TIP! Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Defense ultimately determines the winner of a game of basketball.

When you set goals to improve your basketball game, the most important thing you can do is practice. However, practice is futile when you’re not doing it correctly to begin with. The tips that follow here are going to allow you to make your goals more often and teach you other things as well.

TIP! Learn how to throw a proper bounce pass. It needs to get to the player at their waist.

You should practice your crossovers a lot. This term refers to switching the hand you use. Speed determines the success of the crossover move. When you do it right, the crossover dribble helps you alter directions and go down the court faster.

TIP! Don’t pump a lot of iron if you wish to become a jump shooter. Although it’s true that strong muscles are beneficial, additional bulk can impede your ability to play effectively along the perimeter.

To be a great basketball player you need to work on your balance. While the all-time greats have shown time and time again how they can shoot while off-kilter, this is not the ideal way to score. Taking a shot when you are off balance will probably lead to a turnover. Keep your balance so you can consistently win points.

TIP! Make sure your fingers are apart from one another when dribbling. This can help you to remain in control of the ball at all times.

A good way to get your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing. Go to a bunch of professional games in person, watch them on television, or just get online to search for basketball videos. You’ll learn that every player is skilled at certain things and that can help you to know what you can do to get better.

Perfect Passes

TIP! Speed is a key attribute in the game of basketball. If you want the advantage, you’ve got more quickly.

Work on pass catches. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. During the course of a game, you can expect there to be many errant passes. Therefore, it pays to practice catching passes that are a bit off-target.

TIP! If you need some help seeing where you need work, try to get a friend or relative to record your games. Did you spot something that could be improved? Do not waste time criticizing yourself.

If your son or daughter wants to play high school basketball, they need to work on core muscle training. This is the hip area, the lower back, and the abs. A good core leads to a solid foundation and that is required to be very good at basketball. If your core is solid, you will have greater strength in your legs. This helps with fast running and high jumping.

TIP! Having a pre-free-throw shot routine will help you become dependable at free throws. This might mean that you dribble the ball twice, bend your knees, touch your forehead, or any other movement.

If you’re injured when playing basketball, don’t push through the pain. It’s easy to be hurt when playing basketball. Being tough is one thing, but playing through injury can only harm you even further and make the problem much worse. Be sure to talk to a doctor if you feel that the injury isn’t going away.

TIP! You need to take a charge anytime you can. This allows you to get the ball back for your team, setting up a foul.

The key for controlling the ball well is to spread your fingers. This will help you keep a better grip on the ball. Do not allow your palm to come in contact with the ball either. When passing and shooting the ball toward its target, the sole contact point should be fingers.

TIP! You can place your off-hand out in front of you to serve as protection against the defense. You can’t push with that arm, but it can serve as an obstacle that helps keep your opponent from reaching in.

It’s great to be quick in basketball. You need to be faster than the opposing team if you want the advantage. In order to play fast, you must practice drills. Don’t try playing fast until you can. You will not be able to control your moves if you play faster than you are able to.

TIP! Be sure you do the sort of off-court exercises that help you during games. Sprint running can help improve on-court speed, while distance running is sure to boost your stamina.

It matters not how regularly you get to play basketball, because this advice will help each and every time you get the chance to hit the court. Try one tip and see how much your game improves. Better offense and defense is yours when you practice using these ideas.