Rounding up the basketball and successfully tossing it into the hoop is only part of the challenge of playing basketball. You also have to be able to retrieve the ball after a missed shot, or else you’ll end up with fewer points than you potentially could have.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to improve your rebounding to make sure that you’re always prepared to pick up the ball and get back into the game. Here are three tips on improving your rebounding on the basketball court.
1. Get Stronger
Improving your strength is a crucial component of improving your rebounding. One easy way to do this is by holding a set of heavy objects in each hand, like five-pound weights, and balancing them at arm’s length for five minutes.
You can also put one end of a broomstick against a wall, lean in with the other end across your shoulders, and hold it for five minutes. Just be sure not to overextend yourself, or you could get injured. Another great way to improve your strength is by doing lots of pushups and situps.
There are plenty of variations that will keep things interesting too. The best part about these exercises is that they take up very little space, so they’re perfect for when you’re traveling.
Finally, get low: When rebounding a basketball off the rim, ensure you’re getting low, so you can go up high enough to grab the ball before it falls back down again. Try practicing this by standing on a chair and jumping off onto an exercise mat below as if there were a hoop.
2. Practice Muscle Memory
One way to improve your rebounding technique is by practicing muscle memory. The basketball hoop rebounder is the perfect piece of equipment for that. To do this, set up an obstacle course around a basketball hoop consisting of cones and ladders.
Set up one ladder in front of the net and one next to it. Place cones between both ladders (set up more as needed). Start by dribbling over the top of each ladder and through all three cones while aiming for the net.
Work up until you can make it through without stopping and without touching either rung of the ladder or any cone. Now place another ladder parallel to the first, with a single cone positioned midway between them. Again, start by dribbling over the top of each ladder and through all three cones while aiming for the net.
As you get better at going through without stopping, add another second row of obstacles (more ladders and cones) between these two rows so that there is no space to work with on either side. Do not stop adding new obstacles as you get better at going from one side to the other.
3. Develop Consistency
The most important thing you can do when improving your rebounding skills is to develop consistency. A good way to do this is by shooting an equal number of layups and three-pointers during practice.
It sounds simple, but many people don’t consider mixing it up like that. Along with this, make sure you aren’t giving in if you miss–challenge yourself and go for it again. Once you start doing this regularly, it will become second nature.
Next, practice free throws: For basketball players looking to improve their rebound numbers, making free throws during games or practice can be a huge help.
Free throws provide a significant number of rebound opportunities because they’re uncontested and easy to come by, so if you can get them off often enough, they’ll help pad your numbers significantly over time. You can also use the rebounding net basketball to practice rebounding.
Bonus Steps: Work on Being Under Control and Always Ready
When trying to rebound the basketball, you need to be in control. You can’t just run around. You need to know where the ball will be to position yourself correctly. The best way to do this is to use a basketball hoop rebounder. It forces you to be aware of where the ball is and forces you to be in a ready position. That way, you have time to react and get it before anyone else does when it comes off the rim.
The next step would be to utilize proper basketball passing drills. They will help improve your reaction time and also help ensure that your hands are up when they should be and work on your reaction time and jumping ability.
After that, we come back to being under control: if you want an active role in rebounding, like getting tips or blocking shots, you mustn’t leave your feet when chasing after rebounds.
Some people like the exercise of running up and down the court and catching rebounds with their hands. While this is an excellent exercise, you should use it sparingly. Catching too many balls will fatigue your hands. One good way to practice is by holding onto a basketball gift in each hand and bouncing them off each other.
Conclusion:
On the basketball court, rebounding involves more than finding the ball and jumping as high as possible to grab it. Rebounding requires skill, finesse, and precision to get that rebound and put it back into play.
If you’re new to the game or trying to improve your skills, here are three tips that will help you improve your basketball hoop rebounding so you can start racking up those points.