Nobody tries to fix a car without understanding what’s wrong. Basketball is no different. The tips within this article are what makes pros as good as they are.

TIP! How would you like to trick the opposing team? Back passes can give your team the opportunity to score while the other team is still wondering what happened. To work it, place the ball in your most dominant hand.

You must learn how to dribble, how a crossover is done and other important ball handling skills. Switch from one side to the other while dribbling. Your crossovers should be fast, which is why it is important to practice them. If you do it right, a crossover dribble will assist you in changing directions and getting down the court in an efficient manner.

TIP! Before, during and after the season, play out games by yourself. Many times you are unable to find people to play with.

Making free throws are almost as much a mental part of the game as they are a physical part. Training your body is important, but you also have to be mentally ready for the shot. Stay relaxed and just focus on the goal and you will increase your free throw rate.

TIP! If you’re injured when playing basketball, don’t push through the pain. This is an aggressive sport, and injuries happen often.

Improve your passing abilities by challenging yourself to perform drills without actually dribbling. This helps to develop passing skills with your teammates, making it much more difficult if you’re standing in one spot and not dribbling. The accuracy of passes will greatly improve over time and the drill will become a lot easier.

TIP! One thing to consider if your shooting percentage drops is that your shoulders may be inconsistent when you are shooting. If your shoulders aren’t properly positioned, your shot is not going to go in.

Never turn away from the ball so that you can always be prepared for what’s coming. You develop a good feel for the game around you, making it much easier to quickly react to your opponent. Pay attention to open areas for passes, too.

TIP! Be aware of what your feet are doing and where they are. An errant toe to the baseline while holding the ball will result in an “out of bounds” call.

It is important to be aware of the location of your feet and just what they are up to. If you slide onto the baseline, you will lose the ball for being out of bounds. Not dribbling when you take more than a few steps will result in a walking call as well as a forfeit of the ball. Avoid lifting your feet when you are screening or in position for a charge or the foul will be called on you instead of your opponent.

TIP! If you wish to do free throw shots reliably, always do the exact same thing before making each shot. Whatever you do before each shot, from dribbles to body motions, should be the same each time.

Have someone record the games you play so that you can watch it to check out your form. Did you spot something that could be improved? Honestly and openly assess your own performance. You can learn a lot by watching your plays instead of just trying to remember what you did.

TIP! Consistent free throws require a consistent technique. If you’re not consistent you’ll find yourself missing free throws.

If you want to better your dribble, start practicing with your weaker hand. Dribbling with both hands helps you gain the upper one. Force yourself to not use your stronger hand. This will train your weaker hand to dribble and control the ball well.

TIP! A good player on defense will annoy the heck out of the opponent and cause the other team to get flustered. Don’t let them get comfortable.

In order to play defense successfully, you must be able to disrupt the game of your opponent. Getting them to do things they aren’t accustomed to doing is ideal. Make assertive moves, keeping your opponent unsure of your next move. Do not let them choose the plays to make. If you do so, then your rivals have the control. You should make the initial move and throw them off.

TIP! You must be able to box out other players when attempting to rebound free throws. The person defending the position down-court from you will be coming at you, so you need to find any way you can to slide around him that gets you to the ball.

A good basketball drill to perform is to see if you can get the ball down the entire court in 5 or less dribbles. This might seem impossible at first, but if you achieve it, you will have remarkable stride length and speed. Being able to do this lets you lead your team on a fast break and gets you to the rim that much quicker.

TIP! Make sure that you can see clearly. This isn’t just for reading the scoreboard.

Be sure that your site is good. This isn’t just so you can read the scoreboard and be able to make shots and catch passes. Working to improve you peripheral vision will help you become a more successful player. This will help you see the whole game better and anticipate openings and defense players.

TIP! Always set your three-point shooting practice goal at the official NBA distance. All the other three point lines are much closer than the NBA line.

Whenever possible, take advantage of an attack. A charge can help you take the ball and perhaps set up a foul against the other team. This can hurt the other team’s players psychologically and can also be powerful when you’re creating plays.

TIP! Use the hand you aren’t dribbling with to keep the opponent away from the ball. This is much safer than just shoving an opponent, which is a serious foul and bad sportsmanship to boot.

Keep low as you defend. This helps your reaction time against your opponent. Remain in a good defensive stance always. 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! Your diet plays a major role in your health and success on the basketball court. In order to be ready for practice and games, it is vital that you have the proper energy stored in your body.

To turn a normal 2-3 zone into a trapping machine, have your top two defenders (your guards) wait until the point guard has come about ten feet past the time line (midcourt). This can give them an opportunity to run up to that point guard to trap them. Concurrently, have forwards go to the wings. Point guards need to throw up passes that your team’s forwards can steal easily.

TIP! If someone shoots from the corner of the basketball court and misses, it will bounce over the net onto the opposite side. Anticipating this can help you score a quick rebound.

Take any opportunity to strengthen your weaker hand and build your skill by using it to brush your teeth or open jars. Being able to dribble and shoot the ball with both hands will make it much more difficult for opponents to defend you. As a result, your basketball game will significantly improve.

Nba Distance

TIP! The position you adopt before, during, and immediately following a rebound has an effect on your ability to keep possession of the ball. Use both feet to jump for the ball, then hold on with both of your hands.

To improve three-point shooting, do it from NBA distance at the very least. The established International standard line is closer, as are the high school and college lines. Putting in the shot from the NBA distance will give you an advantage over defenders who are not expecting it.

TIP! Build your passing game. Effective passing can trip up the opposing team.

Communication with your team mates is crucial to your overall success. Your actions and strategies must not be kept to yourself. You are sure to understand that it takes teamwork to play basketball. This means that offense and defense doesn’t mean one on one. You must help one another out. Talk to them and let them know you need help and you will all play better.

TIP! You have to have a good pivot to play well. It is important to practice how you move your feet, so you can pivot by instinct, without stopping to think about where to put your feet.

There are many things that can make you feel great. To help improve your knowledge you should keep studying and remember to practice what you’ve learned. This can help you and your team score more.