TIP! Be sure to dribble correctly every time. Finger tips, not palms, are the key to successful dribbling.

Basketball is love by many fans around the globe. You can play a game with friends, or become a professional with enough effort. Learn more about the game of basketball from this article.

TIP! Crossing over is a vital skill to have for handling the basketball. A crossover happens when you switch hands the ball is in.

While focusing on offense is fun, you must also make sure you focus on defense. Defense is essential to winning these games. Offense gets all the praise and attention, but without a good defense, any basketball team is destined to lose.

TIP! Any good basketball player needs to know how to make a layup. Layups comprise approximately 80 percent of all shots.

Learn the best way to make your free throws. It seems easy to do but surely isn’t. Try using this technique in practicing. Hold the ball level with your face. Focus on the ball and visualize it going toward the goal. Then try shooting the ball along the trajectory that was in your mind.

TIP! Don’t dribble during your drills. It is difficult playing without dribbling; however, it helps the team make better passes.

Always keep your head up when dribbling instead of focusing on the ball. If you have to ever look at the ball while dribbling, then you haven’t practiced that enough. Make the basketball an extension of your body, taking it wherever you are. Dribble on your way to school. If you’re trying to look at the ball then you’re not concentrating on what’s going on down the court.

TIP! Want to make the other team not know what’s going on? Try a pass back! You want to grip the basketball with your strongest hand. Then, move the ball so it is behind your back.

If you get possession of the ball a lot, you must learn the crossover technique. This is when you switch hands while dribbling. You have to do this quickly to be good at it. When done correctly, the crossover dribble help you to change direction in order to move down the court efficiently.

TIP! Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? Can they tell you what you’re really good at? Maybe you are nimble or you are reliably there to support them. It’s great to get an idea of how your teammates think of your skills, this way you know what areas of the game to focus on.

Focus on your strengths to get better at basketball. You can contribute to the team by consolidating your best skills, even if these skills do not make you one of the star players. Knowing what you excel at and then practicing that can help you become perfect at it!

TIP! Being able to anticipate your opponent is a key skill. Watch taped games, and keep current with scouting reports.

Observing what the professionals do can be a great way to improve your game. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. You will see that each great player has certain skills that make him great and you can practice what you see him doing.

TIP! Between the leg passes are usually helpful when another team’s players are riding you hard. Bounce the ball very hard through your legs while stepping to the front or the back.

You should practice pass catching regularly. You should practice catching errant passes, along with perfectly executed ones. During a hectic game, every throw is not going to be perfect. Make sure that your teammates also practice this type of pass with you.

TIP! Practice looking in a different direction when you pass. This is a great way to fake out your opponents.

Keep your weight lifting to a minimum as a jump shooter. Muscle strength is great for any position in basketball, you can have too much when it comes to perimeter play. Some overzealous shooting guards buffed up too much, and it had an adverse effect on their overall field goal percentages.

Core Muscles

TIP! Always maintain a defensive stance when you are trying to properly defend the goal. Keep your feet moving to each side or push your opposing foot off so you can keep yourself in position.

If you have a kid that wants to play basketball in high school, ensure they’re training core muscles in the right way. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles. Core muscles are the connectors between arms and legs. If the core muscles are weak, basketball performance will suffer. By developing a strong core, your legs will follow suit.

TIP! Be sure to keep your knees bent while you dribble. The ball is harder to control dribbling when you stand up straight.

If you’re quick on the basketball court, you have a built in advantage. You need to be faster than the opposing team if you want the advantage. If you want to play the game fast, you need to drill continuously. Though, you should never attempt to a play faster game than your abilities permit. If you play too quickly, you lose control over the ball and the match.

TIP! You’ll want to use the hand that you aren’t dribbling with as a barrier to protect the ball. You can’t push with that arm, but it can serve as an obstacle that helps keep your opponent from reaching in.

Work on passing through your legs to add another skill to your arsenal. Take a step back or forward and bounce the ball hard through your legs. Mastering this move can give you an advantage on the court.

TIP! Make sure that you are exercising properly for basketball. Sprints help you gain skill in individual plays, while running longer distances will increase your stamina.

Work on getting the ball down the length of a full court with five or fewer dribbles during drills. It isn’t impossible, it just takes practice. If you master this, you will be able to quickly take layups.

TIP! If you’re training to become a very good basketball player then start changing your diet. Increase your intake of carbohydrates to boost energy levels.

We hope this article has given you the information you need to enjoy basketball to the fullest. All you need is the proper knowledge and some good old-fashioned hard work. Once you being to play, you’ll probably be hooked. Just step out and give it a try. You are sure to have fun.