TIP! Dribble the ball correctly. Don’t use your palm, use your fingers.

Basketball has been universally loved by the young and old for many years. But, not everyone has a thorough understanding of what it takes to truly play the sport well. The following article is provided as a way to help better your basketball skills no matter how good a skill level you possess.

TIP! You must become knowledgeable about hitting a free-throw shot. It seems easy to do but surely isn’t.

Practice your free throw shot. It looks simple to do, but it isn’t that easy. You should practice as often as possible with this technique. Start with the ball ahead of your face. Concentrate on the basket and visualize the basketball going in. You should then shoot and try following the trajectory you visualized.

TIP! Balance is important when shooting. Sometimes you’ll see professional players fall out of bounds while making a shot from afar, but this doesn’t work at all times.

You need good balance when you shoot. Your knees should be bent with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Professional basketball players tend to improvise when need be. Having a good foundation under you while shooting will always yield better results over time as you keep on practicing and honing your skills.

TIP! Making free throws are almost as much a mental part of the game as they are a physical part. It is possible to practice the physical movements needed to make such a shot, but when your mental focus is lacking, you are likely to miss.

In order to help you improve your basketball acumen you should watch how the pros play. You can follow the pros in online videos, on TV and you can also attend a basketball game if there is a pro team in your area. Each player has their strengths and you can learn a lot from each one.

Perfect Passes

TIP! A great way to learn how to pass is by doing drills often with no dribbling. It’s tough to play basketball minus the dribbling, and it causes you to pass accurately.

Work on catching passes frequently. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. This will help you catch those bad passes during a game. By learning to catch errant passes, you will do your team a great favor.

TIP! Don’t pump too much iron if you plan on being a jump shooter. Muscle strength is great for any position in basketball, you can have too much when it comes to perimeter play.

Try playing basketball games alone before and during the season. These skills all help with muscle memory so you know just what to do when you’re playing in a game. Don’t fret! There are many ways that you can improve your game alone. Practice free throws and layups. You can always find things to practice.

TIP! Being able to anticipate your opponent is a key skill. Pay attention to how they play.

Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. While physical presence under a basket is important, finding a decent spot before the opponent is even more so. If you are just stepping into position, you now have to secure the spot. Both skills rely on some solid footwork.

TIP! One thing to consider if your shooting percentage drops is that your shoulders may be inconsistent when you are shooting. Regardless of your skill level, if you don’t have your shoulders positioned correctly, you will miss.

Never play through an injury when playing basketball. Basketball is challenging physical sport and you can get injured. Pushing through the pain often results in a more serious injury. See a doctor if the injury is serious enough.

TIP! A routine can enable your free throw percentage to rise. If you aren’t consistent, you won’t make the basket.

One good way to always be ready for whatever happens on the court is to never turn your back on the ball. It’s all about court awareness, and always facing the ball will make it so you are less surprised by passes. That means less turnovers. Always be on the lookout for open areas where you can seize easy scoring opportunities.

TIP! Practicing with your weak hand will help to make you a better dribbler. Dribbling with both hands helps you gain the upper one.

To avoid turning the ball over to the other team, make sure that you’re dribbling hard. The harder you dribble, the faster the ball will return to the cup of you hand. When closely guarding another player, cease dribbling and pass it to another play on your team that’s open.

TIP! In order to confuse the offense, try changing your pace. Try to block the net by planting your foot hard.

While you’re dribbling the basketball it is wise to bend your knees. If you are standing straight, you will have a harder time controlling the ball and your opponent will be able to steal it more easily. Some minor bending of the knees makes a big difference in your ability to control the ball.

Nba Distance

TIP! Always bend the knees while dribbling. The basketball is much harder to control if you stand tall and the opposing team can snatch it more easily.

If you want to improve your three-point shooting, try and do it from the NBA distance, at a minimum. That is the furthest distance that you would ever have to shoot from to score a three. Putting in the shot from the NBA distance will give you an advantage over defenders who are not expecting it.

TIP! Shoot from NBA distances to see your three-point skills improve. All other three point lines are closer than what the NBA uses.

To see improvement in outside shooting skills, you must practice your shots hundreds of times daily from various points on the court. Try to practice a hard dribble followed by a quick shot. Do not focus on the target until you are already in the air. This will mimic game conditions and help improve your accuracy.

TIP! Until the moment you are prepared to shoot or pass, you must dribble constantly. When you stop dribbling the ball, you only have a limited amount of plays you can perform.

If possible, keep the ball below your knees. This makes it difficult for the ball to be stolen. You will have to bend a little to make this happen, but it will keep you moving down the court quickly, especially since you are thwarting everyone trying to get to you.

TIP! While you dribble, alternate your momentum from your left to right side. When you’re playing a game, you have to dribble when you’re in a lot of different situations.

A good way to improve your game is by finding out from your teammates what they plan to do. Basketball is considered a team sport. That means offense and defense aren’t one on one. Everyone assists each other. Speak with them and make them aware of when you require assistance so that all of you play better.

TIP! The goal to improving a game is building conversation with your teammates. Basketball is considered a team sport.

Basketball brings pleasure to many different kinds of people. Learning the game will not only help you enjoy watching the sport, it will also help you play better. Keep the information from this piece close at hand, and your love of basketball will reach amazing new heights.