving and shouldn’t force the recipient to move when stationary. This pass is also received in a triple threat position wherein the feet are shoulder width apart, elbows and knees bent, the shooting hand at the top and the other hand on the side of the basketball. When making the pass, the ball is held at waist level, altering the position from hip to hip depending on the location of the recipient. The spot where the basketball should go will be aimed three-quarters of the way between the recipient and the passer. Passing is done by pushing the back of the foot, taking a step with the front foot, while extending the arms downward to make the pass.

The Overhead Pass

This is a powerful pass but an easy pass to steal. This is done so that the basketball goes over the top of the defender and is received by the other member of the team at the back of the defender. This pass is also received in a triple threat position wherein the feet are shoulder width apart, elbows and knees bent, the shooting hand at the top and the other hand on the side of the basketball. The hands of the player are placed on both sides of the basketball. Using the player’s forearms, the ball is put behind the head, the back of the foot is then pushed off, the front foot takes a step, then the elbows are brought down and the arms are then extended to make the pass.

The Behind the Back Pass

This pass is done behind the back without looking where the ball is going to fool the defender. This is most effective when the player is in motion because the player can easily move in the opposite direction of where the ball will go. This pass needs a lot of patience and practice because it takes time to figure out the right moves to make this pass successful. If expertise in this pass isn’t mastered, it shouldn’t be done during a game. This is done by holding the basketball with both hands. The dominant hand’s shoulder is moved towards the back and the ball is cupped by the dominant hand with the wrist and fingers pointing in the direction of the shoulder’s movement. The ball is then carried behind the player’s back with the arms wrapped around behind the back and the basketball is then released.

The Alley-Oop

Trust and timing is crucial for this pass to be successful. Practice should be done by the player to figure out the motion of this pass. A short, arching toss is the kind of action that is the easiest to receive by the other members of the team. The recipient should have the vertical leap to dunk or the basket should allow the adjustment of the rim’s height. The player should decide to do the alley-oop before making it to the three point arch. The player should establish eye contact with the other member of the team, who will do the hops. A short arching tossing motion is then delivered toward the basket with a shot like motion when the recipient is two or three steps away doing the jump. The spot should be aimed barely above the rim in the side where the recipient is coming from. The other member then receives the pass and makes a dunk, and shoots the basketball in the team’s basket.

Assisting the team to score through correct passing is just as essential as taking the shot. Good passing skills and communication among the team members is crucial to make the team’s game play a success. Practice makes perfect and good communication among team members will go along way in basketball when passing or assisting is concerned.

If you are playing basketball, you want to play it excellently. Who wouldn’t want to be recognized as an outstanding basketball player?

It is just not very fortunate that basketball superstars and the best players are never born; they are created. So how can you create a basketball star out of yourself? The answer is simple: Play it right.

To be able to play basketball really well, it is important that you spend considerable time and effort in game practices. Just like any other form of sports, rehearsals, along with strict discipline and proper attitude, are necessary to make you an excellent basketball player.

However, when attending basketball practices, experts notice and warn that there are so many players who aren’t practicing their shooting skills correctly. Be informed that there are proper forms and moves in shooting.

That is why it would be helpful to you to spend time in practicing your shooting skills. There are several popular drills that would be helpful in attaining proper forms and moves when shooting the basketball to the bucket.

Some shooting drills

Proper attitude, determination and physical agility will be rendered futile if the basketball player doesn’t practice some drills. Here are some of the well-known and widely adapted shooting drills that will help you attain the proper form and skills in shooting the basketball.

Bull’s eye drill

This shooting drill is aimed at helping the player further sharpen his focus and concentration when playing. It is said that players lack focus when they fail to shoot the ball during the game. This is the practice drill for such players.  To be able to execute this drill, you will be required to use white athletic tape. Of course, the drill is executable in an actual basketball court. To do the drill, first, stick a piece of the white athletic tape on the front side, the side facing you, of the rim of the hoop.

