TIP! Practice your bounce pass. A bounce pass that’s good is going to end up hitting the other player near their waist.

As you may already know, if you’ve wanted to become a basketball player before, you need to practice and be dedicated. Even if you happen to be a purely recreational player, you probably still wish to play well. This article is sure to offer you advice on how you can improve your game.

TIP! Free throws are as much mental as they are physical, like other parts of the game. With everyone watching, it can be easy to allow the pressure to interfere with your game.

Practice shooting free throws. This seems like an easy shot, but it is quite hard. Use this technique to better your game. Hold the ball level with your head. Focus on the ball and visualize it going toward the goal. Once you’ve visualized this, take your shot as you just saw it in your head.

TIP! A great way to hone your own basketball abilities is to watch the pros. Go to as many pro games as possible, watch them on TV, or watch videos of them playing.

Teach yourself how a bounce pass can be properly thrown. Bounce passes should not go above or below the receiving players waist. Letting the ball bounce close to the other person will help the accuracy of your pass. Many other factors will affect it, too.

TIP! Basketball players of all ages benefit from exercises that strengthen their core. The core muscles are the hips, lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles.

Are you interested in being able to fool the other team? Try doing a back pass! To accomplish this pass, grasp the ball using your dominant hand. Then, bring the ball back behind you. Pass the ball from behind your back by flicking your wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. It can be a dangerous maneuver that catches the other team off guard.

TIP! To make sure there are no errant passes, use hand signals. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another.

One of the most vital attributes one needs to play basketball is quickness. If you can play quicker than the opposing team can, then you will be at an advantage. You have to be steady as you play quickly. However, don’t try and push past your limits. Playing beyond your own capabilities sends the game spinning past your ability to control it, and turnovers are bound to occur.

TIP! When injuries occur on the court, it is unwise to keep on playing. It’s a challenging sport that’s very physical, and you have the ability to get injured.

A good way to see yourself playing is to have someone record your games. Can you see chances that you missed or ways that you could have done better? Don’t get yourself down about your performance, but stay honest with yourself concerning where your game needs some work. Sometimes it’s beneficial to look at yourself the way you really look and not just like you think you look.

TIP! Spread your fingers out to handle the ball properly. This can help you to remain in control of the ball at all times.

Using a weaker hand helps improve overall dribbling skills. Being able to effortlessly dribble with both hands gives you the ability to run both sides on an opponent and keep them off guard. To help develop your weaker hand, avoid using your dominant hand. Before you know it, your weak hand will become strong.

TIP! If your shooting is in a slump, take a look at your shoulders. You won’t be able to make a shot if your shoulders aren’t in the right position.

You must be able to box out other players when attempting to rebound free throws. As you see the defender moving in, quickly slip around to grab the ball. In this way you can get the rebound without a foul.

TIP! Develop a routine to use every time you shoot a free throw. This can include the number of times you dribble, how you position your feet, or anything else.

Practice drills where you strive to make it across the full court within 5 dribbles. This can seem impossible, but if you do it, you’ll get incredible speed and length. In games, this drill will become useful when you have fast break opportunities.

TIP! Perform exercises to strengthen the muscles in your forearms and hands in order to maximize your ability to handle the ball. Consider wrist curls and and exercise machine that focuses on strengthening each finger individually.

When on defense, try to keep yourself low whenever you can. This will help you be quicker on the jump and react to the man in front of you easier. Always maintain a defensive position during game play. You may have to break your stance if you must block a shot, but return as fast as you can.

TIP! Hard dribbling helps avoid stolen balls. This causes the ball to return to your hand more quickly, so the offense has less time to try to get it away from you.

To trap the opposing players in a 2-3 zone, have the defending guards hold back till the opposing point guard has moved beyond the midcourt line by about ten feet. Then, they ought to trap the point guard. With the forwards blocking outside, you have a good shot at intercepting a bad pass. The point guard throws a pass that can be easily stolen by your forwards.

TIP! You can use your guards and point guard to trap an opponent with a 2-3 zone defense. This is when they should trap him.

Only stop dribbling if you want to shoot or pass. If you stop, you limit your options. If you don’t have the chance to shoot or pass, you can just pivot with the foot in the back. If you cannot shoot or pass the ball, you are in danger of getting the ball taken away from you.

Use the hand that doesn’t have the ball as a block. This keeps your opponent from being able to steal the ball. When dribbling, use it as a shield.

TIP! While you dribble, alternate your momentum from your left to right side. During the game, you will dribble in various situations.

A good way to improve your game is by finding out from your teammates what they plan to do. You are sure to understand that it takes teamwork to play basketball. This means that defense and offense are not one-on-one. Everyone should help each other. You must communicate with your teammates so that you can all play better.

TIP! Use the hand that doesn’t have the ball as a block. You don’t need to push any opponents since that’s a foul, but try using your non-dribbling arm like a separator for keeping the ball safe.

Keep your dribbling consistent until the time you want to confuse your opponent. Smooth dribbling interrupted by a quicker dribble is a great way to catch the opponent off-guard and go in for a shot. Not only the speed change, but the sound change is what confuses them most.

TIP! Maintain a rhythm to the dribble until you are ready to surprise the opponent. Dribble consistently, then break it up by dribbling fast.

Use the various techniques discussed in this article during your next ball game. Apply what you have learned in this article to your basketball game. This three-step plan leads you to success.