TIP! Learn the best way to make your free throws. There are usually a lot of distractions when you are shooting free throws so you need to concentrate.

A great thing about the game of basketball is that the basics are easy to learn. You can get the basics in a couple minutes. However, there are many advanced techniques that can be learned. Continue reading to learn the how you can become the best player.

TIP! Always keep your head up when dribbling instead of focusing on the ball. You need more practice if you feel that you cannot dribble without focusing on the ball.

It’s natural to focus on offensive abilities when practicing the sport of basketball, but your practice time needs to focus on defense. Basketball games are often won by great defensive play. If your team doesn’t have a good defense, you’re not going to make it far in a game.

TIP! Need to dupe the opposition? Trick them using a back pass. If you wish to try this pass, get the ball in your dominant hand.

Dribble the ball the right way. Don’t use your palm, use your fingers. This helps you to control the ball better. Dribble off to the side waist high. Keep your eyes up.

TIP! Seek advice from your teammates about how you play the game. Do they feel you are really good at something? It could be your speed, or it could be your back-up abilities.

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. Keep dribbling the ball even while you’re doing your errands. If you look at the ball, you’re unable to see what’s going on down the court before you.

TIP! During your workouts, concentrate on improving your footwork as well as your core strength. Your body will be more stable and easier to move when you have strength in your core muscles.

Your balance is an important aspect to consider when you are shooting. Everyone has seen professional basketball players make a shot from 20 feet away as they are falling. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. Having a good foundation under you while shooting will always yield better results over time as you keep on practicing and honing your skills.

Bounce Passes

TIP! Have someone record the games you play so that you can watch it to check out your form. Can you see chances that you missed or ways that you could have done better? Don’t be too critical, but do be honest.

Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. 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. It does depend on a variety of other factors, however.

TIP! Practice passing while looking in the opposite direction. This is a great technique in order to help confuse the opponents.

You can learn how to pass well by drilling on it separately from dribbling. Playing the game without the use of dribbling is a challenge, but it can help you and your team learn to make more precise passes. It may seem nearly impossible at first, but over time your team will learn to throw accurate passes and be in good position to receive them.

TIP! You must disrupt your opponent’s game when you’re playing defense. Force opposing players into an unfamiliar or unexpected position.

Good footwork remains a vital part of basketball. Although it’s important to have a physical presence underneath the basket, it’s more important that you get in a good place before your opponent can. After positioning yourself on the court, make sure that you are secure. The key to mastering these skills is good footwork.

TIP! Good footwork will help you get rebounds off your teammates’ foul shots. Be aware that the defender who is below you will start moving in your direction.

When an injury occurs while you are playing ball, don’t keep playing with pain. It’s easy to be hurt when playing basketball. If you keep playing when you are injured, you could end up with an injury which keeps you from ever playing again. If an injury is serious, go to see a physician.

TIP! Keep low when you play defense. Doing this allows you to have quick reactions, especially to your opponent.

Spread your fingers out to handle the ball properly. That will ensure that it doesn’t get away from you as you hold it. However, remember to keep your palm away from the ball. Don’t let anything but your fingers touch the ball during passing or shooting.

TIP! In order to help develop your non-dominant hand, you should use that hand only when trying to open things, and also when brushing your teeth. The more dextrous you become with it in your daily life, the better able you will be to control it.

To rebound off your fellow player’s free throws, use sly feet. The defender below you will be moving toward you, so find a way to slip around him and get to the ball. Doing so will allow you to get the rebound sans a foul.

TIP! Keep your knees loose when you dribble the ball. The farther the ball has to bounce, the less control you will have of it.

Be sure that your site is good. This is not just to make reading the scoreboard easier, but also to facilitate the making of shots and catching of passes. Working to improve you peripheral vision will help you become a more successful player. It allows you to view the game as a whole rather than simply watching the ball. In this way, you can be aware of the players around you.

TIP! If you want to improve your three-point shooting, try and do it from the NBA distance, at a minimum. The line in every other league is closer.

Maybe you recently learned the rules of the game. Or you’ve played basketball from the time you were a kid. In any case, the information you got in the above article will assist you in becoming a better player. Use these tips when you next play a game of basketball.