There should be no surprise as to basketball’s reason for popularity, given its fast pace. However, to play the best you can, you must learn some things. This is an article packed with tips to help make your game better.

TIP! Dribble while keeping your head upward and looking ahead. If you have to keep your eye on the ball when you’re dribbling, practice can remedy that.

It is important that you perfect dribbling the ball. Use the fingertips, not the palm, for the best dribbling. You retain much more ball control this way. Dribble on the sides of your body instead of directly before you, and bounce it waist level. You should always be looking up instead of at the ground.

Do you want to fool the other team? Try a back pass. To properly perform this pass you will need to have the ball in your dominant hand. Now hold the ball behind you. Lastly, flick the wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. Doing this will trick your opponent.

TIP! Balance is important when shooting. Your knees should be bent with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.

Practice basketball in season and out of season. While basketball is a team sport, sometimes you just can’t find others to play with. No problem! You can still get a lot accomplished with solo games. You can work on pivots and free throws. There is no shortage of things you can do.

Keep your eye on the ball. It’s all about court awareness, and always facing the ball will make it so you are less surprised by passes. That means less turnovers. Keep an eye open for easy shots.

TIP! Know your strengths and they’ll help you become a better player. Your talent might not make you a star; however, learning your strengths will help you become a better team player.

Proper handling of the ball requires that your fingers be spread apart. That makes it less likely that you lose control of the ball. You should avoid having your palm touching the ball. Fingers need to be the only thing that touches the ball when you shoot it or pass it.

If your shooting is in a slump, take a look at your shoulders. If you do not have your shoulders positioned properly, you will not make the shot. One area of focus should be to keep your shoulders aligned straight toward the hoop. The shoulder that’s dominant should be in line with the rim.

TIP! Would you like to learn how to fool your opponent? The back pass is just the thing! Hold the basketball with your writing hand. Now, pull it behind your back.

You want to always be aware of foot placement and what you’re doing. Just touching the baseline is going to get you called 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. Avoid lifting your feet when you are screening or in position for a charge or the foul will be called on you instead of your opponent.

Ask someone to take a video of you playing and watch it. Do you see anything you could do differently? Stay honest when you’re assessing yourself, but don’t over criticize yourself either. Sometimes you have to face reality about your skills and just not dream about how you want to be.

TIP! Never play through an injury on the court. It’s a challenging sport that’s very physical, and you have the ability to get injured.

Basketball is an amazing sport to enjoy. This article has helped to show that continual learning is a part of really excelling at the sport. Use these tips and you’ll improve greatly at basketball.