Balance is an essential skill for any player to master, and most sports professionals will vouch for its importance. The sport of Netball can be quite stressful, especially if you’re playing on a court with a lot of twists and turns. It’s very easy to get the ball all over the place; even your shoulder may misalign from time to time! If that happens, you can easily fall – or twist – an ankle, which could force you to miss a few matches due to the pain and the disruption it causes. Balance is crucial to keep moving without injury, so how do you master it?

For this you need two things: endurance and balance. Netball requires quick reactions to stop the ball from hitting your head or going off the wall. A strong body can overcome this to prevent injury. By having fast reactions, you don’t lose control of the ball, and so you can keep stopping it before it bounces and starts rolling again.

Balance also comes into play when you’re throwing the ball. Your throw doesn’t have to travel exactly to hit the goal post – it needs to at least be on target. If you throw the ball at an angle that takes it over the goalie’s head, you’ll probably lose the game. Aim for the top corners of the goal posts to get the balls into the goals. If you’re throwing from long range, balance means you have to get as high into the air as possible, to increase your throw and to propel the ball high into the air, increasing the distance it can travel.

Balance is important in Netball because you’re also controlling your movement. This is different to sports like football where you’re just trying to throw the ball as far as you can, without thinking about how you’re going to get it there. In Netball you need to think about your next movement before you take the shot. For example, if you’re trying to pass to the open side, don’t just throw to the middle. Try to put the ball between the two defenders at the far post.

Balance is especially important in the defensive aspect of the Netball game. Balance helps keep you from being flattened against the wall, or worse, tripping and falling. If your equilibrium is off, you may have a hard time catching the ball or blocking the other team’s ball. Balance will keep you focused on where you want the ball to go.

Balance is also important in Netball because it keeps you from falling over. Netball is played without much movement, so falling over is not an option. Balance keeps you upright and also prevents you from tipping forward. If you happen to tip forward, it’s possible that you could tumble and injure yourself. Even bruising your knee or hip wouldn’t be nearly as bad as falling over.

One good way to improve your balance is to run a race on the field after the ball is released. Start out slow, of course, and make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes. After you’ve reached a comfortable pace, start moving the other way. You should try to keep the same speed and use both arms to propel yourself forward. Make sure you don’t use your legs to help you move, though.

Hopefully, by now you understand why is balance is important in playing netball. You can use this information to your advantage when playing, no matter what level you play. For instance, if you’re just starting out, or even improving, it’s a good idea to start off slow and work your way up. By putting the time in, you’ll be able to maintain better balance throughout the game. Once you have a good footing, you can then increase the speed and start moving faster!