Offense
If you are going to have an offense, you have to be able to score. To score, you have to be able to make shots. And to get good shots, you need to know how to dribble, pass, and shoot the basketball. Once you know these principles and practice them, you will be able to develop your offensive skills.
Shooting is something you have to practice a lot to get good at. Face the basket when you shoot the ball. Place your feet about a shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly, and keep your back straight. Hold the ball in your shooting hand, but position the other hand on the side of the ball to help guide the shot. You shoot the ball more with your fingertips, so you don't want the ball in the palm of your hand when you shoot it. Think about keeping the ball from resting in the palm of your hand and always using your fingertips.
To be a good offensive player, you'll need to master the following types of shots:
Jump shot. Taken from the standing position, you jump as you shoot the ball. Jumping gives you more power and range and helps prevent opposing players from blocking your shot. By jumping, you can shoot over your opponent. The jump shot is the most common type of shot.
Set shot. Taken from the standing position, your feet do not leave the floor. A free throw is considered a set shot.
Layup. This occurs when a player is dribbling very close to the basket, approaching it from the left or right side rather than straight on. You will often use the backboard to bank the ball into the basket.
Passing
Passing is one of the most important parts of the game. You can pass the ball to open players to get better shots or to players who are not being guarded by opponents. You often step forward as you pass to generate power; however, you can also pass while you are standing still if someone is open and you don't need a lot of force to get the ball to him quickly.
When you watch a game, see if you can identify the following types of passes:
Chest pass. The ball is passed from the passer's chest to the receiver's chest.
Bounce pass. The passer throws the ball and it bounces about two-thirds of the way toward the receiver. Typically, the bounce pass takes longer to complete, though it is harder to intercept because defenders usually hold their hands up to block chest passes and shots. The bounce pass is used to throw the ball around defenders.
Overhead pass. Use this type of pass to throw the ball over your defenders; you will use two hands to pass the ball from over your head.
Outlet pass. This type of pass can be thrown to move the ball rapidly up the floor and may be thrown using one arm, baseball style.
No-look pass. This is for advanced players, and is used to keep the opposing player from knowing where you will pass the ball. This is a high-risk pass and should only be used with coach's approval and once you have thoroughly mastered it and all other passes.
WORDS TO KNOW
A shot that misses the rim and bounces hard off the backboard. The shot is different from an air ball because an air ball misses everything, whereas the brick hits something — and hits it hard. Players without a good arc to their shots are more likely to shoot bricks. Players who shoot a lot of bricks are called “bricklayers.”
The term used when the ball is shot, misses the rim, and touches neither the rim nor the backboard. Even though the player missed the basket by a long shot, it is not considered good sportsmanship for crowds to chant “Air ball,” especially at a children's game.
Think of bouncing a paper ball off the wall into a trashcan. A bank shot gives you a chance to aim at something you can see on the backboard. A bank shot is also harder to block because the player defending you usually anticipates the shot going toward the rim, not toward a spot on the backboard.
WORDS TO KNOW
In a behind-the-back pass, you pass the ball from your right hand to your left by pushing the ball behind your back. These are hard to do accurately and are often intercepted, and even your teammates might not be expecting the ball. Learn to do the basic passes well first.
You can also pass off the dribble. Instead of dribbling the ball to yourself, you can push it to one of your teammates. It is similar to a bounce pass, but you won't interrupt your dribble to hold the ball before passing it. It's a hard pass to master, but it catches defenses off guard because they do not have time to prepare to defend it or intercept the ball.
Dribbling
Quite simply, dribbling means bouncing the ball. It's an important skill to master because you must dribble the ball if you want to walk or run while you have it. To dribble, you push the ball toward the court rather than patting it. This gives you more control while you dribble. The best dribblers can run up and down the court bouncing the ball the whole way.
A good dribbler bounces the ball low to the ground, which makes it more difficult for the defender to steal it. To be a good dribbler, you need to be able to use either hand to dribble. Practice changing hands and changing directions to make it harder for defenders to predict where the ball is going. Some players can dribble behind their backs or between their legs. One key dribbling move is called the crossover. A crossover sounds simple enough: you move the ball from one hand to the other while dribbling. But your defender isn't prepared for the change in direction, which makes it harder for her to stop you or steal the ball.
Practice dribbling until you can do it without looking at the ball. Learn to use your peripheral vision to see the floor. This allows you to focus on looking for open teammates to pass to or a good shot at the basket.
FUN FACTS
Ever notice how basketball shoes look different from regular tennis shoes? The top on basketball shoes goes up higher to provide ankle support for all the running, jumping, and cutting basketball players do. These shoes are called high tops because the top goes up higher than standard tennis shoes.
