TIP! Make sure that you’re dribbling the ball correctly. Instead of using your palm to dribble focus on using your fingertips.

Becoming a great basketball player takes practice and dedication. Even if you just play for fun, you want to be good right? This article will help you better your game.

TIP! Shooting has much to do with proper balance. We have all seen the professional basketball player falling out of bounds and making a basket from 30 feet away, but this is not proper technique.

Improving your balance means improving your shots. You have seen some crazy shots made by professionals, but these shots aren’t going to be based on fundamentals. Professional basketball players tend to improvise when need be. Non-professionals should focus on having good balance to ensure good shots. As time passes, you will make more and more baskets with this method.

TIP! Know your strengths and they’ll help you become a better player. Your strengths might not make you a star player, but you’ll be contributing a lot to your team.

A good tip is to practice your layups on a daily basis. In a typical game, up to four-fifths of all shots are layups. When practicing this technique, run toward the goal and shoot. This type of technique will translate well into actual game situations.

TIP! If you want to be a jump shooter, avoid pumping iron excessively. It’s important to be strong, but not too strong.

You should practice against a variety of defense types, not just zone. A lot of the game is sure to be played in the zone, but your opponent could change to man-to-man coverage. When you don’t know how to defeat it, you will lose.

TIP! As you exercise to improve your game, it is important to work on your footwork and strength. When your core is strengthened, you will have more balance and be able to move more swiftly.

Interested in tricking your opponents? Try doing a back pass! To start, grab the ball using your good hand. With that same hand, bring the ball around your back. Flip your wrist towards the site where you want the ball to go. You can use this action to deceive your opponents.

TIP! Having a pre-free-throw shot routine will help you become dependable at free throws. It could be that you dribble several times, bend at the knees, brush your hair out of your eyes or do something else.

Don’t play when you are injured! It’s easy to be hurt when playing basketball. Trying to be tough so you can keep going, even when you’re just a little uncomfortable, can make an injury worse. If you have a very serious injury, talk to a doctor.

TIP! A good basketball drill to perform is to see if you can get the ball down the entire court in 5 or less dribbles. This can seem impossible, but if you do it, you’ll get incredible speed and length.

In order to be your best on defense, take the time to completely understand the player you are guarding. Review videotapes and monitor scouting reports. Pay attention to dominant hands. When you know some of the other player’s moves, you’ll have a leg up during a game as you’ll be able to predict what he is going to do. The more knowledgeable a defender is, the stronger he is.

TIP! Try to keep the ball in your line of sight at all times. This isn’t just for reading the score, but for catching passes and making shots.

As you exercise to improve your game, it is important to work on your footwork and strength. A strong core allows you to be more balanced during games. Concentrate your efforts on the back, abdomen, buttocks and hips. As with boxing, you can increase footwork speed and dexterity by jumping rope.

TIP! If you want to put pressure on the offense, you need to change the pace of things. When running toward the hoop, plant your leading foot and start to straighten up.

You need to mess with your opponent’s head. Get them outside their comfort zone. Execute your moves with aggression. Do not allow them to decide which plays to make. If you let them control the game, you will lose. Force them to act and their rhythm will get disrupted.

TIP! In basketball, strength is important, so do strength training. It is impossible to succeed if you lack endurance and strength.

Be certain you are able to see well. This isn’t just for reading the scoreboard. Your peripheral vision needs to be as strong as possible. Having good court awareness to see everything around you lets you see plays develop before they happen, either by warding off the defenders or getting the ball to open teammates.

TIP! Defensive players need to stay low. Staying low will help you to be a more swift opponent when you mirror the man standing in your path.

You need to take charge when the opportunity presents itself. This play gets your team possession of the ball and a foul against your opponent. This can devastate a competitor psychologically as well as being a powerful play on the court.

TIP! As the point guard approaches within 10 feet of the middle of the court, your guards should take action and create a 2-3 trap. At this point, your guards must rush the point guard thus trapping him.

Keep changing up your pace to help keep your opponents on their toes. Try to block the net by planting your foot hard. The guard will think you are slowing down and will also straighten themselves. When that happens, rush forward and power past them.

TIP! Practice dribbling while switching the momentum of your body from side to side. Remember that you must dribble in a variety of situations during a basketball game.

If you are in a defensive position, keep yourself low. This stance will keep you ready for whatever comes your way. Always stay in the proper stance on defense. If you break form in an attempt to shot block, return to the proper form as soon as you can.

TIP! Make sure the ball doesn’t bounce above your knees when you dribble. This will lower the chances of your opponent being able to steal the ball.

When dibbling the ball, bend your knees. Standing straight will make you see that it’s harder to handle and easier for the opposing players to take. Bending your knees slightly will enable you to control the ball more efficiently.

TIP! Make sure your dribble is consistent until you decide to shake up the opposing player. Consistent dribbling followed by fast dribbling can confuse your opponent and put you in place for a shot.

You should spend some time shooting from various places on the court. Start out by practicing grip and balance. It is possible to succeed when shooting in an off-balance way, but the odds do suffer. To get a perfect grip, use the basketball valve as a point of reference. Spread the fingers on your writing hand, and cover the valve with your palm.

TIP! Practice shots from all regions of the court. Initially, you need to practice both your grip and your balance.

For the best balance, make sure you land with your feet spread apart. Hold the ball tightly against your chest with one hand on each side. Watch your elbows; a foul will be called if you hit a member of the other team.

TIP! If you are playing opposite a much larger player, just keep your body between the ball and them. This keeps them from grabbing a pass and shooting over you.

Keep calm while shooting the ball. Keep focused on the basket. Try training your eyes to go back towards the rim when shooting. One exception to this is if you are about to take a layup shot. In that case, look at the point where the ball will bounce off the backboard.

TIP! Always keep an eye on the basketball, whether it’s under control of your teammate or your opponent. Rebounds are terribly important to the game.

Build your passing game. Passing is a good way to misdirect your opponent. Plus, this allows other to see that you enjoy teamwork, which helps your teammates to appreciate you more. There will come times in the game when you can show off how great you are at the game. You’ll have this time appear, so take your time and allow other to shine as well.

TIP! Putting pressure on your opponent, moving them towards the sideline, is a great defensive tactic. Allowing your opponents to drive down the middle lets them have a wide array of possible plays.

When dribbling, you need to work on bouncing the ball quite hard. When you hard bounce the ball, it’ll move fast and stay protected. Try dribbling as hard as possible.

TIP! Have a game plan you want to accomplish when beginning a workout routine. There are a lot of people that don’t have a plan when they head to the gym.

You’ve got to start taking action and using the techniques and tips in this article. As you continue to practice these tips, you will continue to see improvements in your game. Use the three steps as detailed and you will be on the road to success.