TIP! If you hold the ball a lot, you have to learn crossovers. This move entails transferring the basketball from your left hand to your right hand and back again.

When you are thinking about how you can get better at basketball, the thing of most importance is to practice. However, it is of utmost importance that you make sure you are practicing correctly. Check out the pointers below to make sure you are on track to make your game all it can be.

TIP! Practice your pass catching often. When you practice, drill yourself to pay attention to errant throws and passes that are picture perfect.

Dribble while keeping your head upward and looking ahead. Lack of practice will manifest itself in looking down towards the ball when dribbling. You can practice dribbling almost anywhere. Dribble while walking to the store. If you’re looking at the basketball, you won’t be able to see what is coming at you.

TIP! When developing your jumping skills, limit your use of weight-training. Muscle is good, but you can have too much.

Know your strengths and they’ll help you become a better player. 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. Know what you are good at, then practice it until you’re absolutely perfect at it!

TIP! Play basketball against yourself even during the off-season. While basketball is a team sport, sometimes you just can’t find others to play with.

Footwork is the best way to find an opening shot. You do, of course, need to be near the basket, but finding the right spot without getting blocked is essential. Once there, you have to firmly claim the area as your own. Footwork is the key to either of these.

TIP! If you are posting up, strategic footwork is important to becoming open and making a good shot. Although a strong presence in the key is important, beating your opponent to good spots on the floor is more important.

Speed is everything in the sport of basketball. Speeding up the temp allows you to out-quick your opponent. Regular drilling will increase your speed. Avoid playing faster than your abilities allow. It’s easy to lose control when you play fast.

TIP! Consistency in your approach is vital to becoming solid at free throws. This may mean you want to dribble three times, touch your forehead, bend at the knees, or do anything else.

In order to do the best you can with layups, you’ll want to take off with the foot that is opposite of your shooting hand. This will allow you to shoot with your comfortable hand. Your body remains balanced while you move towards the basket.

Free Throws

TIP! Take a charge if you can. Letting the other guy run into you stops the game without having to use a time out, and adds another four to the opponent’s total.

Build a consistent routine for your free throws. If you aren’t consistent, you won’t make the basket. A great way to get better at free throws is to practice, practice and then practice the same routine some more. If you don’t stick to your routine, you could miss the shot.

TIP! If you want to improve your outside shooting skills then you need to take hundreds of shots each day from all over the court. To improve even more, practice dribbling the basketball and then pull up fast for a quick shot.

You need to put a damper in your opponent’s plan if you want to be successful with defending. Don’t let your opponent get comfortable out there on the court. Make aggressive plays. Never let them control the game plays. If you let them, you’ll be at their mercy. Rather, you make the initial move and break up their flow.

TIP! Make sure the ball doesn’t bounce above your knees when you dribble. Defenders will have a more difficult time stealing the ball.

Perform exercises to strengthen the muscles in your forearms and hands in order to maximize your ability to handle the ball. Do some wrist curls as much as possible and your dribbling should get better. Don’t just think you can place yourself in one spot, wait for the ball then hoist up a shot. Your ability to handle the ball will affect your success on the court.

TIP! Use the hand that doesn’t have the ball as a block. Don’t push your opponent because that is a foul; however, you may use your free arm to create a barrier that keeps your opponent away from the ball.

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 help you get even better, practice dribbling the ball and quickly pulling up for a shot. Make eye contact with the target as you are off the ground, but not a moment sooner. This will mimic game conditions and help improve your accuracy.

TIP! Maintain a rhythm to the dribble until you are ready to surprise the opponent. By dribbling consistently and then breaking it up into a different rhythm that’s fast, you can trick an opponent so you have more time to shoot.

Keep dribbling until you want to shoot or pass. You are limited once you cease dribbling. If you don’t shoot or pass, you will have just stand there pivoting. That leaves you wide open to double teaming by your opponents and the potential of a stolen ball goes way up.

TIP! It is necessary to be capable of altering the path of your opponent. No matter what side of the ball you’re on, being able to direct your opponents movements is key to winning.

Try practicing your 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. You might be swarmed by various opponents or get an open court. You must learn dribbling from all kinds of directions. This can help you out of jams.

TIP! Avoid double dribbling. This happens when you cease dribbling once and begin again within a few seconds.

You can place your off-hand out in front of you to serve as protection against the defense. You don’t want to be pushing any of your opponents (that’s a foul), but you can use that non-dribbling arm as a separator to keep the ball safe. Just keep it up slightly while dribbling with the other hand.

TIP! As you hit the ground after catching a rebound, improve your balance by spreading your legs wider than your shoulder span as you land. Hold the ball with two hands tightly against your chest.

You need to follow a rhythm when you dribble so you can break the rhythm and throw off an opponent. By dribbling consistently and then breaking it up into a different rhythm that’s fast, you can trick an opponent so you have more time to shoot. Both the speed and the sound will contribute to confusing the player that is guarding you.

TIP! Where you are ahead of and post-rebound will determine your success. Jump with both of your feet to have more balance and power and then get the ball gripped with both of your hands.

These tips will help your game, whether it is for fun or competitive. Try one tip at a time and you are sure to see improvement in your game. Improve your shooting, passing, and overall game control.