Are you into basketball as a sport? Do you think that you could benefit from some helpful information? This article is here to help guide you to becoming a better basketball player. Read through the following information so that you can find out what it takes to shine on the court.

Make sure that you practice teamwork when you are on the court, or people may have a hard time dealing with you. You may want to impress others on the court, and this may give you the idea that you should shoot the ball yourself, but it would be best to pass the ball to someone who is open.

If you are in a good position to receive a pass, put your hand up in the air so the current dribbler can see you. The basketball court is surprisingly small when you’re actually on it. And when you’re playing in a game filled with ten people, there’s a lot of chaos going on in that small space. Sometimes that hand is necessary so that the dribbler sees the option.

It is important to stay focused during the game. If you miss a shot, brush it off and continue with the game. Although you may feel bad about missing a shot, it is important to regain your focus quickly and continue on. Remember that even the professionals miss shots.

A good way to get your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing. Watch professionals play or go check out talented local teams to see who has the moves that you want to learn. You will see that each great player has certain skills that make him great and you can practice what you see him doing.

Always remember that to be a great basketball player, you’ve got to be a great athlete first. Put as much time into conditioning your body and increasing your endurance as you do shooting and passing. This will improve your play under even the most excruciating circumstances, making you an invaluable team member.

Where loose fitting shorts and a sports shirt that lets you move. Basketball is a very physical sport. There’s a lot of running, a lot of physical contact, and a ton of jumping. You want to wear clothes that let you move as well as possible. If you don’t, you’ll find your time on the court to be pretty miserable.

Beware of picking up bad habits from street basketball games. Street games are often rougher and flashier than team basketball. It’s a game to impress through individual showmanship, not from your work as part of a bigger group. Therefore, you can bring the wrong skills to the table if you base your team play on what you’ve learned from street games. Remember, you are part of something bigger than just you.

To be a great basketball player, you have to make the ball part of your body. It may seem silly but roll it in your hands, dribble in the driveway, go for walks with it and take it with you wherever you go. The more time that ball spends attached to your body, the harder it will be for defenders to take it from you on the court.

If you want to become a better basketball player, exercise your forearms and your wrists whenever you possibly can. This will significantly help you with your ball handing and control. A strong dribbler always has strong forearms. Practice wrist curls in your exercise routine to improve forearm and wrist strength.

When dribbling, try to make your moves below your knee joints. This will mean you have to bend over to dribble the ball and move, but there are advantages. It creates a little more personal space, making the ball harder for an opponent to steal. It also makes it far easier to shake off an opponent for a drive, a shot or a pass.

To make your layups count the most, take off from the foot opposite your shooting hand. Thus, if you tend to shoot with the right hand, make sure to jump off with the left. This keeps your body balanced and moving toward the basket and keeps your body between yourself and your defender.

If you can dribble with both hands, you will truly be a threat to the opposing team. You can go left or right around a guard without worrying about losing the ball. Practice dribbling with both hands at the same time to build your skill without staring at the ball.

Well are you ready to go make a slam dunk? That’s the spirit! Maybe you’ll hold off on that one for awhile, but surely you’ve learned some great tips to get you going. Basketball is a lot of fun, and as you learn more, you get more confident about your abilities.