How can i become a better Point Guard?

Question

i am starting to play basketball and i would want to become better... i have great dribbling abbities and my speed is ok not the faster runner but i am in average. my right hand is very good but my probleme is my left i try and try but i can dribble like my right and my ball handling is ok but i want to become better ..can u give me drills or tips for my ball handling and how do i become better with my left hand.I spend like 3/4 hours practicing everyday

I want to make my high school team and the school start in 3 weeks

Answer 1

really all you can do is practice, practice switching from your right to left, right to left and so on. with all the time you spend practicing, you should be much better in no time! good luck!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 2

I play basketball as well,

I'm average and I'm pretty fast.

What I do to become better at handling the ball is,

Start off walking and dribbling the ball in your strong hand in a right direction then stop switch hands and start to run and dribble with your left.

It sounds easy but Helps your hand and body get used to the ball

Speed Isn't everything either

I am more of a center which Is more of a defendence position

Keep up the good training and work on your hand skills

Answer 3

practice makes perfect!!=]

Answer 4

make the ball become your best friend. dribble for at least an hour every day

but most importantly look up when you dribble, a great point gaurd is noticed for his vision to see the court and his teammates

also a little secret, go to a college game or pro game and see how hard the point gaurd punds the ball on the ground. all the good ones do it because they have strong wrists and their accustomed to having the ball in their hand dribbling is second nature.

also the harder you pound the ball on the ground, the harder it is for the defense to pick you.

Answer 5

Tie your right arm behind your back and do everything lefty.  Seriously, it sounds stupid but it will work.

Answer 6

John Stockton (former Utah Jazz point gurad and future Hall of Famer) said being a pg all starts with ball handling.  He'd go to his basement as a boy and dribble the basketball with the lights off.  He said this is what gave him his ball handling skills.

Answer 7

i play point guard to and i have had some of the same problems. there are a lot of things you can do. first you really have to have confidence in your self and believe you can do it. or else it makes it hard to learn because you are so hard on yourself. then just really get used to handling the ball. do a lot of dribbling in the drive way and there are a lot of drills out there to help you with coordination. another great thing for you to do is to get a partner and have them play defense and practice drving to the basket and getting good shots...getting past the defender with no problem. then try playing defense. keeping your arms wide and ur butt low. practice sliding back and forth to keep up with the offender. one last thing that will always help is to eat healthy meals and take runs every day or every other day. just run a mile or if u cant do that maybe a half mile. then work your way up. i hope this helps!! oh and dont ever give up. it will all pay of someday!!

Answer 8

practice and technique will do it.

Answer 9

The best point guards can not only dribble, they pass and they shoot. Check out Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.  He is the best.  The greatest skill that he has is that he sees the whole floor and can pass the ball better than anyone else in the league.

As for drills?  Keep working on your dribbling: spend every second day working only on your left side.  Use pylons and dribble through using only your left, then work on cross overs.  And it is very important that you can quickly change speed while you are dribbling.  In other words, go to a very fast pace from a slow walk and then be able to slow down to a crawl from a full run.  Maintain control of the ball at all times.  A last bit of advice.  Recognize the holes.  Go for those breaks in the defence and drive hard to the hoop.  Expect to get fouled.  So be sure to practise your foul shots.  Point guards often go to the line.  Good luck.  Basketball is a great game and I wish you the best of luck.  Work hard and play hard.

Answer 10

The job of the point guard is passing/assiting.

like steve nash <------[my favorite], chris paul, jason kidd

they are all good pg's cause they pass.

Pg's setup plays by passing.

Also pg ussually are fast but speed isnt neccesary.

Fundamintals are really important. passing dribbling shooting when open all these things are the key.

Go on youtube all look at pro basketball tuturiels they really help.

hoped i helped :]

Answer 11

First off practice constantly, thats what you do if you want to be good. Take a basketball everywhere you can, and just dribble it. Dribble it up and down with both hands, work on crossover dribbling, dribbling between your legs, etc. Also put your hands close together and pass the ball back and forth using only the pads of your fingers, this will help you get the "feel" of the ball. Shoot as much as you can! Work on your technique. Remember BEEF-Balance, Elbows,Eyes,Follow through. Run every day, basketball is about speed. Also watch Basketball games on TV. A point gaurd needs to know the game well have a good feel of the court, what works, etc. Know the rules of the game, know your own ability, and once season starts know your teamates abilities. Make sure you have good basketball shoes that are comfortable. Also, work on passing, if you don;t have someone you can pass with, pass to wall. 4 basic passes are :Bounce, Chest,Overhead,Baseball. You will use bounce pass the most, so practice that alot. Baseball is only used win your passing across the court, so its about distance and aim. Also, shoot lots of foul shots! Good luck!!

