TIP! Constantly practice layups. Four out of every five shots taken in a given game will be layups.

The inventor of basketball was Dr. Dr. James Naismith was his name and he invented it in 1891. Since that time, it has turned into one of modern society’s most beloved sports. Basketball has made many celebrities out of its players, from Shaq, to Magic Johnson. Most of the world has heard of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. To learn from the experts, keep reading.

TIP! Work on catching passes frequently. Don’t just work on waist-level, perfect passes, though, work on receiving tougher passes as well.

When dribbling the basketball you should keep your head up. You need more practice if you feel that you cannot dribble without focusing on the ball. Bring the ball no matter where you go. Practice in your home and wherever you walk. If you have to watch the ball, you will be unable to see whatever is going on at court level.

TIP! You want to be prepared for any type of defense the other team plays. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion.

Connecting on your free throws is as much mental as it is physical. It’s easy to physically train for a free throw, yet mental preparation is also needed. Relax yourself and focus on the hoop.

TIP! If your child is training to be a high school basketball player, make sure that they train their core muscles properly. The core muscles include the lower back, hips and abdonimals.

You want to be prepared for any type of defense the other team plays. Always try to anticipate when your opponent is going to switch up their game to catch you off guard. If you have not practiced against this, you may lose your grip of the game for the remainder of it.

TIP! Make better passes through the use of coordinated hand signals. One of the more frustrating aspects of basketball is making a pass to a teammate at the same time they head to the basket.

Jump shooters should not also be iron pumpers. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. There have been instances where great shooters bulk up so much that it adversely affects their shooting percentage.

Keep your eye on the ball. This helps keep you aware of the action, and it takes away the surprise factor. Pay attention to open areas for passes, too.

TIP! Understanding your opponent is a good way to shut him down on defense. Monitor scouting news and watch footage of other teams in action.

If the opposition is hot on your tail, pass between your legs. Practice this by bouncing the ball hard between your legs as you take a step forward or back. If you can master this move, it will give you quite the advantage when you are on the court.

TIP! Always be aware of where you have your feet and what you are going to do with them next. Placing even a single toe atop the baseline while holding the ball will result in you being ruled out of bounds.

Practice drills where you strive to make it across the full court within 5 dribbles. You will need to learn how to push the basketball in front of you while making long strides. That translates to smooth layups during fast breaks.

TIP! Practice passing while looking in the opposite direction. It can be very confusing to your opponents.

Stay low when you play defense. You will be able to react more quickly and jump higher because of this. You always want to have a strong defensive stance on the court. If you need to leave your feet in order to prevent your opponent from shooting the ball, quickly get back into that good defensive position.

TIP! Dribble very hard to prevent the opposing team players from stealing the ball. This means you get the ball back from your opponent faster.

To trap someone in a 2-3 zone, get your guards to wait for the point guard to get about 10 feet past midcourt. Once he passes mid court the guards should rush up on him. Have forwards sprint to players on the wing. You will see the opposing point guard make a bad pass that anyone on your team can steal.

TIP! Building strength improves your basketball game. Conditioning training will also increase your stamina.

To play basketball all you need is a rim that is ten feet high and hard pavement to bounce the ball. You have to know a lot about it if it’s something you want to do good at. Use these tips to improve your game and keep getting better.