What are the Technical and Tactical Skills of Basketball?

Basketball has been played since the turn of the last century, and from then on, its popularity grew to become one of the recognizable sports today. Just like any other sport, basketball has its own technology — equipment and other technologies have developed as time progressed, and so did the ways on how to play it. Basketball’s evolution is directly proportional to the enhancement of player skill set. Below are some essential technical skills and tactical skills of basketball that you should learn in order to succeed in the sport.

Game Development: Learning the Technical and Tactical Skills of Basketball

Basketball has evolved over the years, and so does player development. This means that an athlete must acquire and enhance one’s skill set in order to thrive in the sport. In order to do so, one should delve into the technical and tactical skills of basketball.

Technical Skills

Passing and Receiving

The technical skills that make up the fundamentals of ball handling are crucial in playing any type of basketball. Effective passing requires that a player understand how to move their feet in a fluid manner while also having the ability to generate topspin and turnovers. Receiving the ball well requires that a player possess good hands and a solid handle, but also be able to stop on a dime and change directions with authority.

Dribbling

Dribbling is one of the technical and tactical skills of basketball yet so many players fail to master this important skill. Many youth coaches focus on fundamentals to improve their players’ dribbling skills specifically because they believe it is one of the key distinctions between less experienced and more experienced players. A player who can dribble with both hands with confidence has a real advantage in terms of his ability to help his team most effectively, even if he’s not the most athletic or energetic player on the court.

Rebounding

Rebounding in basketball is a tactic used by the defensive team to regain possession of the ball or to steal the ball from an opposing offensive player. The ability to rebound is one of the many skills required in basketball. Along with assists and steals, rebounding is often considered to be one of the most important duties in basketball, as it can have a major impact on whether a defensive or offensive team will emerge victoriously.

Shooting

Shooting in basketball refers to a number of basketball skills that involve taking a shot at the basket. These may be free throws, shots taken from behind the three-point line, or as part of other plays like alley-oops, passes off rebounds, and so on. Shooting is among the most basic of basketball skills, yet it is also one of the most fundamental. While there are several types of shooting techniques that can be employed, shooting is one of the technical and tactical skills of basketball that should be focused on. 

Shot blocking

There is a lot more going on than just the numerical value of the points you get to shoot. A good shot blocker will use his height and reach effectively, start his feet and then use his hand-eye coordination to keep his arm in the air after his shot is made. A good shot blocker also has great balance and flexibility in his left leg which allows him to change his angle on attempts near the basket or behind the arc.

Tactical Skills

Spacing

While there are many technical and tactical skills of basketball, it is spacing that really makes up the foundation. The amount of spacing on the court has a huge effect on defense, offense, and even rebounding in basketball. It’s commonly said that the best shot in basketball is no shot at all because a defender can sometimes render a good offensive player useless with proper swarming defense. And while spacing on defense is important to ensure open shooters aren’t left open, you also need effective spacing on offense to ensure the best pass opportunities as well.

Cutting through the lane

Cutting through the lane is the most direct route by which a basketball player can move toward that basket. Cutting in this fashion allows players to finish with a lay-up, take their defender off-balance, or pass quickly to players on the wings. The proper use of cutting movements is crucial because they can open up scoring opportunities for teammates, or dramatically improve the shot quality of one’s own shots. 

Enhance your technical and tactical skills to be unstoppable! 

Setting ball screens

Setting ball screens is one of the integral technical and tactical skills of basketball that opens up a number of opportunities to attack the defense and find your best player in a scoring position. Setting good ball screens is made up of five parts: footwork, contact, angle, balance, and finishing the play. Each section focuses on an element of setting a screen that if overlooked adds up to give your opponent the opportunity to defend the play effectively.

Help defense

Defense wins championships. As cliche as it sounds, it is true. No offensive team can be successful without a strong defense. From the game of basketball, we have seen how some players become successful while others don’t. One of these reasons is because they put the work on their defense more than they do on their offense. So, as a player, it is essential to contribute to the defense of the game. 

Achieve Overall Mastery

The technical and tactical skills of basketball are the necessary elements an athlete must acquire in order to maintain beyond-the-arc shots, perfect ball handling, better rebounding, better blocking, accurate passing, better shooting, swift-running patterns, and quick thinking.