Answer 12

Learning to play the point guard, or O1, position is a difficult article to write since many factors are involved in playing this position. Some of these factors include how the coach wants his/her point guard to operate, the style of play, the abilities and talents of the teammates surrounding the point guard, and the skills, temperament, experience and leadership qualities of the point guard him/herself. I'll try to discuss several qualities involved.

Communication

The point guard is often thought of an extension of the coach on the floor, or the "quarterback", or floor general. So the point guard must have a close working relationship with the coaches and be very "coachable". He/she should have frequent discussions with the coach to know exactly what the coach expects of him/her, and what team strategies to use at a given time. The point guard must know his role on the team, whether he is expected to be a John Stockton type assist man, or a scorer like Allen Iverson. And this of course will depend not only on his own skills as a scorer, but also upon the talent of his teammates around him. If the team has some excellent scorers, he/she will want to be a good assist person and get the ball to those players. If no-one else on the team is a strong scoring threat, then the point guard may need to step up into that role.

You must also be able to communicate with your teammates both on and off the court. Learn to read the cuts your wing players make, whether they V-cut or back-cut. You might work out some hand signals so you know whether he/she is going back-door or not. At times, you may see the your team bunched up, with poor spacing, and you need to know how to back the ball out, direct them and get them to move and correct their spacing.

Court Balance, Passing, Half-Court Offense

Your first thought should not be scoring, but being an excellent passer and getting the ball to your teammates for easy shots. Many think that dribbling and ball-handling are the most important attributes for a good point guard, but I believe it is being an excellent passer and being able to find the open man, and when to pass and not pass. Take care of the ball, and don't throw it into a crowd. Avoid those costly turnovers. Learn to open the passing lanes by "looking" the defender away. Avoid passing in the direction you are looking, or "telegraphing" your passes. Look one way and pass opposite, using your peripheral vision. You should keep your head up and eyes forward toward the hoop at all times, and you should be able (using your peripheral vision) to see all four teammates at once. You want to try to get the ball to your "hot shooters" or to your teammate who may have a mismatch with his/her defender. Also know which teammates are currently on the floor and who your best scorers are, and get them the ball.

Keep your passing accurate and as simple as possible. Don't attempt some "fancy" pass when a simple chest or bounce pass will do the job. Keep your passes crisp with some zip, but not so hard that your teammates cannot catch the ball.

Distribute the ball from side to side using both sides of the court. There will be a natural tendency for a right-handed player to favor the right side of the court, but you must use the entire floor to overshift the defense and involve all your teammates.

Pass the ball into the high post (especially if you have a skilled high post player). A lot of good things can happen when the ball gets into the high post. Passing into the low post is usually easier from the wing position, but you can occasionally catch the defense sleeping. To be a consistent winning team, you must be able to get the ball inside for those low post shots and lay-ups. You want to get to the free-throw line and get the opponent in foul trouble. Don't just rely on firing up three-pointers all night.

Avoid pointless dribbling on the perimeter... keep the ball moving. Catch the ball in triple threat position and don't prematurely give up your dribble.

Look for your own shot too or otherwise the defense will not have to play you seriously. Look for the outside shot, but also be able to beat your defender with a drive into the paint. When you penetrate, you cause problems for the defense if you can hit the little pull-up jumper just inside the arc in the paint, or if you can dish the ball to an open low post player (whose man has come up to defend you). Now here's where communication comes in again. Usually the point guard has primary responsibility for being back on defense and preventing the opponent's fast break, and will not attack the offensive boards for the rebound. When you dribble penetrate, you must have an understanding with either the #2 or #3 player that he/she will stay back out on top to prevent the fast break.

A little tip against zone defenses... realize that zone defense is most effective for the first 15 seconds. If you make a few quick passes, reverse the ball, and get the zone to move, it will often move out of position. Then when you see the openings, attack the gaps with either a good pass, or dribble penetration.

Control the Tempo

A good point guard knows how to control the pace or tempo of the game, and how his coach wants the tempo. You must know whether your team is better as a fast-breaking team, or better as a slow-down team. And this can change depending on which teammates are on the floor. If you have your big, slower guys in there, and if they are in a little foul trouble, you might want to walk the ball up the floor and slow it down for a few possessions. If you've got your speedy guards in there, pick up the pace. If your team looks tired after a couple fast trips up and down the court, slow it down a little for a couple possessions. You can rest on offense, but never on defense. Momentum is a big factor too. If your team is really "on a roll", keep the tempo fast. If the opponent makes a few unanswered baskets and has the momentum, slow it down and walk it up the floor and make sure you get a good shot opportunity.

