TIP! Look forward when dribbling. You haven’t practiced enough if you keep looking at the basketball while you’re dribbling.

The basics of paying basketball are not really hard to learn. You can pick up the basics in a few short minutes. There’s much more to learn to become better at basketball, and using the advice below will help.

TIP! Would you like to pull one over on the other team? Try doing a back pass! To properly perform this pass you will need to have the ball in your dominant hand. Next, place the ball behind you.

Learn proper dribbling. You’ll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm. This will give you better control of the basketball. Keeping the ball to your side will help it from getting in the way. Look up, not down.

TIP! Avoid errant passes by using 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.

Any good basketball player needs to know how to make a layup. This will make up about eighty percent of shots during any basketball game. It’s critical to practice running towards the basket at full speed and following up with a good jump and smooth shot. This method will teach you to improve your jumps and shots throughout the game.

TIP! Footwork is the best way to find an opening shot. Focus on positioning yourself more quickly than the opposing player is just as important as having someone beneath the hoop.

Frequently practice passing and catching the passes of others. Don’t just work on waist-level, perfect passes, though, work on receiving tougher passes as well. Some passes may be too high, too low or off target, so you should practice receiving passes often. You’ll be helping out your team a great deal if you can catch their not so perfect passes.

Free Throws

TIP! Speed is a key attribute in the game of basketball. Speeding up the temp allows you to out-quick your opponent.

Perform skills, practice your ball handling and shoot free throws when you are practicing alone. Basketball is usually a team sport, but just because you can’t find others, doesn’t mean you have to just stop thinking about it. For concentration purposes, it can be good to practice on your own. It is possible to get a lot done even when playing alone. Work on your pivot moves or practice your free throws. You can always do something.

TIP! Always have an awareness of the location and movement of your feet. Out of bounds will happen with even one toe over the baseline of the lined play area on the court.

You never want to have your back to the ball if you can help it. This will give you court awareness and keep you from being surprised by quick passes or turnover potentials. Always scout the court for areas that will open up and allow you to make a clear shot.

TIP! Work on making your forearms and hands stronger in order to improve ball handling. One important exercise is wrist curls, which help you with your dribbling.

When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. If your shoulders are in a bad position, no matter how good you are, you won’t make the shot. Keep your shoulders squared with the basket at all times. Your shooting arm’s shoulder also needs to be exactly lined up with the rim.

TIP! Practice noticing what is in your peripheral vision. You don’t just want to be able to pass and shoot well.

If you’re quick on the basketball court, you have a built in advantage. Speed always gives you an edge over your opponent. In order to be fast, you must constantly do drills. Make sure you never play past the speed you are comfortable. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and lots of turnovers.

TIP! Changing up your pace is something you have to do to make sure the offense is paying attention. As you are heading towards the net, straighten up and plant down your foot.

To maximize your layups, take off with the foot that opposes your shooting hand. So, if you shoot using your left hand, launch with your right foot. This balances your body when moving towards your basket. It keeps your body in between you and the defender.

Free Throw

TIP! Always bend the knees while dribbling. Standing straight makes it hard to control the ball.

Create a routine to improve your free throw success. If you aren’t consistent, you won’t make the basket. The best way to perfect your free throw shooting technique is through repetition by practicing the same routine over and over again. If you alter your routine then chances are the shot will not be good.

TIP! To get better at three-point shots, work on shooting from the NBA three-point line. The standard line and college lines are much closer.

You must disrupt and upset the play of your opponent if you want to be successful as a defensive player. Force them away from their comfort zone. When making a move, be aggressive. Do not let them choose the plays to make. You should never let an opponent control what you do on the court. Force them to act and their rhythm will get disrupted.

TIP! An excellent tip to help you with shooting skills is to shoot the ball from different spots on the court. You should also practice starting with a dribble and then taking a shot.

If you wish to get a free throw rebound from a teammate, you have to stay on your toes properly. The defender below you will be moving toward you, so find a way to slip around him and get to the ball. In this way you can get the rebound without a foul.

TIP! If possible, keep action beneath the knees. In this way, opposing team members will have difficulty stealing the ball.

Maybe you are just starting out with basketball when you read this article. 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. Keep this advice in mind during the next match.