Basketball requires a large degree of unselfishness from its players if a team is going to be successful. That unselfishness manifests itself in a number of ways, including setting screens, going to the boards, and making passes to help get an open shot. Players who look to pass before they shoot or dribble often get their teammates open looks at the basket.
Chest Pass
A chest pass is a direct pass thrown from one player to another. It is not designed to fool the defense; it is designed to get the ball to the teammate as quickly as possible. Hold the ball at chest level with your hands on the outside of the ball and the thumbs directly behind the ball. Push out with your thumbs and keep the ball on the line as you pass the ball at chest level to your teammate.
Bounce Pass
This pass is designed to get the ball through a tight defensive effort by your opponent. Calculate how far your teammate is from you and then bounce the ball off the floor midway between your opponent and yourself. The bounce pass is difficult to defend because a player will have his arms up at chest level in defense and the ball will go by the defender at a spot that will be impossible to reach.
Outlet Pass
This pass gets the fastbreak started after a center or forward snares a rebound and fires the ball to a teammate near midcourt. The key is to pivot away from the backboard as quickly as possible and then snap the ball from an overhead position to your teammate. The pass is fired with two hands as quickly as possible and should be made in front of the teammate receiving it so he can take the ball to the basket as quickly as possible.
No-Look Pass
The no-look pass was made popular by Magic Johnson during his Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers. When a point guard has the ball and is dribbling toward the basket, he will survey the court to find an open teammate. Instead of giving away the direction of the pass by looking at the recipient, he will look straight ahead or in a different direction and then pass the ball in stride to his teammate. This often leads to open shots, layups or dunks. You must be an excellent ball handler and very confident of your ability to deliver the ball to throw the no-look pass without turning the ball over to your opponent.
Member Comments