We all know it takes a lot of practice and dedication to become a basketball star. Even if you just play for fun, you want to be good right? This article is sure to offer you advice on how you can improve your game.

TIP! When learning the game of basketball, it’s easy to get caught up in offensive play. But you should also give plenty of attention to defense.

If you want to improve your basketball game, you must identify and intensify your strengths. Your strengths might not make you a star player, but you’ll be contributing a lot to your team. Understand your strengths and use it to your advantage to help your team win!

Good footwork is important when you’re posting up in the paint. You do, of course, need to be near the basket, but finding the right spot without getting blocked is essential. Once you’ve reached a good spot, you need to secure it. Strong footwork skills help to build both types of skills.

TIP! You need to learn the correct way to dribble the ball. Avoid using your palm while dribbling.

Ask fellow team members what they like about your skills on the court. They will probably notice the things you do best. Perhaps they see you as someone who is fast on the court, or that you’re a really good teammate. Find out what your strong points are in the eyes of others. This way you can develop your most valuable skills.

Practice looking in a different direction when you pass. This trick can be used successfully to confuse defenders. Not only will they not see the pass coming, they may think a pass is going in the opposite direction. It can be a really powerful play.

TIP! It is important that you practice layups. A huge percentage of successful shots are layups.

You must disrupt your opponent’s game when you’re playing defense. Make them uncomfortable. Make assertive moves, keeping your opponent unsure of your next move. Never allow them to decide what plays will be made. If don’t play aggressively, you opponent will run you down. You make the moves, which helps shift the momentum.

Sly feet will help you get the rebound of your team mates free throw. The defender in your path will be moving at you, so be sure you’re thinking of how to get past that defender. This helps you avoid the foul call and also grab the rebound.

TIP! If you have a child who has expressed interest in becoming a basketball player in high school, make sure he trains his core muscles. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles.

Stay low when playing defense. This allows you to jump or react quicker. Remain in a correct defensive pose always. You may have to break your stance if you must block a shot, but return as fast as you can.

Only cease dribbling when you are prepared to shoot or pass. If you stop dribbling, then you don’t really have that many options. If you cannot pass or shoot, you can only pivot with your back foot. If you cannot shoot or pass the ball, you are in danger of getting the ball taken away from you.

TIP! When exercising, concentrate on building up core strength and improving your footwork. If the core muscles are in good shape, you will feel lighter on your feet.

When dribbling, use your other arm to create a wall between you and your opponent. It’s a foul to push your opponents, but using your arm as a barrier is allowed and will help you to secure the ball. Keep it slightly up when you dribble with your opposite hand.

Be sure you’re doing the right kinds of exercises off the court to help you on it. For example, you can improve individual plays with sprinting. You can improve overall game performance and endurance with long distance running. Build up your core muscles and the strength in your forearms. The confidence and aggression that result also help you more than anything when shooting.

TIP! Speed is everything in the sport of basketball. Try playing faster than the opponents for a better advantage.

To keep your opponent on their toes, keep your dribbling steady and regular, then surprise them. Changing your pace quickly can take the other player by surprise and give you an advantage. In addition to the tempo change, the louder sound of your dribbling can catch them off guard as well.

If a shooter is located at a corner, their missed attempt is likely to waft to the opposite side. Place yourself in position after this shot is made. You can get more rebounds by anticipating the ball trajectory.

TIP! If you don’t want someone to steal the ball, dribble hard. A hard dribble returns the ball back to you faster, leaving less chance of it being snatched by the other team.

Be careful not to double-dribble. A double dribble occurs when you’re done dribbling one time and then begin to do it again a little while afterwards. After you stop dribbling, your only options are to shoot or pass. You can’t just start dribbling again. This will lead to you having to turnover the ball to the opposing team.

Be sure you understand how important good passing is. Passing is a good way to misdirect your opponent. Good passing shows teamwork, a vital attribute of almost all successful basketball teams. You’ll always be able to show off your abilities. In the meantime, do everything you can to help your team get an edge on the competition.

TIP! Playing basketball well means developing good court “eyesight.” This will help you to secure the ball during the game.

All great basketball players must master pivoting. It is necessary to refine your footwork so that you an pivot successfully on a moment’s notice. Work on having a good pivoting stance and after that work on doing quick reactions after getting the ball.

Now that you are done reading this article, it’s time to put these tips into practice. You will soon become a better player if you apply the tips you just read in this article. That three step plan will see you to success.