TIP! It is tempting to concentrate just on offense when just staring out, but defensive practice is absolutely vital. Many times, defense actually wins the game.

No matter a person’s sex, basketball makes many people happy. People of all races, and ages love basketball. Get your friends together and impress them with your new moves. What new moves, you ask? Continue reading this article to learn new things that you can try.

TIP! Figure out how to perfect your free throw. This looks easy, but it is actually very hard to do.

It is tempting to concentrate just on offense when just staring out, but defensive practice is absolutely vital. In the end, it’s defense that consistently wins you games. While offensive players sometimes seem like the stars of the show, it is the efforts of defensive players that allow them to shine.

TIP! Look forward and hold your head up while you dribble the ball. You haven’t practiced enough if you keep looking at the basketball while you’re dribbling.

Balance is essential to shooting. While the all-time greats have shown time and time again how they can shoot while off-kilter, this is not the ideal way to score. Those who do this are improvising. When you shoot, you should always be properly balanced, which will help you make more baskets more consistently.

TIP! It is important to practice catching the ball from others as much as passing. When you practice, mix it up so that you can catch perfect passes and errant throws.

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. Perfect what you can do well by practicing and developing the strengths you already have.

TIP! Hand signals can help you to stay away from making bad passes. One things that’s frustrating in basketball is passing to a teammate while they try heading to the basket.

Make sure that you practice your layups frequently. This is the most popular shot in basketball. Run full tilt to the basket, then smoothly jump and shoot. Practicing your running and jumping as a single motion will improve your technique faster than practicing them separately.

TIP! If you’re posting up, good footwork is the key to getting open and getting a good shot. While physical positioning is important, it is even more essential to move quicker than an opponent.

Watch how the pros play basketball. You can follow the pros in online videos, on TV and you can also attend a basketball game if there is a pro team in your area. This is a great way to learn new techniques to try out on the court.

TIP! Never have your back to the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. This helps you become aware of the court and lowers chances for surprises from turnovers and quick passes.

If there’s no one around to play with, it is okay to play a basketball game by yourself. Basketball is usually a team sport, but just because you can’t find others, doesn’t mean you have to just stop thinking about it. There’s nothing wrong with that. You are able to do a lot with solo games. Work on your pivot moves or practice your free throws. You can always find things to work on.

TIP! When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. You won’t be able to make a shot if your shoulders aren’t in the right position.

If you have a child who has expressed interest in becoming a basketball player in high school, make sure he trains his core muscles. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles. The core links together all of the extremities and if it isn’t strong, they will be dealing with a limited athletic ability. A solid and strong core lets force that comes from the legs get used for beneficial movements when playing, like faster running and higher jumping.

TIP! Create a routine to improve your free throw success. Inconsistency will ruin your shots.

If you are posting up, strategic footwork is important to becoming open and making a good shot. You must be certain to get the good spot ahead of your opponent. Once you find a spot, you need to know how to defend it. Footwork is the key to either of these.

TIP! If you want to better your dribble, start practicing with your weaker hand. It will be much easier to blow past your opponent if you can dribble with both hands.

Keep your eye on the ball. This will give you court awareness and keep you from being surprised by quick passes or turnover potentials. Be vigilant to detect openings or weaknesses that make it easier to take the shot.

TIP! To get the rebound from the free throw your teammate is making, you need to do some fancy footwork. The defender may be coming toward you, so its important to slip away from him and get the ball.

To gain greater dribbling skill, always practice with the weaker hand as well as the more dominant one. If you can dribble equally well with each hand, it is simpler to get past your opponents. You can actually force yourself to utilize your weak hand by tying your other hand behind you. After a while, your weak hand will be able to dribble better.

TIP! When you dribble while playing basketball, focus on bending your knees. The basketball is much harder to control if you stand tall and the opposing team can snatch it more easily.

You can improve your ability to handle the ball by working out your forearms and hands. Wrist curls are great for bettering your ball handling in basketball to the point where you could practically do it sleepwalking. You can’t just stand and shoot for the whole game. It is essential to move the ball around in order to succeed.

TIP! Work on your 3 point shot by shooting from the established NBA distance. All the other three point lines are much closer than the NBA line.

Armed with the information presented here, you can enjoy your next basketball game with confidence and flair. You should know more about basketball than your friends do. Keep in mind that basketball is supposed to be fun. Play anytime you get a chance and make having fun a priority, even though you should also look for ways to implement the strategies you just read.