Basketball has become an essential skill everyone should learn in their lifetime. Although it’s fun to play with others on a local court, playing basketball can also be fun while you’re on your own.
Sometimes, it’s even better to train and learn new tricks alone. Being alone gives you the focus and attention required to hone your grasp on the fundamental skills of basketball. Once you’re ready and more knowledgeable about the basketball fundamentals on the court, you might be more confident playing with other people.
1. Preparation and Warm-Up
Basketball is a demanding sport. It requires years of practice, countless hours on the court, and a bit of skill on the side. Even if you’re practicing on your own without someone else teaching basketball fundamentals, it’s essential to keep it safe by wearing the proper attire before stepping in.
A basketball player should be comfortable with the clothes they have on. To reduce the risk of injuring yourself, make sure to wear comfortable shorts, a shirt, and socks. If you need to wear ankle braces, make sure you always have them in your bag. Of course, never forget to wear the right pair of shoes.
Before every practice, make sure to warm up. One of the fundamentals of basketball is that you should never play ball unless you’ve finished preparing your body. Jogging around the court is the easiest way to warm up before practice. Try stretching to avoid straining yourself. Throw in a couple of ankle exercises to make sure they are ready for the footwork during the games.
2. Ball Handling
Ball handling is essential in basketball as it conditions your body to protect the ball from the opposing team. Practicing it regularly as one of the fundamental skills of basketball will help you develop muscle memory and coordination, making it easier to guard the ball during play.
Start warming up by dribbling the ball at various speeds. Switch hands while dribbling and continue to dribble while making a figure-eight pattern around your legs. If you have a coach, ask them to give you drills that should help with perfecting your ball-handling skills.
Improve your speed by setting a timer for every lap you make on the court. Try dribbling through a straight line and see if it improves every round. Next, try changing speeds. Dribble along the straight line with various speeds to check if you’ve mastered changing how fast or slow you dribble and run at the same time.
Next, start working on crossovers. If the place you’re practicing at has access to cones, use them to your advantage. Set up a line down the court and dribble through the cones while crossing over and changing the direction around each cone in a figure-eight pattern. If you don’t have access to cones, make sure to make a mental note on the court and still do crossovers in a straight line.
3. Shooting
Accurate shooting is fundamental to basketball. Practice your basketball shooting fundamentals by standing five feet away from the rim and try to make five in a row without hitting it. It’s never a bad time to practice long-range shooting. Take a couple of steps more and repeat each time you get a five in a row until you pass the three-point line. Do the drill on each side.
After a few rounds, try to simulate various basketball conditions and situations that players usually encounter. Try to recreate a catch-and-shoot problem by bouncing the ball in a direction and then run towards it to catch. Improve your rebounding hustle by identifying how the ball reacts before and after a missed shot and chasing your own rebound.
Conclusion
Being alone in the court should help you improve the basketball fundamentals that are often used in playing the sport. Although these fundamental basketball drills can be done at home, it should be done with the right coach and basketball hoop. It would be best to have a portable basketball goal at home to ensure you can train any time you have a free moment.
Quality Hoops is known as America’s leading basketball equipment company. Over time, we realized the need to own our hoop at home. Since then, we’ve made sure to stock up on portable basketball goals to help budding athletes discover their full potential. Order on our website today and get free shipping on all orders above $50.
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