It doesn’t matter if you plan to play basketball or just watch a game, you should have a basic understanding of how the game is played. Are you lost? Never fret. Basketball is so much fun and easy to learn about. Read on for tips which will be a real slam dunk!

TIP! Make sure to dribble properly. You’ll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm.

It’s natural to focus on offensive abilities when practicing the sport of basketball, but your practice time needs to focus on defense. Defense is what keep the other team from scoring. If your team doesn’t have a good defense, you’re not going to make it far in a game.

Learn to crossover if you get the ball often. This technique passes the ball back and forth from the right hand to the left hand. This action most be quick to work out. Once you’ve learned how to use it, the crossover dribble makes it easy to navigate the court in a more effective way.

TIP! Crossing over is a vital skill to have for handling the basketball. This technique passes the ball back and forth from the right hand to the left hand.

Don’t just practice playing against a zone defense. Though much of the game is sure to be played within a zone pattern, the opposition may try to go man-to-man in order to confuse you. This can cause your team to lose momentum to the other side if this isn’t something you’ve practiced.

Never play through an injury on the court. Basketball is physically demanding and you can easily get hurt. You may injure yourself more if you continue to play with an injury. If you have a very serious injury, talk to a doctor.

TIP! Successful free throws require you to be mentally and physically strong. You are able to train your hands and legs to free throw well, but if you think you will fail, you will.

When working out, focus on building your core strength and perfecting your footwork. Your body will be more stable and easier to move when you have strength in your core muscles. Work your ab, back, hip and buttocks muscles. To help get even quicker and have better footwork you can jump rope.

A good basketball player is really quick on his feet. Speed always gives you an edge over your opponent. In order to be fast, you must constantly do drills. However, don’t try to be faster than you’re physically able to be. If you play beyond your speed, the game gets out of control, with errant passes and turnovers.

TIP! Perform skills, practice your ball handling and shoot free throws when you are practicing alone. Basketball is usually a team sport, but just because you can’t find others, doesn’t mean you have to just stop thinking about it.

Always be aware of the locations of your feet and what they’re doing. If you fall on a baseline, you will be out of bounds. Not dribbling when you take more than a few steps will result in a walking call as well as a forfeit of the ball. Moving your feet as you are setting a screen or pick usually results in you being called for a foul.

Practice dribbling with your weak hand as much as possible. Utilizing both hands to dribble the basketball and switching effortlessly is key to advantage over an opponent. Make an effort to dribble with your weak hand by keeping your dominant hand away from the front. You will improve dribbling with your weak hand soon enough.

TIP! To keep passes under control, make use of hand signals. It can be frustrating passing to a teammate when you’re both heading to the basket.

Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it? The sport is loved by millions all over the world, and played by millions as well. Take what you have learned in this article and apply it to your game today and you’ll be a better player in no time.