Basketball is a game that people enjoy all over the world. If you wish to be better, you must practice. Keep reading to find out what you need to know.

TIP! Make sure that you’re dribbling the ball correctly. You’ll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm.

Learn to correctly dribble the ball. Avoid using your palm while dribbling. Instead, use your fingertips. This helps you to control the ball better. 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.

It is important that you practice layups. Almost 80% of shots will be layups. When practicing it is important to run at full speed toward the goal, then jump and shoot smoothly. This type of technique will translate well into actual game situations.

Bounce Pass

Perfect your bounce pass. A useful bounce pass will hit the receiving player at waist level. It’s best to bounce the basketball about 75 percent of the way towards your teammate. Of course, there are factors that should be taken into consideration when passing using the bouncing technique.

TIP! If your child is training to be a high school basketball player, make sure that they train their core muscles properly. The core is the following areas: abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and hip muscles.

Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. When you find a player who has the skills that you want, then watch them and emulate.

Frequently practice passing and catching the passes of others. When practicing, try catching great passes as well as really bad passes. Understand that during a game, you will receive very scattered passes. Some will be good; some won’t. So you should do the team a favor by knowing how to take in any kind of a pass that comes from someone.

TIP! Understanding the opponent is key in beating a tough defense. Monitor scouting news and watch footage of other teams in action.

One good way to learn good passing is drill often without dribbling. This is very hard to accomplish, but it forces you and your fellow players to work on accurate passing skills. It may seem nearly impossible at first, but over time your team will learn to throw accurate passes and be in good position to receive them.

Prior to basketball season, and even during it, you can play solo games. There are times you may not find anyone to play with you. This is just fine. You can still practice when playing alone. Go to the free throw line and work on your shots. There is always something to practice.

TIP! When trying to improve your strength to have better basketball footwork, work on building up your core. This allows your body to be in balance and be more explosive on the court.

Never have your back to the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. You will enjoy greater court awareness and avoid feeling surprised by rapid changes in game play. Scan the court looking for openings to make a basket.

If you want to correctly handle the ball, you need to know where to place your fingers. You will have better luck holding onto the ball as well. Don’t allow yourself to have your palm touching the ball either. Remember to maintain contact with the ball through your fingers only.

TIP! Practice passing while looking in other directions. Doing this is a great way to confuse your opponents.

As you exercise to improve your game, it is important to work on your footwork and strength. A strong core allows you to be more balanced during games. Work the abdomen, buttocks, hip, and back muscles. Jump rope like a boxer to improve your fancy footwork.

Quickness is a key skill in basketball. Make an effort to do all things on the court more speedily than the opposing team. Playing fast takes practice, though, and steady drilling. Though, you should never attempt to a play faster game than your abilities permit. Playing beyond your speed cause the game to get out of control with various turnovers and errant passes.

TIP! If you wish to shoot free throws better, you have to have a routine that’s consistent. If you stay inconsistent, you miss a shot.

Dribbling hard keeps the ball from being stolen from you. A hard dribble returns the ball back to you faster, leaving less chance of it being snatched by the other team. When closely guarding another player, cease dribbling and pass it to another play on your team that’s open.

You should ensure that you can clearly see. Vision is an integral part of making shots and catching passes. Your peripheral vision needs to be as strong as possible. This will help you see the whole game better and anticipate openings and defense players.

TIP! Improve both forearms and hands to improve ball control. An exercise to help develop your basketball skills is to perform wrist curls.

If you’re able to remember these things the next time you hit the court, you’ll have a lot more fun the next time you play. Continue your quest to learn more by reading blogs and articles that will help you further your skills. Take what you need and leave the rest. Practice diligently to improve your game.