You see that white tape? That will be your target. Now start throwing the ball into the bucket by targeting the white athletic tape. You are hitting the bull’s eye when you are successfully hitting the target. This will train your eyesight and senses in shooting the ball.

The free throw drill

This shooting drill is aimed at establishing your concentration and consistency in shooting the ball during a free throw. The process may seem too easy and less complicated, but during actual games, players complain that their focus is disrupted because of too much noise and other distractions coming from the audience and from the excitement of the game itself.

To perform the free throw drill, you must get be on a basketball court. Stand on the free throw line and start shooting free throws. Dribble the basketball three times. As you dribble, say the word ‘dribble’.

After that, it is time to throw the ball into the hoop. Say ‘throw’ or ‘set’ or whatever word you want to use to associate with the activity. Before actually throwing the basketball, envision yourself all set to shoot the ball. Then, slowly raise your arms carrying the basketball, target the range and the rim and shoot.

If the goal isn’t attained, do the drill several times. The aim of the drill is to instill the proper mental set and condition that will be associated to successful basketball throws.

The Westhead drill

The Westhead drill is actually a mental drill in basketball shooting. This drill is aimed at enhancing muscle memory, or the muscle reflexes set on specific occasions and moves.

The drill is simple and challenging to execute. The first move will be to throw the basketball into the basket five times. Then, concentrate and envision five successful basketball throws in your mind.

Shoot the ball five times again, before pausing to close the eyes and picturing a good basketball throw in your mind. Throw the ball five times while the eyes are closed. Then throw the basketball successfully for five times after the closed-eyes drill.

Take note that your muscles are becoming more and more conditioned to successfully throwing the basketball. After some time, you can modify the drill and do it while walking or running on the basketball court.

You cannot become a championship caliber team or player without dominating the backboard! The team that controls the backboard during a basketball game would most likely win. Why? More basketball rebounds leads to more possessions, and more possessions lead to more second-chance scoring opportunities. And, the team with the most second-chance scoring opportunities will win.

 How important is rebounding? Every player on a team should learn how to rebound effectively, regardless of your position on the team. The reasoning behind this is that, every player should form the habit of attempting to grab the rebound after either an offensive or defensive shot has been made. Each player should always assume that the shot will be missed. With that being said, a team should have five solid rebounders on the basketball court at all times during a game.

 What are the traits of a great basketball rebounder? Although your size and height as a basketball player could give you an advantage when attempting to rebound a basketball, they’re not the primary determining factors to becoming a great rebounder. For example, Dennis “the worm” Rodman was one of the most prolific rebounders in the NBA (National Basketball Association), despite the fact that he was an average height of 6-7″ as a professional basketball player and barely weighed 210 lbs. Although he was not a great scorer, his uncanny yet masterful ability to successfully grab rebounds (both on offense and defense) helped his teams win several NBA titles and earned him two consecutive defensive player of the year awards, which is an incredible accomplishment. What Dennis Rodman and other great rebounders knew is that, one of the main keys to effective rebounding is Positioning–not your height or size.

 Floor Positioning

 A great rebounder always establishes an excellent floor position when attempting to grab a rebound. An excellent floor position means that you fight for the inside position by being closer to the basketball hoop than your opponent, regardless of whether you are trying to grab an offensive or defensive rebound.

 Grabbing the Rebound

 Once you have established an inside position, the most effective way to grab a rebound is by leaping straight up in the air with great explosiveness and power using both feet, keeping your legs spread apart and butt pointing outward, and grabbing the basketball with both hands. Bring the basketball in front of you after you grab it instead of keeping it over your head.

 This keeps your opponent away from you, and prevents him from grabbing the basketball or smacking it out of your hands as you are coming back down after you have grabbed the rebound.

 Catch all rebounds instead of batting the basketball into the air or out of bounds. This would allow you and your team to maintain possession of the basketball.

Protecting the basketball after a Rebound

 All your effort to grab the rebound and regain possession of the basketball would be in vain if you do not protect the basketball on your way down. Remember, after you grab a rebound, you will usually be surrounded by opponents that are standing by ready and eager to steal the basketball from you. Be alert and vigilante!

