TIP! It is tempting to concentrate just on offense when just staring out, but defensive practice is absolutely vital. Many times, defense actually wins the game.

Basketball is something that can be played by men or women. Almost anyone can get in the game if they want to. Develop your skills and share with your friends and teammates how much you have improved. Which ones? This article will teach you some great new moves!

TIP! When dribbling the basketball you should keep your head up. Anyone who watching the ball while they dribble surely needs to spend more time in the gym practicing.

Pay attention to what you are good at. You may not be the star player, but by contributing the best way you can you will win more games. Know your strengths and practice them until you have perfected them.

TIP! If you have the ball a lot, learn to execute a crossover. Crossovers involve sending the basketball from one of your hands over to the other one.

Practice the skill of pass catching. During practice you should come up with drills where you perfect catching bad passes along with the good ones. During a game, not all of your passes will hit the mark. Being able to get imperfect passes will limit turnovers.

TIP! Balance is important when shooting. Sometimes you’ll see professional players fall out of bounds while making a shot from afar, but this doesn’t work at all times.

Try playing basketball games alone before and during the season. You may not always be able to find someone to play with you. Don’t worry! In solo games, you can accomplish quite a bit. Whether focusing on foul shots or how to pivot with the ball, you can look for ways to improve. You can always work on something.

Core Muscles

TIP! Practice your passes and catches frequently. When you practice, drill yourself to pay attention to errant throws and passes that are picture perfect.

If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. This is the hip area, the lower back, and the abs. Without a strong core, a player’s performance may not be as good as it could be. When your core muscles are strong, you become a more powerful force on the court. This means greater speed and higher jumping skills.

TIP! You may have better luck honing your passing skills if you forgo dribbling during practice. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it will ensure the accuracy of your team’s passes.

Have other players give you information about what they think are your strengths and weaknesses. Find out what they perceive as your best skill. Continue to develop the skills that play into your natural abilities. You can learn a lot about your skills by knowing how others see you on the court.

TIP! If posting up is what you’re doing, you have to have good footwork to get open for a shot. There are two important points you must remember.

Pay close attention to your shoulders if you’ve suddenly developed a shooting slump. 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 square towards the basket. The shoulder that is dominant should be perfectly aligned with the hoop rim.

TIP! You can improve your control of the ball by spreading your fingers. This keeps it under control.

Watch tapes of yourself playing basketball to get a more objective perspective. You should be able to see what you missed or can do better. It is important that your assessment is an honest one, but isn’t overly critical. The reality of your play is often very different from your perception.

Free Throw

TIP! When you work out, try focusing on building core strength and bettering your footwork. With a stronger core, you’ll be able to balance better.

A routine can enable your free throw percentage to rise. If you’re not consistent you’ll find yourself missing free throws. Repetition is an excellent way to improve your ability to make each free throw. Stick with a routine until you can perfect it. This will help you develop a routine. If that routine goes off, it will cause you to miss your shot.

TIP! If you aren’t shooting the ball well, you need to concentrate on your shoulders. When they are out of alignment, all shots will fail.

A good way to develop ball handling skills is to make your forearms and hands stronger. Wrist curls can be effective at helping you to control the ball as if you’ll be dribbling in your sleep. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can stay stationary, catch all the ball, and shoot them from that same location. You have to get the ball around, too.

TIP! Always know where your feet are and what they are doing. If you fall on a baseline, you will be out of bounds.

Make sure your vision is good. This isn’t just for reading the score, but for catching passes and making shots. Having excellent peripheral vision is vital to do well in this game. Tunnel vision makes it difficult to play effectively, so try to view the entire court and all players.

TIP! If the opposing team is breathing down your neck, it’s a good idea to pass the ball between your legs. Refine this skill by bouncing a ball with force between the legs while stepping backwards or forwards.

Make sure that the pace changes when you are on defense. As you approach the goal, plant your foot and then straighten up. Your guard will do the same, thinking you plan to stop. Push forward and blast by them.

TIP! Try to get the basketball from one side of the court to the other in about five dribbles. This can seem impossible, but if you do it, you’ll get incredible speed and length.

Always bend the knees while dribbling. Standing straight will make you see that it’s harder to handle and easier for the opposing players to take. Just bending a little bit at your knees can really help you to control the ball better.

TIP! You should practice your dribbling while switching your balance from right to left. During game time, you’ll find yourself dribbling from all sorts of positions.

Improve your shooting skills by taking hundreds of different shots from all angles and distances. For even better results, practice the run-up to your shot in addition to the actual shot. Look at the target when you’re airborne and not a moment before. You can improve your accuracy to help you when the game is live.

TIP! Whether you keep possession of the ball or not is based in your position just before and right after a rebound. Use both feet to jump with power and balance, and use both hands to grab the ball.

Work on taking shots from various on-court locations. Initially, you need to practice both your grip and your balance. Shooting when off-balance isn’t impossible, but it isn’t effective either. You can use the valve to find your perfect grip. Spread out your fingers, and center the valve in your hand.

TIP! Control your nerves. Stay focused on the net.

If basketball is something you wish to pursue seriously, your diet should reflect that. When you play regularly, you need plenty of carbs for more energy, along with protein and fats. One way to keep your body in basketball shape is to incorporated grains and proteins into your diet. Stay away from salt and sugar as much as possible.

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You can now be confident in your ability to play basketball. You are now in possession of some of the best kept secrets of basketball. Don’t forget, the game should always be fun or it’s not worth playing. Either way, it’s exciting to win.