TIP! It’s easy to focus on offense when learning to play, but your practice time would be better spent on defense. Basketball games are won because of good defense.

Basketball is loved by many, in part because of how quickly things happen in the game. But, to become a better player, you have to be aware of certain things. Here, you will read tips that will help you improve your basketball skills.

TIP! Bounce passes are important in the game of basketball. Proper bounce passes ought to hit the recipient at the level of their waist.

Be sure to dribble correctly every time. Don’t use your palm, use your fingers. When you do this you will have more control over the ball. Dribble to your body’s side instead of doing it out front, and bounce the ball at your waist’s level. Always look up and never look down at the ground.

TIP! Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Watch professionals play or go check out talented local teams to see who has the moves that you want to learn.

Try learning how to hit free throw shots. This kind of shot seems easy, but it really is not. Put this technique into practice as often as you can. Start with the ball positioned right before your face. Focus on the ball and visualize it going toward the goal. Then, use the trajectory you just visualized and shoot the ball.

TIP! If you’re going to be a jump shooter, don’t lift too many weights. Muscle strength can be great for basketball players, but it is actually possible to have excessive amounts for playing on the perimeter.

Balance is essential to shooting. You’ve seen the pros fall out-of-bounds and shoot a basket up to 300 feet away, however, this isn’t proper technique. This is simply an improvised move. If you are able to improve your sense of balance, then you will find that your percentage of successful shots improves.

TIP! Practice basketball in season and out of season. Basketball is a multiple player sport, but other people won’t always be around.

To get better in your basketball game, focus on your strengths. Your skills may not turn you into the star player, but knowing how to make the most of your skills will make you a more valuable player. Knowing what you excel at and then practicing that can help you become perfect at it!

TIP! If you have a kid that wants to play basketball in high school, ensure they’re training core muscles in the right way. This is the hip area, the lower back, and the abs.

Watching the pros can help you pick up on certain skills for improving your game. Watch as many games on TV as you can. Each player has their strengths and you can learn a lot from each one.

Perfect Passes

TIP! If you’re injured when playing basketball, don’t push through the pain. This is an aggressive sport, and injuries happen often.

Frequently practice passing and catching the passes of others. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. During the game, not all passes will go where they’re intended. Help your teammates by learning what you need to haul in those imperfect passes.

TIP! Understanding the opponent is a good way to win with defense. Make sure that you’ve watched tapes that show the other player.

Completing passes to your teammates is just as important as dribbling the ball. This is very hard to accomplish, but it forces you and your fellow players to work on accurate passing skills. Work through the initial frustration and see how the challenge will improve your game in the long run.

TIP! Practice passing while looking the opposite direction. This may confuse your opponents, greatly.

Do you want to fool the other team? Try doing what is known as a back pass. To accomplish this, grab the ball with the dominant hand. Then, put the ball around your back. Flip your wrist towards the site where you want the ball to go. This should make it easy to trick the other team.

TIP! You must have a consistent practice routine if you want to learn to shoot free throws well. A routine that is constantly in flux will only open up more opportunities for failure.

To keep passes under control, make use of hand signals. It can be frustrating passing to a teammate when you’re both heading to the basket. You can stay away from doing this if you use a hand signal to see if someone is ready for a pass. Without a signal, there shouldn’t be a pass.

TIP! Only cease dribbling when you are prepared to shoot or pass. When you stop, your options are limited.

Never play through an injury when playing basketball. It’s a challenging sport that’s very physical, and you have the ability to get injured. Trying to continue playing even if you’ve got discomfort can make the injury worse. Be sure to talk to a doctor if you feel that the injury isn’t going away.

TIP! Be sure your exercise off the court is going to help you on the court. Sprints helps with individual plays, and long-distance running gives you stamina.

As this article mentioned, basketball is a beloved sport enjoyed globally. This article has given you some of the knowledge you need to truly excel. Put these tips to use to become a better basketball player.