TIP! Dribbling the ball the right way needs to be done. Don’t use your palm, use your fingers.

Do you want to be as great as Shaquille O’Neil? Work on your technique, practice your skills and perfect your ball handling skills. This article will give you some helpful tips to improve your game.

TIP! Try learning how to hit free throw shots. These shots may seem easy, but they can be quite difficult.

Be sure to dribble correctly every time. Don’t use your palm to dribble, but use your fingertips instead. Using your fingertips provides you with more control. Dribble on the sides of your body instead of directly before you, and bounce it waist level. Don’t look down, always look up.

TIP! When using the ball a lot, you must relearn a crossover. This technique passes the ball back and forth from the right hand to the left hand.

Get educated on the way to properly pass the ball on a bounce. Proper bounce passes ought to hit the recipient at the level of their waist. The ideal bounce pass should land about 3/4 of the way between you and the receiver. This all depends on many factors.

TIP! You should often work on your layups. In a typical game, up to four-fifths of all shots are layups.

Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Get tickets to some pro games, if possible, or catch some games on television. Each player has their strengths and you can learn a lot from each one.

TIP! Get educated on the way to properly pass the ball on a bounce. A useful bounce pass will hit the receiving player at waist level.

Hand signals will help you avoid those errant passes. Basketball passes can be really frustrating when shot wrong. You can get around that when you use hand signals, if a player can receive a pass. If the person doesn’t make a signal the person shouldn’t get passed to.

TIP! Practice using different types of defenses. Most of the game is played in zone, but your opponent may try to switch things up to do man-to-man coverage.

Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. 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. When you are in position, you must secure your spot. Practicing your footwork is important to master these skills.

TIP! One of the keys to becoming a great basketball player is developing core muscles. Hips, abdomen and back must be worked on.

Proper handling of the ball requires that your fingers be spread apart. You are more likely to hold onto the ball this way. Try to keep your palm off of the ball as well. Fingers need to be the only thing that touches the ball when you shoot it or pass it.

TIP! Quick and solid footwork is what it takes to make the shot when your posting up. There are two important points you must remember.

Basketball players must be fast. To get an advantage over an opposing player, you must have the quickest reactions. It takes steady drilling to play fast. Just don’t play any faster than you’re able to. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and lots of turnovers.

TIP! If the opposing team is breathing down your neck, it’s a good idea to pass the ball between your legs. Bounce the ball very hard through your legs while stepping to the front or the back.

When you are passing the ball, get used to looking in the other direction. This throws your opponents off. If you do this fake the right way, then the receiver of the pass should have an advantage and a great look at the goal. It’s a great play if done properly.

TIP! If you want to make the most of your layup, push up from the foot that is opposite the hand you will shoot from. If you normally shoot using your right hand, jump with your left.

When you dribble, keep your knees comfortably bent. When you are rigid, the ball is not only hard to control, it is also an easier target for a rival to steal. Bending your knees slightly will enable you to control the ball more efficiently.

TIP! To get a rebound of a free throw that one of your teammates is taking, you need to be sly with your feet. You’ll have a defender coming at you and this means you have to figure out what can be done to get around them.

To make your three-point shot better, practice it from the minimum NBA approved distance. The line in every other league is closer. Nailing shots from the NBA line can really help improve your overall shooting skills.

TIP! Dribble with force to prevent the ball from being stolen. The ball bounces faster, giving the guard less time to steal.

Try practicing your dribbling while switching the momentum of your body from side to side. This will happen during games frequently. You may have an open court, by you’re just as likely to be swarmed by multiple opponents. You must dribble while you make your body lean in various directions. In this way, you can escape all kinds of difficult situations.

TIP! To help make the offense flow better it is a good idea to alter the pace. As you approach the goal, plant your foot and then straighten up.

Use the hand you’re not dribbling with to create a barrier between the ball and the opponent. You can’t push on your opponent, but you should use your non-dribbling arm to protect the ball. Keep your other arm up slightly while you dribble.

TIP! Be certain to practice moves off the court that will truly help you on the court. Distance running will help with stamina and sprinting can help with individual plays.

Be sure that off-court exercises are proper for playing on-court. You can run longer distances to build up stamina. To build speed, try doing wind sprints. Both are necessary for playing good ball. Lift weights to build your power. This is also good for making you much more relaxed while you’re shooting the ball.

TIP! Part of being a great basketball player is knowing when it is time to give the ball to someone else. Instead of hogging the ball and losing the game when you fail to make the shot, be a team player and pass it off to the player who has the better chance to make the winning shot.

If you’re serious about your game, you should take your diet seriously. To play with great frequency, you will need a large amount of carbs combined with a bit of fat and protein. You should try to include more wheat bread, chicken, nuts and peanut butter into your diet. Stay away from salt and sugar.

TIP! One important element in basketball is passing. Passing causes confusion among your opponents.

Be careful not to double-dribble. If you start, stop and then begin again, that is double dribbling. After you stop dribbling, your only options are to shoot or pass. It is against the rules to recommence dribbling. If you do, it’s called a turnover and your opponent will be given the ball.

TIP! Learning to pivot is important when playing basketball. 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.

As you hit the ground after catching a rebound, improve your balance by spreading your legs wider than your shoulder span as you land. Keep your elbows out to protect the ball and keep it close to your chest. Keep your elbows under control so you don’t cause a foul by hitting someone.

TIP! Arguing with referees is never a good idea. You might not agree with their calls, and you can ask them a question if you wish.

Now that you’ve finished this article, you can get out there and practice. You need to practice a lot and believe in yourself. Keep all of the good advice you encounter in mind so that you can make it clear that you are very talented.