caTCHING

 Before a player can learn to dribble, pass, or shoot he/she must learn how to catch the ball.

Catching the ball is one of the most under-emphasized fundamentals. When a player is open and in the passing range of her teammate with the ball, she should call out her teammate’s name. She should give a good target to the passer, with her hands out in front of her, shoulders high, fingers open and pointing to the ceiling. Receivers who play with their hands low often fumble the ball because they can’t raise their hands in time.

You can catch a basketball using either a two-handed or a block-and-tuck method. In the two-handed method, both hands contact the ball simultaneously. In the block and tuck method, one hand contacts the ball, followed immediately by the other. Place the hand with which you choose to catch the ball directly in its flight path. The moment the ball contacts that hand, tuck the other hand under the ball.

When you use the two-hand method, block the ball, like in the block and tuck method, so that, if you mishandle the catch, the ball will not go past you, either out-of-bounds or to an opponent. Therefore, keep our hands close. When catching the ball at chest level or higher, the fingers are pointing upward, with the thumbs touching or almost touching.

When catching the ball at waist level or lower, the fingers and thumbs should be pointing downward, and the little fingers should be touching or almost touching.

TIPS:

See the ball into your hands, that is, once the ball is in the air, focus on it until one or both hands contact it.

Do not point your fingers directly at the ball. If you point them, you are likely to sprain, dislocate, or break a finger or two.

The moment you have both hands on the ball, get set, and initiate a play option.