Learn How To Play Basketball

Basketball has been around since the 1890s and was first played with two peach baskets and soccer ball. Today it's one of the top ten most popular sports in the world and is played in over two hundred countries. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has almost 19 million followers on Twitter and 28 million Facebook fans.

Today we're going to cover how to play basketball and how to be really good at it! Holding the ball correctly before you start shooting, you'll need to work on the correct way to handle a ball. If done incorrectly, you can easily sprain your wrists or jam your fingers when you catch the ball.

Form your hands so that they look like claws. Your fingers should be rounded and far apart. Put the ball between your fingers and make sure you hold the ball securely. When handling the ball, the only contact you should have is with the ends of your fingers. Your palms or any other part of your hands should not touch the ball at all. Try and practice this skill as much as possible. You can even practice it while you're watching TV! Use your wrists correctly to shoot like a pro, you'll also need to ensure you use the right wrist technique. Think of the motion your wrist makes when you wave hello or goodbye to someone.

Raise your arms above your ahead and let your palms face forward, hands in a slight claw formation. Keep your elbows straight and ensure your arms are still during the exercise. Flick your wrists back and forth so that your hands and wrists flop with ease.

Ensure you have the proper shooting stance. Stand with your legs and feet about shoulder width apart. Standing correctly is important as your legs serve as the source which will help you to shoot the ball. Make sure your dominant foot is slightly ahead of the non-shooting foot. Your dominant foot will be the same side as the hand you use to shoot the ball. Bend your knees slightly so that you're ready to jump as soon as you have the ball. If you lock your knees it's easier to get knocked off balance. Locate your target and keep your eyes on it. Line everything up so your shooting eye and the ball form a straight line to the basket.

Straighten your knees and jump. Your legs will help you to propel the ball when you jump, and you shooting hand can launch the ball. When you shoot, jump slightly forward but make sure not to lean forward. Release the ball with your shooting hand which is aimed at the basket. Make sure to straighten your elbow and push your wrist so the ball arches, instead of forming a straight line to the basket. As soon as you release the ball, your guiding hand should drop.

Lastly, ensure you follow through! This will allow your shoot to be more accurate. You'll know you did this correctly if your shooting hand resembles the shape of a swan, it's arched toward the basket and your hand is loosely tilted downward with fingers pointing toward the hoop. Remember that it will take time and lots of practice to perfect your shot. Keep at it and remain positive and you'll be shooting like a pro before you know it. Good luck!