How to Improve Court Vision in Basketball

Size, strength and speed are great assets to a basketball player, but unfortunately, these attributes are not available to everyone. There is one attribute that every player can develop that will give you a significant advantage: Court Vision. The ability to see the entire court not only allows you to become a more effective offensive player, but also enhances your defensive game as well. This article focuses on some insights on how to develop your court vision.

Instructions

    • 1

      Whenever you are handling the ball, be sure that your head is up. You must develop your ball-handling skills so you are able to dribble without looking at the ball. Without this skill, you cannot develop court vision with the ball.

    • 2

      In order to see all of your teammates, focus your eyes on the bottom of the net. With this focus you can see the entire offensive end of the court with your field of vision.

    • 3

      Play a lot of basketball. The more you play and practice your court vision, the more comfortable you will become.

    • 4

      On off-ball defense, focus on a spot that allows full vision, making sure that you are always seeing the player you are guarding, as well as the player with the ball.

    • 5

      Practice your field of vision in crowded areas. For instance, sit in a mall court and utilize your peripheral vision to see people coming in and out of your field. Pretend that you have to make a pass to each blue-colored coat that comes into your field of vision.

    • 6

      Get regular vision tests and wear contacts or goggles if necessary, to make sure your vision is strong. Without strong vision, the game will be more difficult than it needs to be.

    • 7

      Practice passing while not looking, aka the "no look" pass. When making passes in practice, do not look directly at your teammate. Building this skill will be very valuable, as the defense will not know where you are passing the ball.