TIP! When you dribble, look forward, keeping your head up. Anyone who watching the ball while they dribble surely needs to spend more time in the gym practicing.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a great basketball player, you will have seen that it takes a lot of practice and dedication. Even if you’re only playing for enjoyment, you wanna be the best, right? The following tips will help you improve your game.

TIP! Learn to crossover if you get the ball often. A crossover means moving the ball between your hands.

You can easily focus on offense when learning to play basketball, however, you must really focus how playing defense. In the end, it’s defense that consistently wins you games. Offensive skills are usually the most impressive ones but defense is something every team should work on.

TIP! Every great player understands how to properly perform a bounce pass. Bounce passes should not go above or below the receiving players waist.

Make sure that you’re dribbling the ball correctly. Don’t use your palm to dribble. Instead, use your fingertips. This gives you the best ball control. Dribble along the side of the body, not immediately in front of it, and keep the bounce to the waist level or below. Look up and never down at the ground.

TIP! Learn how to block out movement, noise and other distractions when taking a free throw. You may know how to make a free throw but if your focus is off, then you will miss.

Find out how to make free throw shots. This looks easy, but it is actually very hard to do. Use this technique to better your game. First, keep the ball in front of you and at eye level. Look at the basket and imagine the ball going in it. Next, take your shot seeing the ball move in the trajectory you envisaged for it.

Bounce Pass

TIP! Do you want to fool the other team? Make use of the back pass. Hold the ball using your dominant hand.

It is important to know the right way to throw a bounce pass. In order for a bounce pass to be sufficient, the person should receive the ball around their waist. Aim for a firm bounce pass that hits the ground around 3/4 of the distance between you and the intended player. There are many factors which come into play, though.

TIP! If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. The core muscles are the hips, lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles.

Learn how to block out movement, noise and other distractions when taking a free throw. You must be mentally strong to be a consistent free throw shooter. Relax yourself and focus on the hoop.

TIP! Quick and solid footwork is what it takes to make the shot when your posting up. Securing a good location is critical when playing basketball.

Improve your passing abilities by challenging yourself to perform drills without actually dribbling. It is quite challenging to play the game without dribbling, but it does make sure you and your teammates make accurate passes. Don’t get frustrated if it’s hard at first because it will get better over time.

TIP! In order to perfect your layup shooting technique practice, take off with your left foot if you shoot with your right hand and vice versa. Use your left foot when shooting with the right hand.

Watch your shoulders if you obtain a shooting slump. If your shoulders aren’t properly positioned, your shot is not going to go in. To help improve your shot, focus on squaring up on each of your shots. Try to line your dominant shoulder up with the rim.

TIP! Being a successful defensive player means upsetting and disrupting your opponent’s play. Do not allow your opponent to become comfortable with their style, or yours.

Practice dribbling with your weaker hand. If you have two hands that can dribble the ball effortlessly then it becomes easier to get by your opponent. Exercise your non-dominant hand by securing your dominant hand at your side or behind your back. After a while, your weak hand will be able to dribble better.

TIP! When on defense, try to keep yourself low whenever you can. You will become faster and react faster.

You need to constantly disrupt your opponents in order to be a great defensive player. Do not allow your opponent to become comfortable with their style, or yours. Always move aggressively as they try to maneuver around you. Other players should not influence the plays you make. If you let them control the game, you will lose. Force them to act and their rhythm will get disrupted.

TIP! To trap the opposing players in a 2-3 zone, have the defending guards hold back till the opposing point guard has moved beyond the midcourt line by about ten feet. At this point, your guards must rush the point guard thus trapping him.

Altering your own pace is a good way to disrupt the opposition. When running toward the hoop, plant your leading foot and start to straighten up. You will have the guard think that you’re slowing down. In turn, they will straighten themselves. As they do, push forward hard and run by them.

TIP! For your weaker hand, to build skills, use it off-court for as much as you can, from brushing teeth to opening jars. If you can train yourself to be ambidextrous, you will gain complete control of that hand.

Strength and flexibility training can help your skills in basketball. When you play basketball you need a lot of stamina and strength to keep going through the entire game. Even youngsters can strengthen their arms and legs to improve game play. As they age, begin adding weights to their exercise routine. Playing as an adult, it is important that you focus on your stamina for optimal performance.

TIP! Keep your knees loose when you dribble the ball. When you are rigid, the ball is not only hard to control, it is also an easier target for a rival to steal.

To help ward off your opponent, practice using your other hand to help shield him away from you. You can’t push the person guarding you, but you can hold your arm out gently. Just keep it up slightly while dribbling with the other hand.

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

If you want to play better, communicate with your teammates so you know what they intend to do. A good basketball team consists of players who understand that this is not an individual sport. That means offense and defense aren’t one on one. Be there for your teammates is important. You must communicate with your teammates so that you can all play better.

TIP! Try different shots from different places on the basketball court. Practice your grip and balance first.

You need to learn how to change your opponent’s personal path. Whether you are playing offense or defense, it is important to control the moves of your opponent. This enables you to get to the spot that you need to get to without letting your opponents control you.

TIP! For the best balance, make sure you land with your feet spread apart. Clasp your hands around the sides of the ball, and clutch it tightly to your chest.

You will be more balanced when landing after catching a rebound if you will land with legs spaced wider than shoulder-width apart. You want to bring the ball tight into your body with both hands. Take care with elbows, since it is a foul if you strike someone on the opposing team.

TIP! Make sure you leap for a rebound while in control of your body, and try to land with balance, and you are more likely to end up with the ball. Use both feet to jump with power and balance, and use both hands to grab the ball.

Now, it’s time to take action, utilizing the various tips and techniques that have been talked about in this article. As you work on your skills, they will improve bit by bit. These steps will guarantee your improvement.