How to Improve Your Skills When Person Playing Basketball: A 5-Step Guide

You know, watching that game last Saturday really got me thinking. Kenneth Tuffin’s last-second follow-up to seal the win for the Fuel Masters wasn’t just luck; it was the culmination of countless hours of sharpening specific skills under pressure. The score was 93-91 with a mere 0.7 seconds on the clock. In moments like that, you don’t have time to think about the fundamentals—they have to be second nature. That’s what this guide is all about. I’ve spent years on the court, both playing and coaching, and I’ve come to believe that improving at basketball isn’t just about mindless repetition. It’s a deliberate, step-by-step process. So, if you’re wondering how to improve your skills when person playing basketball, let me walk you through a five-step guide that’s worked for me and players I’ve trained. It’s less about magic and more about method.

First things first, you have to be brutally honest with yourself and conduct a skills audit. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Grab your phone, record yourself playing a pickup game or even just practicing, and watch it back. Don’t just watch the highlights; watch the mistakes. Are you consistently missing left on your jump shot? Is your defensive stance too high, allowing quicker players to blow by you? Maybe your left-hand dribble is shaky beyond two bounces. Write it down. I keep a simple journal—nothing fancy—where I log one primary strength and two weaknesses after every session. For instance, after watching Tuffin’s game-winner, I’d note that his strength was offensive rebounding positioning, a skill that requires anticipating the ball’s trajectory, which is something you can drill. Your initial goal is to identify no more than two or three specific weaknesses to attack. Trying to fix everything at once is a recipe for improving nothing.

Once you’ve pinpointed those one or two key areas, step two is all about focused, isolated practice. This is where most people go wrong. They go to the gym and just “shoot around.” Instead, you need deliberate practice with a clear structure. Let’s say your weak hand dribbling is a problem. Don’t just dribble a little. Set a timer for 15 minutes and do nothing but left-hand pound dribbles, figure-eights, and dribble moves finishing with your left. Use cones if you have them; use cracks in the pavement as markers if you don’t. For shooting, it’s not just taking 100 shots. It’s taking 100 form shots from the same spot, focusing purely on your elbow-in alignment and follow-through, before you even step back to the three-point line. I personally believe in the “10,000 touch” rule for ball-handling. I aim for a thousand controlled dribbles with each hand per day when I’m in a training phase. It sounds like a lot, but it’s just about 20 minutes of focused work. The key is quality over quantity. Sloppy, unfocused reps will only ingrain bad habits.

Step three is where you integrate those isolated skills into game-like situations. This is the bridge between looking good in an empty gym and performing in a real game. You can’t just practice stationary dribbling and expect to navigate a full-court press. So, you create drills that simulate pressure. Dribble full court while a friend shadows you with a pool noodle trying to swipe the ball. Practice your new pull-up jumper off a screen, even if that screen is just a chair. Work on that defensive slide while mirroring a partner’s movements. Think about the pressure Tuffin faced. The game was tied, the clock was virtually zero, and the entire play developed in chaos under the basket. He didn’t have a clean look; he had to fight for position and convert a difficult, contested put-back. To prepare for that, you need to practice finishing through contact. Have a friend give you a slight bump as you go up for a layup. The goal here is to make the skill uncomfortable, so that in a game, it feels familiar.

Now, step four is non-negotiable: study the game. I’m a huge proponent of film study, both of yourself and of professionals. Watch how players like Tuffin move without the ball on offense. How did he get into position for that crucial offensive rebound? He likely read the angle of the shot and his defender’s box-out attempt early. You can learn that. Watch point guards and see how they use their eyes to misdirect defenders. Don’t just watch the NBA; watch college games, watch the PBA like that Rain or Shine match-up, because the players there often excel at fundamental, high-IQ basketball that’s directly applicable. I spend at least two hours a week breaking down film. I’ll watch a single player for an entire game, tracking their off-ball movement on both ends. Then, I’ll go to the court and try to emulate one specific move I saw. This transforms you from an athlete playing a game into a student of the game, and the difference in your court awareness is staggering.

Finally, step five is about putting it all together in live play and embracing failure. You must test your refined skills in real games, whether it’s a pickup run or a league match. This is the ultimate feedback loop. Maybe that new crossover you’ve been drilling works perfectly, or maybe defenders are reading it easily. That’s valuable data. The crucial part here is your mindset. You will make mistakes. You might even cost your team a game with a turnover. That’s okay. Every mistake is a new entry for your skills audit. After a game, ask yourself: where did my practice hold up, and where did it break down? Did I revert to my old habits under fatigue? Remember, even in that professional game, with elite players, the final margin was just 2 points. One single skill execution decided it. Your journey of learning how to improve your skills when person playing basketball is a cycle of self-assessment, focused practice, integration, study, and live application. It never really ends. There’s always a finer detail, a quicker first step, a more consistent shot to develop. But that’s the beauty of it. Start with an honest look in the mirror today, pick one thing, and get to work. The next last-second shot could be yours.