TIP! Figure out how to perfect your free throw. These shots look easy on television, but are actually hard when you are doing the shooting.

When you’re trying to start to improve at basketball, then you’re going to have to start practicing. However, practice is futile when you’re not doing it correctly to begin with. The tips below can help you shoot baskets correctly in no time.

TIP! Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You must train both your body and your mind.

It is tempting to concentrate just on offense when just staring out, but defensive practice is absolutely vital. Defense is what stands between you and a win. Offense is often what gets the glory, but most winning basketball teams play great defense.

TIP! Want to trick the other team? Try a back pass. Hold the ball in your strong hand to start the pass.

Perfect your free throw. There are usually a lot of distractions when you are shooting free throws so you need to concentrate. The following technique should be practiced often. First, hold the ball just above your nose, about 8 inches from your face. Visualize the ball sailing into the hoop. Once you’ve visualized this, take your shot as you just saw it in your head.

Professional Basketball

TIP! In order to get a good shot, you must use good footwork. Although a strong presence in the key is important, beating your opponent to good spots on the floor is more important.

Your balance is an important aspect to consider when you are shooting. 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. Professional basketball players tend to improvise when need be. You need to maintain good balance while shooting, which is sure to produce greater consistency.

TIP! Ask your teammates what they like about how you play. Can you get better at something? Perhaps they see you as someone who is fast on the court, or that you’re a really good teammate.

To improve your game, concentrate on your strong points. Your team will benefit more if you stop trying to be the star of the game and work your best. Figure out what you do well at and then you can practice that until you perfect it.

TIP! Spreading the fingers is something you have to do to handle the ball right. You are more likely to hold onto the ball this way.

Watching the pros can help you pick up on certain skills for improving your game. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. Watch great players to learn the specific skills that make them exceptional.

Free Throws

TIP! Basketball players must be fast. Always stay ahead of the opposition.

Perform skills, practice your ball handling and shoot free throws when you are practicing alone. While basketball is a team sport, sometimes you just can’t find others to play with. Don’t fret! There are many ways that you can improve your game alone. Work on free throws and pivot moves. This will help improve the hard parts of your game.

TIP! Between the leg passes are usually helpful when another team’s players are riding you hard. Take a step back or forward and bounce the ball hard through your legs.

Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. Focus on positioning yourself more quickly than the opposing player is just as important as having someone beneath the hoop. Once you find a spot, you need to know how to defend it. The key to mastering these skills is good footwork.

TIP! Learn to pass the ball without looking at your intended target. Doing this is a great way to confuse your opponents.

Make it your goal to never turn away from the ball on the court. This will give you court awareness and keep you from being surprised by quick passes or turnover potentials. Also, keep your eyes on areas that open up on the court for an easy basket.

TIP! As soon as the ball leaves your teammate’s hands after a free throw, start moving into position. Slip around the defender moving your way and get the ball.

To generate consistency with layups, leap from the opposite foot from the hand you use to shoot. What this practically means is that if your right hand is your shooting hand, you need to take off with your left foot. This will allow you to be more balanced while moving closer to the basket while keeping your body between the defender and you.

TIP! Dribbling hard keeps the ball from being stolen from you. This will make the ball come back to you faster, and the opponent will have a hard time to get it from you.

Hard dribbling helps avoid stolen balls. The harder you dribble, the faster the ball will return to the cup of you hand. If you are being closely guarded, you should cease dribbling and pass the ball to an open member of your team.

TIP! Trip up the offense by constantly changing your pace. When running towards the net, step on your front foot, and start to straighten up your body.

It is important that you can clearly see everything that is occurring during a game. This isn’t just for reading the scoreboard. Peripheral vision is important during game play. If you look across the whole game and not just focus on the ball, you can see oncoming defensive pressure in advance, as well as open teammates.

TIP! Use a 2-3 zone as a way to trap opponents. You can do this by having guards wait for the point guard to come at least 10 feet past midcourt.

To trap the opposing players in a 2-3 zone, have the defending guards hold back till the opposing point guard has moved beyond the midcourt line by about ten feet. They can then trap the point guard. As your guards are doing this, send your forwards out to the outside opponents. This can cause the point guard to pass the ball in a way that your teammates can easily steal.

TIP! To better three-point shooting, try using NBA distance as the minimum. All other three point lines are closer than what the NBA uses.

If you wish to shoot on the outside better you should work on shooting hundreds of times every day from a lot of places on the court. To improve even more, practice dribbling the basketball and then pull up fast for a quick shot. While in the air check out your target, but never before that. You will increase your level of accuracy and create an experience closer to real game play.

TIP! If you wish to shoot on the outside better you should work on shooting hundreds of times every day from a lot of places on the court. An even better way to improve your accuracy is to practice shooting after pulling up from a dribble.

It doesn’t matter how often you play basketball, the tips in this article will better your game every time you play. Start by mastering one tip and then move on to another. Once you have practiced enough, each and every shot will make a positive impact for the team. This is what separates the professionals from the rookies.