People of all ages have loved basketball for years. That said, few understand the game enough to play well. People of every skill level can benefit from the tips in this article.

TIP! It’s natural to focus on offensive abilities when practicing the sport of basketball, but your practice time needs to focus on defense. You can win a game, thanks to good defense.

Practice your free throw shot. This looks easy, but it is actually very hard to do. You should practice as often as possible with this technique. Put your weaker hand in front of the ball and center your stronger hand over the air valve in the basketball. Keep looking at the goal while visualizing the basketball going through the hoop. Then shoot the ball with the trajectory that you visualized.

Balance is important when shooting. Falling when you make a shot is not the right way to shoot. They are professionals, and they are able to improvise successfully. You should have proper balance when making your shots, and over time this will lead to consistently making baskets.

TIP! Having a good foundation is key when shooting the ball. Falling when you make a shot is not the right way to shoot.

Be sure to get lots of practice on layups. Almost 80% of shots will be layups. When practicing this technique, run toward the goal and shoot. This running and jumping technique will help you learn how to jump and shoot better during the game.

Better your basketball skills by watching the pros play. Whether seeing an all-pro on YouTube, attending a game in person, or sitting on the couch with buddies to watch your local professional team, there are many chances to observe the best. You are sure to notice the key skills each player has mastered, and from there you can start practicing.

TIP! Practice playing a man-to-man defense and zone defense. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your rivals could opt to go to man-to-man covering to keep you guessing.

Practice your pass catching often. You should practice catching errant passes, along with perfectly executed ones. When the game is going on, every pass isn’t going to make it to its target. You can do the rest of your team a favor by practicing how you can best complete imperfect passes.

Hand signals can help stop you from turning the ball over. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another. A simple hand gesture can let your teammate know you’re ready for the pass. No signal, no pass.

TIP! There are passes that can confuse the other team momentarily. Try the back pass.

Quick and solid footwork is what it takes to make the shot when your posting up. You always want to beat your opponent to the open spot. After grabbing the position, you need to hold the area. These will both require powerful footwork.

What do your teammates admire about your skills? Do you do something really good? It may be that you are quick on your feet or that you are always there to back them up. Determine what others like about your game and fine tune those skills.

TIP! Play games against yourself in and out of season. Basketball is sport played in teams, but there are times when no one is around to play with you.

Passing the ball through your legs is a useful maneuver if the opposing team is right on top of you. You can train for this maneuver by stepping forward or backwards as you bounce the ball real hard in-between your legs. Mastering this technique can give you a significant advantage.

If an opponent charges at you, let him run into you. A charge leads to a turnover by the opposing team and gives you the ball back. This can hurt the other team’s players psychologically and can also be powerful when you’re creating plays.

TIP! To be a good post-up player in the pain, you need to have really good footwork. Being physical under the rim is crucial, but having good positioning on the court is even better.

No one can deny that basketball is loved by many cultures. The secret to both enjoying a good game and playing a good game is personal knowledge. Have these tips in hand to make basketball even more enjoyable for you.