Have you every wished you were LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Work on your technique, practice your skills and perfect your ball handling skills. Keep reading to learn more.

TIP! Look forward when dribbling. Lack of practice will manifest itself in looking down towards the ball when dribbling.

Make sure that you practice your layups frequently. Up to eighty percent of the baskets attempted in a game are layups. When you practice, be sure to run at the goal with full speed, jumping and shooting in a smooth series of motions. This running and jumping technique will help you learn how to jump and shoot better during the game.

If you want to take jump shots, don’t spend time pumping iron. Muscle strength can be great for basketball players, but it is actually possible to have excessive amounts for playing on the perimeter. As a shooting guard, having bulky arm muscles can actually reduce the number of successful shots.

TIP! If you wish to do better with basketball, you have to focus on what you’re good at. Your talent might not make you a star; however, learning your strengths will help you become a better team player.

Hand signals can help you to stay away from making bad passes. It’s frustrating to pass to your teammate at the very moment they’re heading toward the basket. Hand signals can tell you if your teammate is ready. No signal, no pass.

Ask fellow team members what they like about your skills on the court. Are you skilled at something? It could be your speed, or it could be your back-up abilities. You can learn a lot about your skills by knowing how others see you on the court.

TIP! One way to help improve your overall basketball skills is to spend some time watching what the pros do. Go to actual games or watch on TV.

A great way to stay prepared at all times is to always face the ball. You have to be aware of what is going on with the ball at all times. Also, watch for areas to open up so you can make an easy basket.

Practice looking in a different direction when you pass. This will confuse your opponents. 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. When completed correctly, it creates an awesome play.

Free Throws

A consistent routine will help you to achieve great free throws. If you stay inconsistent, you miss a shot. A great way to get better at free throws is to practice, practice and then practice the same routine some more. If your free throw routine is out of whack, you will miss.

TIP! Hand signals can help you to stay away from making bad passes. You can become easily frustrated when a teammate does a poor job of anticipating your next passing move.

To improve ball handling, consider focusing workouts on your forearms and hands. Exercises that involve strengthening the wrist are especially helpful for dribbling. Don’t ever believe you’re going to be able to stand still, receive a pass and take a shot. The ball should always be in control and moving.

To get the rebound from the free throw your teammate is making, you need to do some fancy footwork. You’ll have a defender coming at you and this means you have to figure out what can be done to get around them. You won’t foul as you catch the rebound this way.

TIP! To properly handle the ball, you have to spread your fingers out. The ball will not get away if you always keep your fingers spread when handling the ball.

You need to take charge when the opportunity presents itself. Turnovers are an important part of the game that can end up giving your team the upper hand. It can be a momentum changer by making the other team think twice about dribbling the ball into the lane.

Changing up your pace is something you have to do to make sure the offense is paying attention. When running toward the hoop, plant your leading foot and start to straighten up. Your opponent will see you as stopping, then will also stop themselves. When that happens, push ahead and run past.

TIP! Speed is a key attribute in the game of basketball. If you want the advantage, you need to be quicker than your opponents.

After having read this article, you now have a few things that you can go practice. You need to become consistent when you’re practicing, and you have to be confident in what you’re capable of. Keep all of the good advice you encounter in mind so that you can make it clear that you are very talented.