TIP! Always keep your head up when dribbling instead of focusing on the ball. If you have to keep your eye on the ball when you’re dribbling, practice can remedy that.

Basketball is played by people of all ages. It is a game that can be played in the neighborhood and even on your driveway. Learn more about the game to enjoy it as much as possible.

TIP! Watch professionals play to learn from their techniques. It is important that you see how other people play the game.

It is important to focus on both offense and defense when learning to play basketball. Basketball games are often won by great defensive play. Offense receives all the glory, but it is nothing without the best defense.

TIP! Interested in tricking your opponents? Try doing what is known as a back pass. To work it, place the ball in your most dominant hand.

Free throw practice is vitally important. This looks easy, but it is actually very hard to do. Practice this technique regularly. To start off, hold the ball in front of you. Then, look at the ball and visualize it going in the basket. Shoot the ball how you imagine it going in.

TIP! Use hand signals to avoid errant passes. You can become easily frustrated when a teammate does a poor job of anticipating your next passing move.

You must have good balance to shoot well. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. You need the right balance to shoot; it is the only way to eventually make consistent baskets.

TIP! Don’t play when you are injured! This is an aggressive sport, and injuries happen often. Trying to tough it out and keep playing, even if you are experiencing discomfort, can exacerbate an injury even more.

Would you like to learn how to fool your opponent? Consider the back pass. To do this pass, hold on to the ball with your dominant hand. With that same hand, bring the ball around your back. Then do a wrist flick in the same direction that you want the ball to end up. This should trick the opposing team.

TIP! Have other players give you information about what they think are your strengths and weaknesses. You may have a certain skill that you have perfected.

If you get hurt during a basketball game, don’t try to play while in pain. You can easily tear a muscle or even break a finger while playing. If you keep playing when you are injured, you could end up with an injury which keeps you from ever playing again. Seek medical advice immediately if you have more than a minor muscle strain.

TIP! A smart tip to follow while playing basketball is to always keep your eye on the ball and not away from the play. You must always be prepared to receive a pass and you need to know where players are on the court.

Ask your fellow teammates if they have an opinion of your skills in the game. Are you really good at any one thing? It may be that you are quick on your feet or that you are always there to back them up. Learn what other’s see as your natural skills and make sure to keep and develop those skills more fully.

TIP! Have someone record the games you play so that you can watch it to check out your form. Are you able to look at your skills in a different light? Appraise your performance honestly but don’t be overly harsh with yourself.

Focus on your footwork and your core strength in your workouts. With strong core muscles, you will have better balance. Focus on your hip, abdomen, and back muscles. Just like boxers, you can improve your footwork and speed by jumping rope.

TIP! Having a pre-free-throw shot routine will help you become dependable at free throws. This could mean two dribbles before taking your free throw, bending your knees, or some other thing you do to get into a rhythm before shooting.

If you are shooting as well, pay attention to the position of your shoulders. If you have bad shoulder position it doesn’t matter how great you are the shot isn’t going to go in. Your shoulders should always be squared towards the hoop. The dominant shoulder needs to be lined up with the rim.

TIP! Between the leg passes are usually helpful when another team’s players are riding you hard. Refine this skill by bouncing a ball with force between the legs while stepping backwards or forwards.

If your opponent is pressing hard, you can give yourself some room to work by dribbling the ball between your legs. Practice bouncing the basketball forcefully between your legs while stepping forwards and backwards. When you get this move down, you will have an advantage.

TIP! To help you shoot better free throws you need to come up with a consistent routine. Failure to use consistency may make your shots less accurate.

The trick to grabbing a rebound on a teammate’s missed free-throw is to plan your footwork in advance. The person defending the position down-court from you will be coming at you, so you need to find any way you can to slide around him that gets you to the ball. You won’t foul as you catch the rebound this way.

TIP! Dribble hard if you don’t want the ball taken from you. The harder you dribble, the faster the ball will return to the cup of you hand.

Take a charge if you can. The charge lets you build a defensive stop and get control of the ball. This does great harm to an opponent’s psyche, and is a truly powerful play.

TIP! Be certain you are able to see well. This isn’t just for reading the score, but for catching passes and making shots.

Never break your defensive stance as this will assure you are in your proper position for defense. Shifting your weight back and forth between your feet will help you to stay in position. Never cross your feet and your opponents will find you a difficult player.

TIP! If you play basketball, you should incorporate strength training into your workout routine. Strength, flexibility and stamina are all important things to have in basketball.

Work on your 3 point shot by shooting from the established NBA distance. All other distance lines, high school, college and International, are not as far. By practicing at the NBA line, you will be used to getting a look a little further than what most defenses will cover.

TIP! To make your three-point shot better, practice it from the minimum NBA approved distance. The standard line and college lines are much closer.

Keep on dribbling until your shot or passing opportunity is imminent. After dribbling is stopped, your choices are very limited. If you choose against passing or shooting, you are stuck pivoting in place. This makes you open up to people that want to double team you and that means you are also more likely to get the ball stolen.

TIP! Try using your non-dribbling hand like a barrier between the ball and your opponent. However, you’re not actually going to push with this hand; instead, you’re going to separate yourself using this hand.

Stay low and dribble the ball below the level of your knees. Doing this makes it more difficult for members of the opposing team to steal the ball from you. This also allows you to cover large distances across the court, which makes it difficult for opposing players o block you.

TIP! If you want to perform your best in basketball, you need to eat well. Carbs, fats and proteins all keep your energy levels at the right place.

Foster a positive relationship with your team members regardless of whether you are playing or practicing. When your team is of one accord, your game will be the best possible. If you know everyone on your team inside and out and you can trust each other completely, your game will improve exponentially.

TIP! When coming down from a rebound catch, try to land and spread your legs wider than your shoulder span to better your balance. Put one hand on each side of the basketball, and hold it against your chest.

After catching a ball that has rebounded, land on your feet, spreading legs wider than your shoulders in order to get greater balance. Keep the hands on both sides of the ball, and make sure it stays close to the chest. Always keep your elbows in check because an errant elbow can cost you a foul if an opposing player is hit with it.

TIP! Passing should be an integral part of your game. Good passing throws the other team off.

No matter what kind of basketball game you are playing, be it one-on-one, H.O.R.S.E. or something else, learning about how to become better will make you better. Follow the advice presented here to become the best basketball player you can. You’ll be a better players when you know all about the sport.