How to Be a Good Basketball Player

Instructions

• 1

  Know the rules. A thorough knowledge of the rules of the game is crucial to becoming a good basketball player; in fact, not having such an understanding can cost your team a game. As well as studying the rules relating to personal fouls -- mainly those regarding physical contact -- it's also a good idea to read up on those relating to technical fouls. Knowing all of the ethical and administrative rules of the game can help you avoid throwing away unnecessary points on the court and help you progress as a fully-rounded player.

• 2

  Practice your ball skills, and then practice some more. As well as team drills, good players continually work to hone their personal ball skills. For example, practice dribbling to the point where you are comfortable with the ball between your legs or behind your back, and so that the cross-over becomes almost second nature. Likewise, practice your free throws to the point where you're able to sink a shot in your sleep.

• 3

  Be a student of the game. Learn not only the plays and tactics that are popular at the moment, but those which have been popular in other times. Certainly, basketball is a game of physical skill and ability. But games are also often won and lost mentally. Knowing how to follow a coach's instructions and switch formations or adopt plays almost instantaneously is a major asset on the court.

• 4

  Target a certain position and learn to excel at it. Once you have been playing the game for a while, you will come to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone is cut out to be a power forward, either physically or in terms of skill levels. Some players, especially those who may not be so tall, may want to concentrate on other positions and would be better off working on their dribbling skills rather than their slam-dunking abilities. Identifying where you should play on the court is often the first step toward growing as a player, even if this may involve some self-criticism.

• 5

  Develop an excellent level of personal fitness to excel on the court. In order to boost speed, acceleration and agility, sprinting drills can prove useful, and you should always be prepared to put in the effort away from team practices. Though good shooting and dribbling skills may get you far, less technically capable players in great shape can show up more gifted yet unfit opponents, particularly as games progress.

  As well as getting fitter, it pays to work on core strength. Alongside regular sit-ups and leg lifts, the simple plank exercise, which involves holding your body in a straight line while pushing yourself up on your elbows and toes, will help make you a more physically imposing and mobile player on the court.

• 6

  Eat well. Along with enjoying regular exercise, following a strict diet can also boost on-court performance levels. Eat healthily at all times and then sensibly before practice and games. Even if you're aren't hungry, it's wise to never go onto the court hungry, though foods that will give short-term energy boosts yet which don't sit on the stomach, such as fruit, a far better option than sugary candy.

• 7

  Improve your footwork. Though ball skills are certainly important, so too is good footwork; in fact, what you do with your feet on the court is almost as important as what you do with your hands. As well as developing excellent all-round balance, practice how to pivot off both feet and how to push off your weight to run or jump.

• 8

  Work on the mental side of the game. Having the right mental attitude to complement the skills and the physical well being can also have a major impact on your development as a basketball player. All sports players, but perhaps especially basketball shooters, thrive on confidence, while a determination and a will to win are also hallmarks of top athletes.

  At the same time, however, basketball is a team sport, rather than an individualistic pursuit, so being a good team player, learning when to pass instead of shooting and to take advice or even constructive criticism is needed in order to succeed.