TIP! Dribbling the ball the right way needs to be done. Use fingertips to dribble.

Countless individuals love the sport of basketball. It’s easy to just go down to the park and play a game if you’d like, or you can make it a career if you start early enough. Keep reading to learn how to become a better player.

TIP! If you want to excel, you have to play to your strengths. While you may have a particular skill that isn’t going to make you stand out as the star player, honing it can help you become an integral part of your team’s success.

Find out how to make free throw shots. This kind of shot seems easy, but it really is not. Put this technique into practice as often as you can. Begin by bringing the ball up to eye level. Eye the basket and imagine the ball swishing down into it. Then repeat that when you take the shot.

TIP! 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.

When dribbling, your head must be up, and you need to look forward. If you have to ever look at the ball while dribbling, then you haven’t practiced that enough. Take the basketball to all the places that you go. Dribble as you walk to the market. Maintaining unbroken visual contact with the ball makes it difficult to be aware of your surroundings.

TIP! Work on catching passes frequently. Try to catch all of the passes that are thrown to you.

Successful free throwing requires as much mental skill as it does physical skill. Your body can be trained to make free throws, but your mind has to be focused on success if you want to make the basket. Relax and concentrate on your basket to increase your free throws.

TIP! Don’t spend all your time practicing how to confront a zone defense. A lot of the game is sure to be played in the zone, but your opponent could change to man-to-man coverage.

Do not practice solely against zone defense. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion. If your practice did not include this, you can quickly lose control of the game.

TIP! Practice basketball in season and out of season. Even if you can’t get a bunch of people together to play, you can still practice on your own.

Improve your passing abilities by challenging yourself to perform drills without actually dribbling. Playing without any dribbling is very hard, but builds your passing skills. Do not get frustrated if it it seems difficult at first, over time your team’s passes will become more accurate.

TIP! Turning away from the ball can be a costly mistake in basketball. Passes and turnovers won’t take you by surprise because you will be more aware of what is happening on the court.

Your fingers should always be spread out when handling the ball. That will ensure that it doesn’t get away from you as you hold it. Don’t let your palm touch the ball either. When passing and shooting the ball toward its target, the sole contact point should be fingers.

TIP! Being able to anticipate your opponent is a key skill. Review videotapes and monitor scouting reports.

Quickness is something that’s desired in basketball. To get an advantage over an opposing player, you must have the quickest reactions. If you want to play the game fast, you need to drill continuously. Don’t try playing fast until you can. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and lots of turnovers.

Free Throw

TIP! Practice noticing what is in your peripheral vision. You don’t need great vision just to keep score.

In order to be more reliable shooting free throws, practice your routine. 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. When you have a steady and consistent routine, your muscles will remember what to do to shoot those free throw shots.

TIP! While you’re dribbling the basketball it is wise to bend your knees. Standing straight will make you see that it’s harder to handle and easier for the opposing players to take.

You must have a consistent practice routine if you want to learn to shoot free throws well. When you stay consistent, you get better success. The simplest way to get better at shooting free throws is through constant repetitive motions when shooting the ball. If you alter your routine then chances are the shot will not be good.

TIP! To see improvement in outside shooting skills, you must practice your shots hundreds of times daily from various points on the court. For even better results, practice the run-up to your shot in addition to the actual shot.

You need to constantly disrupt your opponents in order to be a great defensive player. Don’t let them get comfortable. Display aggressiveness in your chosen moves. Don’t let your opponent decide their own plays. This will give your opponent the chance to run over you. Rather, move first; attack their rhythm.

TIP! You should practice your dribbling while switching your balance from right to left. This will help you learn to dribble during all different kinds of situations.

Make it your goal to dribble the ball across the entire court in under 5 dribbles. This seems an impossible feat when you start. By working on this drill regularly you develop speed and great, lengthy strides. This translates to simple layups, fast breaks or just a general increase in your team’s numbers.

TIP! To help ward off your opponent, practice using your other hand to help shield him away from you. You never want to push the opponent with your hand, but it is possible to use your free hand to secure the ball.

Maintain a lower position as you play defense. Doing so improves your reaction time with regards to your opponents’ actions. You always want to have a strong defensive stance on the court. If you need to block the opposing team’s shot, resume your stance as soon as you can.

TIP! Communication with your team mates is crucial to your overall success. Your actions and strategies must not be kept to yourself.

If you wish to shoot on the outside better you should work on shooting hundreds of times every day from a lot of places on the court. Become better and better by practicing your fast dribble then stopping abruptly to make a shot. Make eye contact with the target as you are off the ground, but not a moment sooner. This way, you will be ready for the rapid pace of game play.

TIP! If you know that the person with the ball is weak with one hand, force them to use it. If they’re usually strong with their right hand, step near them using the left foot so that they need to switch sides.

We hope this article has given you the information you need to enjoy basketball to the fullest. Practice often to gain the necessary skills and knowledge needed to play a good game. Begin playing and before you know it, you will be playing every day. You will probably find that playing basketball is a lot of fun.