When bringing the ball up the floor, keep your eyes focused ahead and maybe you can occasionally catch the opponent's transition defense loafing and hit a teammate with a long pass and lay-up... but don't force it.

When pushing the fast break, if you realize the opponent has gotten back successfully in the paint, stop the fast-break and dribble it back out on top and start your half-court offense.

Know the Game Situation

Since you are the "coach on the floor", know the game, score and clock situation at all times. Read this page, the last several paragraphs, about strategies on how to end a quarter/half, and end of the game strategies... see GameCoaching.html

Dealing with Full-Court Pressure

When faced with a full-court press, you must be aggressive with your cut and "want" the inbounds pass. You are the team's best ball-handler and passer and their best chance for successfully getting the ball up the floor. Remember, it is not easy for the defense to steal the ball from you as long as you stay calm, stay out of the corners (where they can trap you), pass rather than trying to dribble through the double-team, and keep the ball in the middle of the floor or reverse it to the weak side. In a full-court press, the defenders are mostly positioned on the ball-side of the floor, so a quick reversal to the opposite side will usually beat it. Also, after passing off to another teammate (when the press traps you), cut and try to get the next pass right back again. Often after the first or second pass is made, the press is beaten.

Leadership, Attitude

I like a point guard who is confident and a little "feisty" -- who is able to grab his/her teammates and say, "C'mon, let's go!". You are the leader on the floor and the team will follow your example. Most often your offense starts with you, and you are the first line of defense when the opponent comes up the floor. If you meet their point guard in an aggressive manner on defense, your teammates with pick up on that and play hard too.

As a team leader, you must be willing to work harder than anyone else in practice so as to "lead by example". You must try to get along well with all your teammates and be a "peace-maker". Don't allow players to belittle each other (often done in a joking, but still hurtful, way). Be a leader in promoting team spirit and unity. Make the younger teammates and those teammates who get less playing time feel important too, that they are contributing also.

Skills Necessary to be a Good Point Guard

1. Passing and faking skills

You must be an excellent passer (see Passing). Practice your "no-look" passes as much as your shooting.

2. Dribbling

You must be a good ball-handler, but you don't have to be the most awesome dribbler in the world. Magic Johnson was not the most awesome dribbler, but he could handle the ball very well, was very intelligent and an excellent passer, and one of the greatest players and greatest point guards ever to play the game. You can be a very good point guard if you play under control, play smart, are able to dribble with either hand (with head and eyes forward), have a good crossover dribble, and an around-the-back dribble. See "Dribbling", "Stationary Dribbling Drills"

3. 1-on-1 moves

Learn to beat your man off the dribble, take it into the paint and shoot the short jumper or dish off. See Perimeter Moves.

4. Outside shooting

It is another bonus if you can hit the outside shot too. See "Learning How to Shoot", "Shooting Drills"

5. Conditioning

You may have to play most of the game so be in excellent physical, aerobic condition by the very first practice session.

There's a lot to learn, but to me, the point guard position is by far the most fun and challenging position to learn to play.

I'm the coach and you are a player trying to make my team. So how do you impress me with your skills, and what is it that I am looking for in try-outs?

The things I look for are solid fundamentals... don't be flashy. I like kids who play tough defense, hustle after loose balls, play aggressively (but not dirty). I love kids who box out and rebound. I like kids who are good passers, and avoid turnovers. I like team players. Don't try to impress me by dribbling between your legs.

Be the first one arriving for practice and the last one to leave. Show me work ethic. Hustle hard during drills. Show respect for the coaches and the other players. Ask the coaches to help you with your weaknesses. We all like to practice the things we are already good at. You get better by working on your weaknesses.

Are you a tall inside player? If so, impress me with your rebounding, defense, and some post up moves. Example: a drop-step baseline move (see Inside Post Moves)

If you are a guard, show me you can handle the ball and keep under control. If you can shoot the "3", fire some up during shoot-arounds. I like a perimeter player who can shoot the outside shot, but can also drive to the hoop, can see the whole floor and pass, and can handle the ball well. Show me your outside moves (see Outside Moves).

Work on your skills at home, or at the nearby playground in the summer (off-season). Work on the correct things, not just the things you are already good at (see Practicing in the Off-Season).

Be physically "in-shape" (conditioning) when you arrive at try-outs.

During tryouts, don't be intimidated by better players, or players who made the team last year. There will always be a few players at try-outs who are better players and who you know will make the team. But you too can be an important part of the team to as a "role player".

Remember that hard work, hustle and a good attitude will impress the coach, even if your shooting is off that week.