TIP! Shooting has much to do with proper 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.

Basketball has always been a loved sport, and so while the game is a competition, it is also fun. If you wish to learn how to play your best basketball, you should practice often. Be sure to attend carefully to this article to gain valuable knowledge.

TIP! Even professional basketball players spend a lot of time watching other people play basketball. Go to a bunch of professional games in person, watch them on television, or just get online to search for basketball videos.

If you want to be a jump shooter, avoid pumping iron excessively. Muscle is good, but you can have too much. There have been instances where great shooters bulk up so much that it adversely affects their shooting percentage.

Free Throws

TIP! Ask teammates what they admire about your playing skills? What are your your best skill areas? You might be quick, or you might always be around to support them. Find out how your game appears to others and develop your skills accordingly.

Perform skills, practice your ball handling and shoot free throws when you are practicing alone. Basketball is a multiple player sport, but other people won’t always be around. That is okay. You can accomplish a lot by practicing alone. Work on your pivot moves or practice your free throws. Many things can be practiced.

TIP! Learn how to dribble and pass between your legs in case you are being guarded very tightly. Bounce the ball very hard through your legs while stepping to the front or the back.

Hand signals can help you to stay away from making bad passes. One thing that can frustrate you when playing basketball is to try and pass while a player is trying to run to the basket. Using signals helps communicate passes with your team. If you don’t see a signal, you shouldn’t pass the ball.

TIP! Practice passing while looking another way. This may confuse your opponents, greatly.

The key to ball control is to spread your fingers out. This gives you better control of the ball. Avoid putting your palm on the ball, too. Only your fingers should touch it during a pass or when dribbling.

TIP! In order to play defense successfully, you must be able to disrupt the game of your opponent. Force them out of their comfort zone.

When exercising, concentrate on building up core strength and improving your footwork. With a stronger core, you’ll be able to balance better. Exercise your abdominal muscles as well as those of the hips, buttocks and back. Similar to boxers, jump rope to help increase speed and better your footwork.

TIP! Your forearms and hands should be strengthened if you wish to handle the ball better. Do some wrist curls as much as possible and your dribbling should get better.

To gain greater dribbling skill, always practice with the weaker hand as well as the more dominant one. Being ambidextrous on the court makes it more difficult for defenders to figure out what you will do next. You can actually force yourself to utilize your weak hand by tying your other hand behind you. Your dribbling skills will improve with your weaker hand.

TIP! Dribble hard if you don’t want the ball taken from you. This makes the ball come back to you faster so the people on defense aren’t able to steal it as easily.

You need to work on your forearms and your hands to handle the ball more efficiently. Wrist curls are especially effective at making you better able to handle a basketball like you could dribble sleepwalking. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can stay stationary, catch all the ball, and shoot them from that same location. The best way to get into the flow of the game is to be in motion.

TIP! You need to take charge when the opportunity presents itself. Turnovers are an important part of the game that can end up giving your team the upper hand.

Keep your knees loose when you dribble the ball. Standing straight makes it hard to control the ball. Bending your knees slightly will enable you to control the ball more efficiently.

TIP! You can use your guards and point guard to trap an opponent with a 2-3 zone defense. Then they should run to the point guard and trap him.

Practice shooting hundreds of shots during each training, and you quickly improve shooting skills. If you wish to get even better at this, try dribbling and then stopping to make a quick shot. Avoid looking at your target until you are in the air. This will help improve your accuracy during a game.

Stop Dribbling

TIP! You should make sure when practicing dribbling that you shift from one hand to the other. In the middle of a game, lots of dribbling situations will arise.

Only stop dribbling if you want to shoot or pass. When you stop dribbling, then you limit your options. Your only option, besides shooting or passing, is to use your back foot to pivot. If you cannot shoot or pass the ball, you are in danger of getting the ball taken away from you.

TIP! Be sure you do the sort of off-court exercises that help you during games. Running for short quick bursts at a time will help you become quicker, and running long distance can help with stamina.

If it is possible, keep all action below the knee. This prevents your opponents from stealing the ball. You need to bend a bit more for this to succeed, but you will be able to traverse the court rapidly while keeping opponents at bay.

If a shooter is located at a corner, their missed attempt is likely to waft to the opposite side. Anticipate where the ball lands and grab the rebound.

TIP! Double dribbling is a huge no-no. That happens when you stop one time, and start again in a few seconds.

As you come down from catching a rebound, land with your legs spread wider than the span of your shoulders to increase your balance. Keep the ball to your chest and hold it with two hands. Take care with elbows, since it is a foul if you strike someone on the opposing team.

TIP! A dribble that penetrates is key to overcoming a team that is concentrating on a zone defense. Breaking through your opponents defenses and getting into the paint will cause your opponent to change what they’re doing.

Force your opponent to use his weaker hand. If they’re right handed, step into them using your left foot; this will force them to switch sides. Keep your head parallel to their chest, and you will stay low and primed to snatch the ball.

TIP! Recognize the bad aspects of your game. And that starts with being honest about your skills.

When you’ve got the ball, you must know when to take a shot, and then when you should pass it to another player who’s got a better shot. It’s best to be a winning team, than someone that lost the game.

TIP! When doing a workout routine, write down what you need to accomplish. There are lots of players who enter the gym without a plan.

Follow the path of the ball once it has left the hands of your teammate or the opposing player. You cannot win a basketball game without rebounds. If won’t matter that you’re a great defender who causes the opponent to miss a shot if you can’t get back the ball.

TIP! Focus on having efficient footwork out on the court. Always know the best ways to move depending on where you are on the court.

With the right tips used when playing, the game will become more fun and simpler. Search out more resources like videos, blogs and sports columns to get all the information you can find to improve your play. Obtain all that advice you can to better your game.