TIP! Learn what a crossover is and how to do it. In a crossover, you transfer the basketball from hand to hand.

Basketball is a wonderful sport that fits every gender type. People of every race, age, and sex can enjoy the fun and excitement of a basketball game. Impress your friends by showing off your moves you learned. What new moves, you ask? Read on to find some great tips that will help you get in the game.

TIP! Know your strengths and they’ll help you become a better player. You can contribute to the team by consolidating your best skills, even if these skills do not make you one of the star players.

Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Defense is what wins basketball games. Offense gets more attention, but the team is going to lose without a strong defense.

TIP! Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. Training your body is important, but you also have to be mentally ready for the shot.

You must become knowledgeable about hitting a free-throw shot. This is one of those shots that seem easy but in real life are difficult. When practicing your free throw, concentrate on where you want the ball to go when it leaves your hands. To start off, hold the ball in front of you. Keep looking towards the goal and think about the ball getting into that goal. Shoot on the same path you saw in your mind’s eye.

TIP! Be sure to watch professional games to learn some great tips and tricks to improve your game. Attend as many professional games as you can, watch the pros on TV, or watch video of professionals.

If you typically handle the ball a lot, it pays to learn the crossover. Moving the ball from hand to hand is a crossover. Speed determines the success of the crossover move. Once you’ve learned how to use it, the crossover dribble makes it easy to navigate the court in a more effective way.

TIP! It is best to take a break if you sustain an injury while playing. It’s a challenging sport that’s very physical, and you have the ability to get injured.

Tricking the other team is a good way to win a game. Consider the back pass. Hold the ball in your strong hand to start the pass. Pull it behind you. Quickly flick with your wrist in the direction you want to pass the ball. This is a very useful trick to confuse the opposing team.

Core Muscles

TIP! During your workouts, concentrate on improving your footwork as well as your core strength. Your body will maintain balance and move more quickly when your core muscles are strong.

Your child should work on their core muscles if they want to become a basketball player in high school. These core muscles for basketball include your lower back, hips and abs. The core is the muscle group that links the arms and legs together. If their core strength is poor, then so will their athletic performance be. Having a strong base allows the player a solid position from which to jump and accelerate during the game to help speed up their movements.

TIP! Always know where your feet are and what they are doing. You want to make sure you don’t step over the bounds by even a teeny bit.

Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? You may have a certain skill that you have perfected. You may be quick with your footwork or are always there for backing them up. Find out what others think your natural abilities are, and be certain to keep developing those skills.

TIP! To become a reliable free throw shooter, always go through the same routine before each shot. Always dribble the same way, or with the same movements.

Never turn away from the ball so that you can always be prepared for what’s coming. This helps keep you aware of the action, and it takes away the surprise factor. Also, watch for areas to open up so you can make an easy basket.

TIP! Work on passing through your legs to add another skill to your arsenal. Try practicing this by bouncing your ball hard in between your legs while stepping forward or backward.

When exercising, concentrate on building up core strength and improving your footwork. Your body will naturally balance well if you have strong core muscles. Don’t forget to also work out muscles in your back, buttocks, abdomen and hips. Your speed and footwork can be improved by jumping rope.

TIP! Make sure your vision is good. This will prepare you for unexpected passes and help you evade defenders.

Watch your own recorded games, and look for weak areas. Did you spot something that could be improved? Appraise your performance honestly but don’t be overly harsh with yourself. Sometimes you think of yourself as something you are not.

TIP! To keep your opponent on their toes, keep your dribbling steady and regular, then surprise them. You can surprise the opponent by changing up your dribbling.

If you are being heavily guarded, a pass between your legs might help. Step forward and back while dribbling the ball between your legs hard. If you can master this move, it will give you quite the advantage when you are on the court.

TIP! Diet is essential when it comes to playing ball. If you play all the time, you need to eat carbs on a regular basis.

Dribbling hard helps you protect the ball. This speeds up the dribbling cycle, which means the person covering you has less of a chance to steal the ball each cycle. If you are being closely guarded, then halt your dribbling and quickly pass the ball to a teammate who is open.

TIP! It is necessary for you to change the path of your opponent. With practice, you can learn how to control the path of others players with your footwork.

Now you can cruise to the court in confidence with the backing of your new-found skills. You could potentially have learned a few great techniques that your friends have never heard of. Just keep the game fun. No matter what, being a winner is always fun.