Basic Basketball Skills – A Practical Guide
A high quality collective effort is required to perform well in a team sport like basketball and a collective effort demands a total commitment on the part of every individual and a firm grip on basic skills.The basic basketball skills are:
Dribbling:
Bouncing the ball up and down with finger tips while moving ahead is a complexed but a very important skill.Dribbling is a legal way to control a ball and to keep it away from the reach of the opponent.It makes advancement up the court faster and creates more chances of scoring.The essentials for dribbling are:
- Dribble in a relaxed and balanced position.
- Push the ball only with finger tips,never with palms.
- Bounce the ball by moving forearm and wrist.
- Always dribble with head up and eyes off the ball.
- Use non dribble hand for protecting the ball from opponent.
- Dribble with the hand farthest from the opponent(defender).
- Develop an ability to switch the ball from one hand to another during the dribble.
- Bring variations in speed to deceive opponent.
- Make changes in the height of bounce,especially the bounce at knee level ensures more control on ball and reduces the chances of stealing it.
- Make sharp and brisk changes in direction.
Types of Dribbling
Some of the basic types of dribble are:
Low/Control Dribble:
This type of dribbling is used when a player is guarded heavily.While bouncing,player keeps the ball at low height near to the floor and prevent the ball from stealing.
High/Speed Dribble:
When player is not closely guarded and found himself in a open court ,then speed dribble is used to ensure faster advancement.Body is maintained at a slant position and ball is kept at waist level to generate maximum speed.
Change of Pace Dribble
To deceive an opponent , change of pace technique is applied.This move makes defender a little relaxed as he thinks that dribbler is slowing his speed down,suddenly dribbler maximizes the speed and get himself pass the defender quickly.
Cross Over Dribble
In a cross over dribble,player use only one hand for bouncing the ball.He keeps the ball in front of body at a low level while moving towads a defender.As he came close to defender,he rapidly switches the ball from one hand to another and makes a quick change in direction.and creates a open lane to the basket by deceiving the defender.
Reverse/Spin Dribble
When a player is guarded too closely, then he use reverse dribble move to keep the ball away from the defender.Dribbler makes the ball close to body,switchs it from one hand to another and turn backwards away from the defender to protect the ball from stealing.
In and Out Dribble
This move makes a defender confused as he thinks that a cross over dribble is going to happen but the dribbler does not complete a cross over,he rests his hand on the top of the ball and bring it back quickly.
Back up/Pull Back Dribble
Dribbler keeps the ball at low height while bouncing,then slides back and drags the ball backwards to avoid the attack of the defender.
Between the Legs Dribble
Dribbler takes the ball in one hand,bounces it through the legs and transfers it to other hand but ensures that ball does not make a contact with legs.
Passing
In a team sport like basketball,success is achieved when contribution is made by all the players on the court. To create more opportunities for scoring,players make the ball pass to each other.Passing is a fastest way to advance the ball up the court and an effective way to keep a ball in possession.The fundamental technique of passing is:
- Player can use one hand for passing but it is preferable to use both hands.
- Pass must travel directly through the spaces to the receiver.
- The ball should advance quickely and accurately towards a receiver.
- The passer must know the spot where a receiver prefers to collect a ball.
- Catching the ball is more difficult than throwing.A receiver should reach for the ball and collect it with a relaxad body.
Types of Passing
Following are some main types of passing:
Chest Pass
The Chest Pass is the most effective and accurate pass,often used in open court.It ensures fastest advancement of the ball to the receiver as it is guided to a receiver directly in a straight line.The Ball is passed from the passer,s chest to the chest area of receiver and this pass allows very short time for a defender to anticipate.
Bounce Pass
This pass is mostly applied in a tightly defended situation.The ball is passed at ground level with great force which makes it harder for a defender to intercept but this pass is very slow in speed,in fact slowest among all the passes.It works well for short distance.
Over Head Pass
Over Head pass is used when the passer wants to get the ball over to a closely marked defender,to intended receiver.When the defender is taller in height,then it is a difficult pass to execute.
Shooting
Shooting is a very important skill,which requires a great deal of practice.The result of a game rests greatly on the perfect execution of this basic skill.Players shoot the ball in to the baskets of opponents and confirm points for their side.The basics of the shooting are:
- Shooting involves aiming and guiding rather than simply throwing the ball in a basket.
- The force is generated from legs,in fact, a perfect shot requires a sequenced movement and extention of arms,elbow,wrist,fingers and knees.
- The ball is held with fingers tips and kept close to the body at chest level.
- The fingers of guiding hand should placed on the side of the ball and the shooting hand under the ball.
- Shot the ball while looking up at the target(hoop)to create a proper angle for scoring.
Basic Types of Shooting
There are three common types of shooting:
Set Shot
Set shot is a safe kind of a shot,often brings better results.A player keeps the ball usually at chest level, stands still close to the basket and releases it with out lifting his feet from the ground.
Jump Shot
This shot is used mostly in open courts,especially very effective to score a point at a distance from the basket.The player shot a ball in mid air before his feet touch the surface again and put a great power behind a shot.
Lay-up shot
It is the most basic shot in basketball,applied when the player is close to the basket.He leaps from the ground and makes a shot with one hand mostly off the backboard.
Related posts
- Types of Jump Shots in Basketball
- Passing in Basketball - An in Depth Analysis
- Defensive Strategies and Tactics in Basketball
- Offensive Tactics and Strategies in Basketball
- Dribble - Explore all Aspects of Basketball Dribbling
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