Day 4: Court vision
This article is part of the series “30 days to being a better basketball player“.
"Steampunk goggles II" by Curious Expeditions, via flickr
Court vision, which goes hand in hand with court awareness, is basically your ability to see the full basketball court and be aware of where you, your teammates and your opponents are at all times.
Guards have a lot (perhaps the most) to gain from improving this skill as it will help in providing passes to teammates at the best moment and when least expected by opponents. Bigger players also benefit by being ready to receive passes at all times and aware of opponents positions for both defending and attacking the basket.
No matter what position you play, an improved court awareness can make a huge difference to your game.
There are some simple tips you can use if you want to improve your own court vision and court awareness:
- Learn to dribble without looking at the ball (and practice, practice, practice).
- When you’re handling the ball, make sure you keep your head up!
- Practice focusing not only on specific people or the ball, but instead on a point like the bottom of the net (if you’re on offense) or a spot on the floor between your man and the man with the ball (if you’re on defense) – this will help you be aware of more of the court.
- When you’re running along the court, think about where your teammates are at all times so that you’re ready to pass to them.
Now get out there and have some fun on the court!
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