BASIC SKILLS

IN BASKETBALL
The objective of basketball is to score more points
than your opponent by putting the ball through the
hoop. However, the process in which an individual or
team does this is much more complicated than it
seems. Some of the most important skills that are
part of the game of basketball include shooting,
dribbling, passing, rebounding, and defense.
1. SHOOTING
• Shooting is the main skill that
directly involves scoring points.
Whether a player shoots a layup,
mid-range shot, or a three-pointer,
it is all-encompassed in the idea of
shooting or scoring the basketball.
• The further from the hoop, the
more difficult the process of
shooting becomes, which is why
only the best shooters have long-
range ability.
JUMP SHOT
• A jump shot is most frequently used
for a mid to long-range shots,
including shooting beyond the arc.
• You have to take a wide stance,
usually, shoulder width apart, bend
your knees and square your
shoulders.
• Make a fluid, explosive upward leap
and at the apex of the jump, follow
through by shooting the ball.
• When the ball is released at the
apex of the jump shot, keep your
elbows straight to ensure that it is
pointed in the direction of the
basket. Concentrate on the flicking
of your wrist and holding it in
position to provide the ball with
momentum and spin.
HOOK SHOT
• A hook shot is when the shot
is made while your body is not
directly facing the basket.
• To make the shot, jump with
your left foot pushing off the
ground if you’re making a
right-handed shot or vice
versa. The shooting arm
should be slightly bent, and it
should thrust upwards as the
ball is lobbed with a flick of the
wrist.
BANK SHOT
• A bank shot is when any shot
made where the ball hits the
backboard before heading into
the net.
• To execute a bank shot, treat it
as though you’re taking a jump
shot but this time, aim slightly
higher by shooting for the
backboard.
• The ball should not be hitting the
rim too much after bouncing off
the backboard. The ball should
then bounce off the backboard
and into the net.
FREE THROW
• A free throw is a shot attempt given
to a player that was fouled and it is
taken on the free throw line. The
player must stay behind the free
throw line when taking the shot.
• Before attempting to shoot, one
must maintain their balance. Find
the nail or dot in the middle of the
free throw line and line your
shooting foot against it. For right-
handed shooters, the shooting foot
will be the right foot and vice versa.
• Aim for the back of the rim with
your eyes focusing on the rims, do
not look at the ball while you
execute the shot.
LAYUP
• A layup is a shot made from
short range by a player
moving towards the basket.
Usually utilizing the
backboard if he approaches
the hoop from an angle. This
is also one of the most basic
and common way of scoring a
basket in the game.
• To execute a layup, dribble
the ball towards the basket. At
the three-point line, or within
two meters from the basket,
take two giant strides towards
the hoop and attempt to score
by throwing the ball at the top
corner of the backboard or lay
the ball gently into the basket.
SLAM DUNK
• The dunk is usually the most
spectacular shot and is one of the
toughest feats in basketball. It
usually requires more jumping
ability than shooting skills.
• To execute a slam dunk, dribble
and charge towards the hoop
when ready to execute the dunk.
• Jump explosively to get as high as
possible and leap towards the
hoop. Lift the ball above the rim
and push or slam it forcefully
through the rim.
2. DRIBBLING
• Dribbling is the process by which a
player has to move the basketball
around the court. This is done by
continuously bouncing the ball
between a player's hands and the
floor. A player cannot walk around
the court holding the ball, or this
will be deemed a traveling
violation. The best dribblers in
basketball are massive assets to
their team on the court, possessing
the ability to navigate defenders
without having to pass the ball.
3. PASSING
• Passing is the other option to
move the ball around the court
outside of dribbling. A team that
has good passers can create easy
scoring chances for their
teammates, leading to more
points. While great passers may
not be scoring the most points in
any given game, they are
nonetheless an integral part of
offensive strategies.
• Great passing forces the
opposition to stay alert on defense
and can stretch out the defense to
the point that scoring lanes open
for teammates.
CHEST PASS
To complete a chest pass:
• Pass the ball from your
chest area using two hands.
• Aim for your teammate’s
chest.
• Chest passes can be used
when you’re not guarded
heavily.
ONE-HAND
PUSH PASS
• The push pass is used most often
when closely guarded. This pass is
similar to the chest pass, except you
push with one hand while taking a
step to create space from your
defender.
To complete a push pass:
• Push the ball with one hand toward
your teammate’s chest area or
shooting pocket.
• Use the hand farthest from the
defender to pass the ball. This will
typically be your right hand when
passing right and left hand when
passing left.
BOUNCE PASS
• The bounce pass is frequently
used when your on-ball defender
has their hands high and you still
need to make a pass. The bounce
pass to a teammate regularly
occurs when making a post-entry
pass or a pass from the post back
out to a teammate if the post
player is double teamed.
• Bounce the ball with strength, so
that the ball bounces off the floor
to the chest height of your
teammate.
BASEBALL
PASS
• A baseball pass is a one-
handed pass that uses the
same motion as a baseball
throw. This is often used to
make long passes.
• Start in quarterback position,
spread your strong hand on
the ball, bring the ball to your,
step into the pass, and follow
through.
OVERHEAD PASS
• You can use the overhead pass (also
known as a skip pass) to move the ball
from one side of the court to the other.
This can be an effective way to reverse
the ball to the opposite end of the
court when other passes aren’t open
so a teammate can receive it with
enough time to take a quality shot.
• Raise the ball above your head.
• Use both hands to make a hard,
accurate throw to a teammate across
the court.
• Aim for your teammate’s chest, head
or above their head, depending on
how closely they are guarded.
4. REBOUNDING
• Rebounding is the process of
controlling missed shots on both the
offensive and defensive ends.
Rebounding is a key facet of
acquiring and maintaining
possession, which can subsequently
give your team more offensive
chances. Securing the most missed
shots leads to more offensive
opportunities and generally allows a
team to score more points.
5. RUNNING
• Running is a big part of
basketball. In a full-court
game, you will find
yourself running back and
forth as the game quickly
transitions between offense
and defense. When you have
the ball, running will help you
to avoid defenders and get to
the basket quicker.