TIP! Look forward when dribbling. If you have to ever look at the ball while dribbling, then you haven’t practiced that enough.

Men and women, young and old alike, enjoy basketball as a sport. People of all ages can enjoy a fun and exciting basketball game. Impress your friends by showing off your moves you learned. Do you have skills? Continue reading the paragraphs below to find out exactly what to do.

TIP! If you typically handle the ball a lot, it pays to learn the crossover. When you do a crossover, you move the basketball very fast from one hand over to the other hand.

Every great player understands how to properly perform a bounce pass. Good bounce passes need to hit the other player waist length when they receive it. Bounce it 3/4 of the distance to the receiver. Although, there will be other circumstances that are involved too.

Free Throws

TIP! Focus on your strengths to get better at basketball. The best talent you have isn’t going to have you starring in every highlight reel, but having a good skill set can benefit your team.

Free throws have a huge mental element to them. Your body can be trained to make free throws, but your mind has to be focused on success if you want to make the basket. Relax and focus on the basket; this will help you succeed.

TIP! Bounce passes are important in the game of basketball. The bounce pass needs to reach the player at waist level.

Don’t pump too much iron if you plan on being a jump shooter. Though muscle strength is great to have with any sport, it is very possible to be too buff for serious game play. Many guards in the pros have developed their arm muscles too big, which has really harmed their shooting percentage.

Core Muscles

TIP! Make it your goal to never turn away from the ball on the court. This provides court awareness and prevents you from unexpected turnovers or quick passes.

If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. They should train their lower back, hips, and abs. Your performance is going to be sub-par if you don’t have strengthened core muscles. Building strong core muscles will allow your to jump higher, run faster and maintain your balance.

TIP! Have a friend or family member tape your games so you can view how you appear on the court. Looking at tapes can help you identify strengths and weaknesses.

When an injury occurs while you are playing ball, don’t keep playing with pain. Basketball is hard to play well even when you are healthy, so don’t push it. Pushing through the pain often results in a more serious injury. See a doctor if the injury is serious enough.

TIP! In order to be successful with layups, the foot that is opposite from shooting hand is the one you should take off from. That means, if you shoot right-handed, use your left foot for taking off.

When playing basketball, it is important to always keep your eye on the ball. This will make you more aware of the court and you won’t be surprised when turnover potentials come up or quick passes. Also, you need to stay aware of areas which might open up and give you an easy basket.

TIP! To avoid turning the ball over to the other team, make sure that you’re dribbling hard. This makes the ball go back to your hand quicker, so offense has reduced chances at taking it from you.

Always be aware of the locations of your feet and what they’re doing. Stepping even a toe on the baseline with the ball in your hands means you are out of bounds. If you take too many steps and don’t dribble, then you are walking. Do not move your feet when attempting to set up a screen, a foul can be called.

TIP! Make sure your vision is good. This isn’t just for reading the scoreboard.

Video tape your games, and then review your technique later. Are you able to look at your skills in a different light? Don’t be too critical, but do be honest. Sometimes it’s beneficial to look at yourself the way you really look and not just like you think you look.

TIP! To increase the strength of your weaker hand, utilize it for doing everything, including brushing your teeth and opening jars. If you can train yourself to be ambidextrous, you will gain complete control of that hand.

Be sure to keep your knees bent while you dribble. Standing while dribbling will make it much easier for the opponent to steal the ball from you. Bending your knees slightly can really make a difference in the way you control the ball.

TIP! The first step when dribbling is to bend at your knees instead of standing straight-legged. You will have a hard time controlling the ball if you always stand straight and opponents will be able to steal the ball.

If you want to improve your three-point shooting, try and do it from the NBA distance, at a minimum. College, as well as high school three-point lines are set at a shorter distance. If you can hit from NBA range, you can get open looks at a deeper range than a defense is probably going to mind you (until you start hitting).

TIP! Use the NBA three point line when practicing your shots. All the other lines are closer.

To improve your perimeter shooting, it is important to practice every day from various spots on the court. Practice dribbling and quick shots. Avoid looking at the basketball goal while dribbling the ball. This can help you simulate the conditions of the game and also helps you improve accuracy.

TIP! Communication with your team mates is crucial to your overall success. Your actions and strategies must not be kept to yourself.

Always practice from all spots on the court. Start out by practicing grip and balance. It is possible to succeed when shooting in an off-balance way, but the odds do suffer. Use the valve on the basketball to perfect your grip. Put the middle of your shooting hand over the basketball’s valve.

TIP! Create teamwork both off and on the basketball court. Basketball games gain a new intensity when players can work as one effortlessly.

Now you should be prepared to play with heightened confidence. With the advice from this article on your side, your game is sure to improve. Remember that basketball should always be fun. Whatever the case, it is fun to win though!