TIP! You need to learn the correct way to dribble the ball. Don’t use your palm to dribble, but use your fingertips instead.

Basketball is an extremely popular sport in many countries. Whether you’re playing or watching at home, basketball isn’t going anywhere. Learn how you can up your game and make a positive difference to your team. Check out the advice below to discover ways to help shift your game to that next gear.

TIP! Any good basketball player needs to know how to make a layup. Almost 80% of shots will be layups.

Look forward when dribbling. If you have to keep your eye on the ball when you’re dribbling, practice can remedy that. You can practice dribbling almost anywhere. If you walk to the store, dribble the ball. If you’re looking at the basketball, you won’t be able to see what is coming at you.

TIP! Practice catching passes as often as you can. When you’re practicing, you should drill in being able to catch random throws in addition to passes that are perfect.

Free throws are as much mental as they are physical, like other parts of the game. You must train both your body and your mind. Relax yourself and concentrate on your shot.

Zone Defense

TIP! When avoiding errant passes, use hand signals. One of the most challenging aspects is trying to send the ball to your teammate as they are going for the basket.

Practice playing a man-to-man defense and zone defense. Learn how to play a man-to-man defense and a zone defense to get the best understanding of how the game works. Practicing these techniques can give you a competitive edge over your competition.

TIP! Always be aware of your feet. Out of bounds will happen with even one toe over the baseline of the lined play area on the court.

You can play basketball solo before and during the season. Though basketball is surely a team sport, there may be times when you have nobody to play against. Don’t worry! Playing on your own can give you the chance to work on isolated areas of your game. Practice free throws and work on pivot moves. Many things can be practiced.

TIP! Have your games taped so you can play them back later and observe your court presence. Can you see where you can improve your form? Are there things you might have done differently? Appraise your performance honestly but don’t be overly harsh with yourself.

When you work out, try focusing on building core strength and bettering your footwork. Your body will be able to move quicker and be more balanced when you have srong core muscles. Work the abdomen, buttocks, hip, and back muscles. Jump rope can be used to speed up your feet.

TIP! If the other team has a good defense, passing the ball between your legs is a good option. To practice this skill, bounce the ball between your legs so that it passes through as you step back and forth.

Ask someone to take a video of you playing and watch it. Looking at tapes can help you identify strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be too critical, but do be honest. You can learn a lot by watching how you play and what you need to concentrate practicing on.

TIP! Use the foot opposite of the hand you shoot with for a better layup. What this practically means is that if your right hand is your shooting hand, you need to take off with your left foot.

When you want consistently good free throws, repeat your routine. Perhaps you will dribble twice, follow up by bending your knees, pulling your earlobe or performing some other ritualistic action for good luck. Just keep things brief, but make sure you always do the same moves.

TIP! Using a weaker hand helps improve overall dribbling skills. Opponents are a lot easier to blow by when you can dribble with ease using both hands.

Be slick with your feet so you can get a rebound from a teammate. Be aware that the defender who is below you will start moving in your direction. Slip past him, and you can get the ball. Then you gain the ball without the foul.

TIP! Build up your forearms to become a better ball handler. Consider wrist curls and and exercise machine that focuses on strengthening each finger individually.

Defensive players need to stay low. This helps your jumps become quicker and betters your reaction to the person before you simpler. Stay in your defensive stance all the time. If you need to block the opposing team’s shot, resume your stance as soon as you can.

TIP! Do drills where you try and get the basketball up a full-court in five dribbles or less. While this is a challenging goal, working toward it will make you a much better player.

You can improve a weak hand by using it in daily life. If you can become more dexterous with it in all aspects of your life, you will be bettering your control of it. Keeping your opponents on their toes is an important part of basketball.

TIP! Altering your own pace is a good way to disrupt the opposition. Plant a foot and start to straighten your body.

Keep your knees loose when you dribble the ball. You will have a hard time controlling the ball if you always stand straight and opponents will be able to steal the ball. Your ball control will improve dramatically by simply bending a little at the knees.

TIP! Use the NBA three point line when practicing your shots. That is the furthest distance that you would ever have to shoot from to score a three.

Use the NBA three point line when practicing your shots. The standard line , high school and college lines are all going to be closer. If you are able to make NBA-range three-point-shots, you will be able to find more open looks during your own games.

TIP! It is important that you remain in control of the ball despite which way your body is going. This will help you learn to dribble during all different kinds of situations.

As you have learned, there are many ways to improve your game. Most of them are just basically learning a particular technique, then practicing that technique until you can do it in your sleep. Practice skills, run drills and play whenever you get the chance. Whether it is practice with your team, playing a pickup game with friends or even just playing with younger players for fun, it all adds up to better skills and sharing the love of basketball.