Tips for Improving Your Basketball Footwork
Improving your basketball footwork means you'll have better balance and a great ability to move around defenders or to steal the ball away from the opposing team. A number of drills will improve your footwork and ultimately, your entire basketball game. Work on your balance, pivoting and overall speed to become a better ball player.
Improve Your Balance
In basketball, defenders and opponents are coming at you from all sides. You need to stay upright and keep the ball in your possession or be able to pass the ball to a teammate across the court. To do all this, you need balance. Practice your balance by learning to stand in the right way while playing. Bend your knees slightly and keep your feet flat on the ground, shoulder width apart. You don't want to plant your feet, as you need to be able to move.
Turn and Pivot
Practice your pivoting to improve your footwork. A pivot is essential to get away from the defense. You can also use the pivot when you need to turn and shoot. When you pivot, one foot needs to remain on the floor. This is the foot you use to complete the pivot, while the other foot lifts into the air and turns to finish the move. Practice pivoting using a stopwatch to see how quickly you can do it.
Speed Practice
Agility is essential to basketball footwork. Boost your speed by seeing how quickly you can move from point A to B. Draw a plus sign shape on the floor or use a rope to make the shape. Stand in the lower left corner of the plus sign, then step forward to the upper left corner, then back to the lower left corner. Time yourself for 30 seconds, then stop. Next, try moving laterally by stepping from the left to right side, timing yourself for 30 seconds. Continue the drills by stepping diagonally across the plus sign, then by moving around the plus sign clockwise or counter-clockwise.
