TIP! Learn the best way to make your free throws. This may seem like an easy task, but in reality, things prove otherwise.

When you give yourself game goals, you must practice to reach them. Of course, you need to understand the basic techniques before you can actually practice them. You should keep reading if you want to learn more about strategies you can use to become a better player.

TIP! When dribbling, make sure that you look forward and keep your head up. If you start staring at the ball while you dribble, you know you need to practice more.

Learn to correctly dribble the ball. Use fingertips to dribble. This provides you with much more ball control. Dribble on the sides of your body instead of directly before you, and bounce it waist level. Keep your eyes up, not on the ground.

TIP! Focus on your strengths to get better at basketball. You might not become a big basketball star based on your strengths, but you will be an asset to your team.

Practice your free throw shot. This may seem like an easy task, but in reality, things prove otherwise. Practice a lot with the following method. Hold the ball level to your face. Have your eyes on your goal and picture your ball going into it. Shoot the ball how you imagine it going in.

TIP! Free throws are as mental as physical. You can train your body to complete the motions of making a free throw, but if you are mentally prepared to fail, you will.

Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Watch professionals play or go check out talented local teams to see who has the moves that you want to learn. Watch great players to learn the specific skills that make them exceptional.

TIP! Practice your pass catching often. You should practice catching errant passes, along with perfectly executed ones.

Do not practice solely against zone defense. The majority of the game is in that area, but be careful about a team who changes things up. If you have not practiced against this, you may lose your grip of the game for the remainder of it.

TIP! Interested in tricking your opponents? The back pass is perfect for this. To properly perform this pass you will need to have the ball in your dominant hand.

To make sure there are no errant passes, use hand signals. One things that’s frustrating in basketball is passing to a teammate while they try heading to the basket. You can stay away from doing this if you use a hand signal to see if someone is ready for a pass. If you don’t receive a signal then realize your teammate is not able to get the pass.

TIP! Keep your skills sharp in the off-season by playing different challenging games. While it’s a team sport, you may not be able to find others that will play.

A smart tip to follow while playing basketball is to always keep your eye on the ball and not away from the play. You have to be aware of what is going on with the ball at all times. Make sure you also have the court in your line of vision as well, so you know when and where you can drive in for the score.

TIP! Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? Are you skilled at something? They may say you’re fast or that you share well. Determine what others like about your game and fine tune those skills.

Remember to spread your fingers when handling the ball. That will ensure that it doesn’t get away from you as you hold it. Your palm should not be touching the ball. The only things that should touch the ball are your fingers, as you shoot or pass.

TIP! When you work out, try focusing on building core strength and bettering your footwork. This allows your body to be in balance and be more explosive on the court.

Video tape your games, and then review your technique later. You can see where you can improve and what plays you missed. Assess yourself honestly, but don’t be a harsh critic. The reality of your play is often very different from your perception.

TIP! Concentrate on your shoulders if you have gotten into a shooting slump. If you do not have your shoulders positioned properly, you will not make the shot.

To get better at shooting free throws, make sure to keep a consistent pre-shot routine. It could be that you dribble several times, bend at the knees, brush your hair out of your eyes or do something else. As long as this is a quick set of movements and it’s consistent, you won’t have any trouble having your body memorize what you’re doing.

TIP! You should always be aware of the position of your feet and their actions. Stepping your toe in a baseline with a ball in your grip will mean that you’re out of bounds.

Give your layouts the most by launching from the foot that opposes the hand you are shooting with. If you play to use your right hand to shoot, you’ll want to use your left foot to take off. That will build your balance and help you stay in the right position.

Free Throws

TIP! As soon as the ball leaves your teammate’s hands after a free throw, start moving into position. The more quickly you get under the basket, the better you chance of grabbing the rebound.

A consistent routine will help you to achieve great free throws. A routine that is constantly in flux will only open up more opportunities for failure. The easiest way to make sure you’re doing great at free throws is to do repetitions of the same routines time and again. If you don’t stick to your routine, you could miss the shot.

TIP! If you don’t want someone to steal the ball, dribble hard. The ball returns more quickly to your hand when you do this, giving the opponents fewer opportunities to steal it from you.

Regardless of your ability, by using the advice above you are sure to see improvement. Take it one step at a time to help you improve your game. You will become a better passer, rebounder and shooter.