One very important quality of basketballers specially big men is whether or not they have good hands, often refered to as "soft hands". One popular example is a player like Zach Randolph vs. former NBA player Kwame Brown. Zack Randolph is famous for having very soft hands for a big man while Kwame Brown is known for having hands hard as a rock. I know having soft hands means you can catch passes better, or rebound the ball effortlessly, or layup the ball around the basket better. When I watch someone who's said to have good hands play, it almost seems like the ball finds a way to their hands when rebounding for example. And when shooting the ball, it seems like it has a lot of "english" on it and it tends to get the better bounce off the rim. So what does it mean to have soft hands? And how does someone develope that quality, or is it something you're born with?
It's pretty much just accuracy. Whether it be shooting, passing, or catching the ball. Usually guys with a soft touch have very high dexterity and BBall IQ. I wouldn't consider making layups as requiring a soft touch. Rather, floaters, fade away jump shots, or contested shots. Shots that guys seriously have to calculate where the heck they are and adjust their shot accordingly.
Good hands or soft hands is something you're born with. Although you could improve your catching just by practicing, someone who practices catching a basketball or better yet a football everyday will still be unable to catch as well as an Andre Johnson or Randy Moss. People with soft touches tend to be better shooters. The best test of having a soft touch is how well you can make a floater. Try running full speed down the court and then floating it up to the basket. There's a reason why Chris Paul is the only PG capable of making the floaters he does. It's an innate ability that you have or you don't.
the nfl is a better example of soft hands, but most of it is learned, the only real natural element is reflex, where to position your hands is probably the most important element.
Rumor has it that when Bob Sura brought down Josh Howard in the Rockets-Mavs playoff series he stared him on the ground and said, "Dont lay a finger on my Butterminger".
Anyone who has played sports since they were young knows this. There are some folks who just cannot hang on to passes (football or basketball). Others seem like they have glue on their fingers. It has nothing to do with how big one's hands are. Poor dexterity can be improved upon, but only to a certain extent.
Isn't catching balls referred to as "sticky fingers"? Why do they call it as having "soft hands" when you need a strong grip to hold onto the ball? Why do they call accurate shooters having a "soft touch" when it requires a lot of force to shoot 3 pointers?
Having strong hands and good dexterity (soft hands) aren't mutually exclusive. Why would you think it is? In basketball, a "soft touch" doesn't refer to shooting 3-point shots. The term is primarily used for shots relatively close to the basket.
Don’t forget to moisturize! Football players have an advantage cause they’re allowed to use gloves. Basketball players can use lotion, some just spit on their hands or use their sweat to get better grip. If you have dry hands good luck catching anything.
