How to Become a Better Passer in Basketball(2022)

Passing is a critical skill in basketball. If you can’t pass, then you’re not going to be able to move the ball down the court. It’s one of the most important basketball skills out there; for that reason, you should passing consistently and as often as you can.

If you are looking to find out how to become a better passer in basketball, check out this article. It will give you some tips on how you can improve your passing.

What role does passing play in today’s basketball game?

Passing in basketball is an essential skill that every player needs to master to play the game at a high level. Knowing how to pass the ball to create more offensive opportunities and improve your scoring chances is necessary if you want to compete with the best.

Passing has always been an essential part of basketball, whether used to get a teammate an open shot or bring the ball up the court. However, this skill has evolved over time, and in today’s NBA, it is more important than ever. 

Today’s game is fast-paced, and players need to get the ball to the open man to score quickly. In addition to that, it is crucial to figure out how to pass the ball to the right person at the right moment to avoid turning the ball over to the opponent.

There are many types of passes in basketball, and each one has its own use depending on the situation, therefore there is no such thing as “the best pass in basketball”.

However, we wouldn’t recommend attempting the advanced passes during a basketball official game if you haven’t mastered the basics yet. Sticking to simple passes is your safest bet to avoid turnovers and ensure the fluidity of the offensive play in basketball no matter your skill level.

The most common ways to pass the ball in basketball are :

  • chest pass
  • bounce pass
  • push pass
  • overhead pass (also known as the skip pass in basketball)

The more advanced types of passes in basketball are:

  • drop pass
  • nutmeg pass
  • no-look pass

These are just a few of them

how to become a better passer in basketball?

Multiple factors will make a great passer, but vision, accuracy, speed, and composure are very important things to have.

Great vision is crucial. It allows the passer to know what’s happening around them and get the ball to their teammate without hesitation. When you are passing, it is vital to make sure that your pass will end up on the right player; here is where accuracy comes into play. 

Speed plays an important role as well. The faster that you are in a game, the more likely you are to be able to pass to the player that you want. And finally, composure, which determines how and when you are going to make passing decisions while under pressure.

These skills make the difference between an average and a great passer, and they are all equally important.

Three things you can do to improve your passing

The three things you can do in order to improve your passing in basketball are: make your passes more accurate, make your passes quicker and make your passes more difficult to intercept. 

If your pass is accurate, your teammate’s shot will be more accurate and faster. To pass with accuracy, you must practice passing with more focus. Don’t just look at the player you want to pass to; instead, pick a small and exact spot and focus on it when executing your pass. If you take your focus away from that target, your accuracy will decrease.

The second thing you can do to improve your passing is to make your passes quicker. What I mean by that is to pass as soon as you see a good opportunity arrive, which can put one of your teammates in an easier scoring position or to ensure the flow of the attacking build-up play. Please keep it simple, don’t hold onto the ball for too long. Decide whether you want to pass, shoot or dribble in max. 3 seconds.

The third thing you can do is make your passes more difficult to intercept. This can be done by changing your ball handling or passing angle but is also strongly related to your passing accuracy.

You will inevitably be under the opponent’s pressure at some point in a game, and the easy passes won’t seem that easy anymore. In this case, a pass fake or a pivot can open up better passing opportunities.

How to become a better passer in basketball

What is the best way to practice passing?

Wonder how to become a better passer in basketball? The answer is practicing with drills. Nothing beats exercise.

Passing drills are a crucial part of all basketball players’ training routines. They allow players to improve their ball handling, passing accuracy, and passing techniques in basketball. While there are many ways to practice passing drills, we picked the following three basketball passing exercises:

SPEED PASSING DRILL

You will need a mate and two basketballs for this drill.

Start on opposite sides of the lane and face each other, each with a ball. 

Drill execution

  • Each makes a right-hand push pass and then quickly makes another. 
  • The drill’s goal is to be fast enough to put two basketballs in the other player’s hands at one time. If this happens or one player drops the pass, the game ends.
  • In this drill, you have to use both the right and left hands. 

Drop pass, pivot, and catch drill

Choose a wall and take a 5 feet distance from it.

Drill execution

  • Hold the ball in both hands at your right side at the height level of your hip. The right hand should face the wall, and your non-passing hand should be used to balance the ball. Throw a drop pass towards the wall using your right hand. 
  • Pass the ball with as much power and accuracy as possible. Do a front pivot on your right foot to your right, then return from the pivot in your original position and try to catch the ball with two hands as it bounces back off the wall. Next, do a reverse pivot on the same foot so that you are turned with the back toward the wall once again.
  • Do it again with your left hand(the drop pass) and left foot(pivot).

If you have any difficulty understanding how this basketball passing drill works check out this video.

Monkey in the middle

This highly popular 3 man passing basketball drill requires one ball only. 

Drill Execution

  • Two players need to be between 12 and 15 feet apart in a line.
  • The third player will play as the “monkey in the middle.”
  • The “monkey in the middle” will try to intercept, block or steal the ball. 
  • The goal of the two other players is to make as many sharp and successful passes to each other without making use of lob passes or dribbling. They are only allowed to pivot and use fakes to create space. 

You can use whatever type of pass you wish, whether it’s the basketball bounce pass, overhead pass, chest pass, etc.

If you want to improve passing, be one of the two passing guys, but in case you wish to better your defending and reaction skills play as the “monkey.”

Bonus tip:

If you want to practice passing all by yourself in your own backyard, a passing net can make passing training easier than ever!

What are some of the most common mistakes that players make when passing?

One very common mistake made when passing is the over-throwing of the ball. If people are too eager to give the ball to the player in a better position, they will overthrow it, resulting in a turnover.

Sometimes players assume their teammate is always ready to get the ball. Don’t attempt a pass unless you see the receiver and his target hand and feel confident that he expects the ball.

Another common mistake is passing the ball through the middle area of the pitch while in transition. The issue is that most of the time, that is the most crowded area on the court; therefore, the chances of the ball getting intercepted are much bigger. Avoid this unless you are a very skilled passer.

Conclusion

Basketball is a team game, and you won’t be able to win if you don’t pass the ball. As such, you should always make an effort to improve your passing. Keep practicing the skill, and your performance will reach a new level in no time.

We hope you enjoyed our article on how to become a better passer in basketball! As mentioned throughout this article, this skill plays a massive role in basketball, so we are determined to give you the best advice possible for this skill. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comment section.

Thank you for reading; we are always excited to provide helpful information to our readers, especially on this topic!

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