Basketball is a wildly popular sport. There is nothing like the thrill of rooting for your favorite team in the championship, scoring your own goal, or discussing basketball. Nearly everyone that plays wishes to become a great player and win the game. Here are some great tips on how to take your game to an all new level and to score some winning points.

TIP! Find out how to make free throw shots. That’s a shot that appears simple but is actually difficult in reality.

Start out with proper balance before attempting to take a shot. Everyone has watched a pro player drift out of bounds while still making their shot, but this isn’t something to emulate. This kind of improvisation is the result of years of practice and loads of ability. By focusing on balance in your shot, you will develop the consistency needed to be a great scorer.

Your mind plays as big a part in making a free throw as your actual body does. Training your body is important, but you also have to be mentally ready for the shot. You are more likely to make more successful free throws if you relax and focus on the basket.

TIP! If you typically handle the ball a lot, it pays to learn the crossover. When you do a crossover, you move the basketball very fast from one hand over to the other hand.

In order to help you improve your basketball acumen you should watch how the pros play. Try to go to games, watch televised games, or check out videos of the pros playing. Every truly great player has unique skills that you can learn from.

Would you like to pull one over on your opponents? The back pass is perfect for this. To do a back pass, begin by grasping the basketball using your dominant hand. The next step is to draw the ball behind you. Lastly, flick the wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. Doing this will trick your opponent.

TIP! Shake things up rather than focusing solely on a zone defense. Most of the game is played in zone, but your opponent may try to switch things up to do man-to-man coverage.

Keep your skills sharp in the off-season by playing different challenging games. These skills all help with muscle memory so you know just what to do when you’re playing in a game. This is just fine. You are able to do a lot with solo games. You can practice many different techniques, such as your free throw routine. You don’t need other players to work on your skills.

Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? Are you skilled at something? Perhaps you have good dribbling skills or maybe your footwork is enviable. Improve the skills where you tend to be a bit weaker while maintaining your stronger skills.

TIP! Play basketball games with yourself during the season and before it. You may not always be able to find someone to play with you.

As you now know, there exist many methods to which you can up your game. It is important to understand the fundamentals of the game if you plan on being a great player. Practice skills, run drills and play whenever you get the chance. Take what you have learned here to make the most out of your next basketball game.