 As you land after grabbing a rebound, bring the basketball in under your chin (Chinning the basketball) with your elbows out and with a hand on each side of the basketball gripping it tightly. Do not swing your elbows wildly in order to keep your opponent(s) away from you, because doing so might lead to a foul violation.

 Pivot away from an opponent that might be trying to steal the basketball away from you. Do not put the basketball on the floor immediately after going up for a rebound, especially if you are surrounded by your opponents.

 Keep your head up after grabbing the rebound so that you can easily scan the entire basketball court to see if you can find an open teammate who might be positioned to lead a fast break for an easy score.

 There you have it…Becoming an awesome rebounder is as simple as (1) Establishing great inside position; (2) Grabbing the rebound; and, (3) Protecting the basketball after you grab the rebound. With constant practise, there is no reason why you cannot become a top, if not the best, rebounder for your basketball team. In addition to mastering the mechanics of grabbing a rebound as illustrated above, equally as important is developing a mindset or attitude that you will attempt to grab every rebound during a basketball game. Remember, it is not the “size” of the rebounder that matters; rather, it is his burning desire to go after every rebound.

 Visit http://www.basketball-drills-and-tips.com to find more information on this topic, and to download a FREE copy of our Basketball E-Book ($29 Value) titled, “The Fundamentals of Basketball: A beginner’s guide for coaches and players.”

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Through the years, basketball has become one of the most famous sports all over the world. In fact, it is the most viewed sports around the globe. But, the most popular basketball association is the National Basketball Association or the NBA. It is widely popular that even the drafting is an event to watch out for basketball fans around the world. And when the season opened, fans all over the world are religiously following every schedule there is. Following that, basketball pictures are pouring in. If you are a fan and wants to collect basketball pictures, there are lots of ways for you to get some; • Prints – newspaper and magazine clips are among the great sources of basketball photographs. You can find different shots of your favorite teams, players or coaches. • Online – probably the best way to get pictures of you favorite teams and players is through the internet. There are lots of websites which offers exclusive photos of different teams and players. But where on the net can you exactly get them? • On sports news websites – you can try sport news sites which offer recent hard court action shots. Yahoo!Sports and NBA.com is where you can find the greatest shots; from the players’ entrance to the winning streaks. • Sports Forums – there are forum boards online where you can find pictures of basketball teams and players; most of these forums are categorized by teams. • Basketball Fan Blogs – yes, there are hundreds of bloggers where you can get pictures. Some are even great to customize a picture of a certain team or player. • Basketball Players’ websites – players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Manu Ginobili have their personal websites. Knowing where to get the best collections of basketball pictures is not a guarantee that you’re set to go. There are things that you have to keep in mind when getting pictures especially on the internet. They are as follows; a. Before downloading an image, be sure to read the details and know if it’s copyrighted. This is very important if you are going to post your collections on your blogs or personal pages. b. Remember that not all pictures posted on the Internet are free. You can’t just get copies of photos you find on the net. They are considered as intellectual properties. What you can do is send an email to the owner asking for permission if you can use the images. Most photo owners would just want acknowledgement that you got your photos from them. c. Use the images properly. Some websites states that as you download basketball pictures from them, you are assumed to agree to their terms and conditions regarding the use of the images. So, you now know how not to be sued when getting copies of basketball pictures online. And you know where to get the pictures. Next, where you will use the pictures? Mostly, basketball pictures are used in the following; • Wallpapers – if you are bored with the plain blue or black background on your computer screens, you might want to change that with the pictures of your favorite basketball players or teams; you can also use basketball team logos. • Blogs – if you love talking about basketball topics on your blogs or personal websites, it would be better to accompany each post with basketball pictures; readers will surely enjoy them. Just don’t forget to acknowledge the owner of the photo in your post; a link to their site will do. • Scrapbooking – whether it’s digital or manual scrapbooking, you’ll good with the many basketball pictures available.

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