TIP! Learn how to hit a free throw shot. As easy as these shots may seem, they are rather hard.

Have you imagined you were LeBron James, Michael Jordan or another celeb on the court? Rather than wishing you were great, how about you do your research to become better? Read on to learn what you can do to excel at basketball.

TIP! When you dribble, look forward, keeping your head up. If you have to look at the ball while dribbling, that means you need to practice more.

Correct dribbling is key. Don’t use your palm to dribble, but use your fingertips instead. This allows you to control the ball better. Dribble off to the side waist high. Do not look at the ground; look up at all times.

TIP! Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You must train both your body and your mind.

Teach yourself to throw bounce passes correctly. It needs to get to the player at their waist. A good estimation is to target the ball to bounce at about 3/4 of the distance that the receiving player is. It does depend on a variety of other factors, however.

Perfect Passes

TIP! Don’t limit your practice to just playing against the zone defense. Zone play will be important, but man-to-man will pop up from time to time, too.

Practice your pass catching often. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. During the game, not all passes will go where they’re intended. Help your team by learning to catch those bad passes, as well as those perfect passes.

TIP! If you have a kid that wants to play basketball in high school, ensure they’re training core muscles in the right way. The concept encompasses the abdominal muscles, the hips and the lower back.

Play games against yourself in and out of season. While it’s a team sport, you may not be able to find others that will play. Don’t fret! Solo games also help. Maybe work on those free throws or practice your pivoting. Additionally, you can practice vertical jumping and dribbling.

TIP! To be a good post-up player in the pain, you need to have really good footwork. While physical positioning is important, it is even more essential to move quicker than an opponent.

To keep passes under control, make use of hand signals. It is very frustrating when a teammate isn’t open for the perfect pass. This can be prevented through the use of hand signals. Without a signal, you should not attempt to pass the ball to a player.

TIP! Develop a routine to use every time you shoot a free throw. Focus on your shot and eliminate all outside distractions.

As you perform your fitness routine, make it a point to target your core and your footwork. A strong core allows you to be more balanced during games. You must work out your hip, back and abdomen muscles. Jumping rope is great for improving your footwork and also helping you to gain speed.

TIP! Work on passing through your legs to add another skill to your arsenal. To practice this skill, bounce the ball between your legs so that it passes through as you step back and forth.

If your shooting is suffering, take a close look at your shoulders. If you do not have your shoulders positioned properly, you will not make the shot. Be sure shoulders always remain squared towards your hoop. Your dominant shoulder should also be lined up perfectly with the rim.

Peripheral Vision

TIP! Building strength improves your basketball game. Stamina and physical strength are required for basketball excellence.

Practice noticing what is in your peripheral vision. This will enable you to make good shots as well as catching passes that come your way. You have to build your peripheral vision. By seeing the court well, you can anticipate defensive moves as well as what all your teammates are doing. Good vision is vital to basketball success.

TIP! Remain low when playing defense. This helps you jump fast and react quickly.

Make sure that the pace changes when you are on defense. As you run towards the net, plant your front foot and begin to straighten up. Your opponent will assume you are slowing up, and thus will also straighten up. When they do this, push yourself forward and take the chance to run by them.

Standing Straight

TIP! Keep the lines of communication with other players open. Basketball involves playing on a team.

The first step when dribbling is to bend at your knees instead of standing straight-legged. It makes it much easier to control the ball while dribbling as opposed to standing straight up, which makes controlling the ball much harder. Bending your knees slightly will enable you to control the ball more efficiently.

TIP! If you are a basketball player you should be eating a healthy diet. When you play regularly, you need plenty of carbs for more energy, along with protein and fats.

Practice dribbling as you sway your body from side to side. Games require you to be able to dribble under all types of conditions. While the court may be open at times, this only means you’re likely to get swarmed. Because of this, you must be able to dribble efficiently regardless of your body’s position. This can help you out of jams.

TIP! Passing should be an essential element in your game. Passing can work to confuse opponents.

The position you are in before and after your rebound will determine whether you get to keep the ball or not. Improve your balance a power by using both feet to jump and use both hands to grab the ball. After rebounding, land with wide feet to keep your balance, and clutch the ball to your chest.

TIP! In order to beat a zone defense you must be able to get ball penetration into the lane. If you pass the defender en route to your lane, the opposing team has no choice but to collapse or shift the ball.

If the ball is in your hands, you have to be able to judge whether you should take the shot or make a pass. It’s best to be a winning team, than someone that lost the game.

TIP! When working out, make sure to jot down what you must achieve. There are a lot of people that don’t have a plan when they head to the gym.

Focus on the ball and where it is going. Rebounds are one of the most important parts of the game. It doesn’t matter if you defend an opponent greatly when they shoot and miss if you can’t get the ball once again.

TIP! Never argue with the referees. You may have a problem with the calls that are made, and you can ask the official why.

Now you have some ideas you can use at practice. Keep your practice consistent, and build your own skills and confidence. Show others that you have skills and keep the things that you went over here in mind at all times.