Good Basketball Skills Training

Training for basketball has become a year-round process that emphasizes skill development and strength. Basketball is a game that is officially played from November through March, but is worked on day-in, day-out during the off-season months of April through October. The off-season is the time of year when good basketball skills are developed and bad habits are broken.

  1. Shooting

    • Shooting the basketball is one of the main skills that needs development to become a good player. To develop your skills in this area, practice your shot every day using good technique. Good technique starts with the feet and ends with the hands. Making sure that the feet and hips are square to the basket is the first thing involved with being a good shooter. Once the feet and hip are square to the basket, the shoulders should follow. The best shooters practice relentlessly and make sure that they keep their elbow in during the shot and finish with a high follow-through. Holding the follow-through until the ball hits the ground is a good practice. Great shooters practice by shooting stand-still shots, off-the-dribble shots, mid-range shots and 3-pointers.

    Passing

    • Good passing skills need to be developed because the player is often passing the ball to teammates in traffic. Passing can be worked on daily by yourself by picking a target on a wall and trying to hit it with various types of passes. The different passes can include chest passes, bounce passes, over-the-head passes and step-through passes. Furthermore, it is important to work on passing while both standing still and moving.

    Dribbling

    • Dribbling is an action that constantly takes place in the game. Dribbling should be practiced with both hands separately to master the techniques with each. To develop dribbling skills, start by dribbling in place with each hand for several minutes while keeping the head up and the ball low. Dribbling while on the move also should be practiced starting with a walk and working up to a jogging, then a running pace. Also, practicing different dribble moves while going full speed will help to increase these skills. Dribble moves include behind the back, cross-over and between the legs.

    Defense

    • Defense is the part of the game that is rarely practiced but requires skills to be efficient. You can develop defensive skills alone by working on your stance and your slides. A good defensive stance will include having a low rear side, having the head up and having the hands out with the finger tips pointing up. Once the stance is mastered, work on your slides. Start by sliding one step in either direction while concentrating on footwork. When sliding, the feet should never touch or cross. Build up to where you can slide five steps in either direction as fast as possible while staying in the stance.

    Jumping

    • Being able to jump high several times in a row is central to basketball and requires exercising your leg muscles. Doing a series of simple squats in the weight room will help to develop all of your leg muscles and allow you to increase your vertical jump. Calf raises also will help to increase your jumping ability. With your toes on a raised surface, like a curb, raise your body up to the point where your feet are level with the curb. Use the calf muscles during this exercise and focus on doing it as fast as possible once the basic pattern has been mastered.