Basketball is played by people of all ages. You can play at the park or even at your own home. When you love basketball, use this article to learn as much as you can.

TIP! It’s simple to want to work on offense when you’re getting into basketball, but it’s smarter to think about defense practice too. You can win a game, thanks to good defense.

To get better in your basketball game, focus on your strengths. Your team will benefit more if you stop trying to be the star of the game and work your best. Learn what your strengths are, then practice to perfection!

Free Throws

TIP! In order to be a great shooter, good balance is key. You’ve seen the pros fall out-of-bounds and shoot a basket up to 300 feet away, however, this isn’t proper technique.

Free throws are as mental as physical. Without a strong mindset, your body simply goes through the motions to take the shot. Stay focused and vigilant to improve your ability to make free throws.

If your son or daughter wants to play high school basketball, they need to work on core muscle training. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles. The core connects the lower extremities to the upper extremities. Without a strong core, your performance may be limited. Building a solid core helps maintain the leg strength that lies at the core of a strong game.

TIP! To get better in your basketball game, focus on your strengths. Your talent might not make you a star; however, learning your strengths will help you become a better team player.

If you get hurt during a basketball game, don’t try to play while in pain. Basketball is very challenging physically, and this can cause further serious injury. If you try to keep playing, you can hurt yourself worse. Don’t hesitate to see the doctor if you feel the injury warrants it.

Talk to your teammates and find out what they like about your game. Are you skilled at something? It may be that you are quick on your feet or that you are always there to back them up. See what others view as your own natural skills, then be sure you retain and develop them more.

TIP! Be sure to get lots of practice on layups. Four out of every five shots taken in a given game will be layups.

To properly handle the ball, you have to spread your fingers out. This can help you avoid losing it when you hold it. Keep your palm off the ball too. When you’re shooting or passing, the only place the ball should touch your hand is on your fingers.

Quickness is something that’s desired in basketball. If you want the advantage, you need to be quicker than your opponents. To speed up the pace of your play, you need to keep practicing. Do not play beyond you capabilities, however. It’s easy to lose control when you play fast.

TIP! In order to help you improve your basketball acumen you should watch how the pros play. Watch some games on TV, view videos of professional games, and go to some games.

If you need some help seeing where you need work, try to get a friend or relative to record your games. Can you see where you can improve your form? Are there things you might have done differently? Be honest when assessing, but avoid being overly critical. Sometimes you think of yourself as something you are not.

Practice passing while looking in other directions. This trick can be used successfully to confuse defenders. If you’re doing it correctly you can fake your opponent out so he/she moves towards that direction and then you pass the ball to a wide open teammate for a shot. If this is pulled off, then it usually has good results.

TIP! Remember to practice a lot of different possibilities so that you will not limit your game. While you might see a zone defense mostly, a team can switch defenses to man-to-man quickly in order to confuse you.

No matter if you like to watch the game or play it, learn all you can. Now that you’ve read this information, take it to the next level by putting what you’ve learned into practice. The more you know, the better player you’ll be.