People who play basketball on a regular basis are aware of the fact that proficiency in handling the basketball is a critical feature of this sport. However, for many youngsters and teenagers playing this sport for the first time, handling the basketball with precision is a difficult task to achieve. Even professional basketball players who are experts at dribbling the basketball around the court face problems when it comes to controlling the basketball in difficult situations. It is only through rigorous, hard and persistent training that individual youngster learning this sport for the first time can become competent in the handling the basketball during a game.
Jeffrey Allen Dukes explains that the ability to control the basketball proficiently can make the difference between winning and losing a basketball match. Moreover, this prominent basketball expert cites a number of important reasons why many youngsters who play basketball find it difficult to handle the basketball proficiently.
Experience
Experience is one of the most common reasons why many youngsters find it difficult to control and handle basketball competently in difficult situations in a basketball game. These youngsters can only gain the necessary experience by playing basketball continuously in a variety of competitive levels and in diverse basketball environments. Playing basketball in different competitive levels challenges the youngsters’ ability to perform well in such tournaments. For instance, youngsters who participate in local basketball tournament, experience the same competitive level on a regular basis. However, if they want to enhance their skills in handling the basketball proficiently they should make it is point to participate in diverse basketball courts with a different level of competition.
Motivation
When youngsters who start playing basketball against opponents who are more competitive and have better basketball skills than they have, these youngsters have no option but to enhance their own basketball handling skills. This is the only way they stand any chance of gaining the competitive edge against their opponents and winning the game. If these youngsters do not make an effort to improve basketball-handling skills, their opponents’ defense will snatch the basketball away from them every time these youngsters are on the offensive. Whenever, youngsters learning to play basketball face competitors who have superior basketball skills than themselves in any basketball match, they begin to realize the need to train hard in order to enhance their basketball skills. This realization gives these youngsters the motivation they need to become proficient in the sport.
Importance of dribbling
Most professional and competent basketball players are aware that while dribbling it is essential for a basketball player to always hold his/her head high. This essential yet subtle basketball technique is what differentiates a proficient and professional basketball player from mediocre basketball player. Learning to dribble the basketball very low and hard is an ideal way to gain proficiency in handling and controlling the basketball. Moreover, whenever a basketball player dribbles hard and low, his/her opponents find it difficult to take the basketball away from that player.
Jeffrey Allen Dukes also explains that it is imperative for youngsters who want to gain proficiency in handling and controlling the basketball to remember the saying ‘practice makes perfect’.