For years, basketball has been a popular sport all across the world. Focusing your attention on your skills goes a long way toward making you a more effective player. Using these tips will help you improve your basketball game.

TIP! Learn to correctly dribble the ball. Use fingertips to dribble.

Make sure you are dribbling the right way. Instead of using your palm to dribble focus on using your fingertips. Dribbling this way improves your ball control dramatically. Dribble along the side of the body, not immediately in front of it, and keep the bounce to the waist level or below. Keep your head up and do not look at the ground.

The way to properly dribble is to keep your head up while looking ahead of you. By focusing your sight on the ball, you cannot be fully aware of your surroundings. Take your basketball everywhere. Dribble the ball as you go about your day doing errands like walking the dog. If you are staring at the ball, there is no way you can know what else is happening on the court.

TIP! Always keep your head up when dribbling instead of focusing on the ball. If you have to look at the ball while dribbling, that means you need to practice more.

To be a great basketball player you need to work on your balance. While some NBA players are able to launch a ball to the net mid-fall, this is not appropriate for most people. They are professionals, and they are able to improvise successfully. Consider proper balance when you shoot, and eventually you’ll consistently make baskets.

Make sure you spend your time focusing on your strengths. Your talents might not make you a star, but when you make the most of your strengths, you might better contribute to your team. Understand your strengths and use it to your advantage to help your team win!

TIP! Work on improving your strengths to become an even better player. The best talent you have isn’t going to have you starring in every highlight reel, but having a good skill set can benefit your team.

Teach yourself how a bounce pass can be properly thrown. It needs to get to the player at their waist. One good rule of thumb is to bounce the ball around three quarters of the way to the other player. There are many factors which come into play, though.

Hand signals can help stop you from turning the ball over. One of the more frustrating aspects of basketball is making a pass to a teammate at the same time they head to the basket. Players should use hand signals often when available for a pass. If your teammate misses your signal, then they may miss the ball as well and the other team could gain possession.

TIP! Would you like to fool the opposing team? Try doing what is known as a back pass. Use the dominant hand to hold onto the basketball when trying this pass.

Quality footwork will help you get better shots. While actually being beneath the basket is key, establishing a good position prior to the opposition is even more so. Once you get into your position, you need to secure it. Good footwork is key to a good basketball game.

Asking for feedback from coaches and teammates about your playing is important in order to become a stronger player. What areas are your strong points? Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will allow you to develop your skills to become an all around better player. Discover what other people feel are your strongest skills and then set about perfecting them.

TIP! Remember to spread your fingers when handling the ball. This gives you better control of the ball.

Keeping your fingers spread wide is important for holding onto the ball. This can help you to remain in control of the ball at all times. Try to keep your palm off of the ball as well. Whether you are passing or shooting the ball, your fingers are the only part of your hand that should be touching the ball.

When doing a layup, start running using the weaker of your two feet. Thus, if you use your right hand for shooting, you need to push off using your left foot. That way, the body stays balanced while it moves toward the hoop.

TIP! If you find yourself unable to shoot well, consider your shoulders. Shoulders are the key to a consistently successful shot.

To gain greater dribbling skill, always practice with the weaker hand as well as the more dominant one. When you are ambidextrous, you’ll be a better player. Immobilize your dominant hand by tying it behind your back, then practice using your other hand for everything. Eventually, your weak hand will be trained to dribble properly.

Dribble with force to prevent the ball from being stolen. A hard dribble returns the ball back to you faster, leaving less chance of it being snatched by the other team. If the defense gets to be too much, look to pass the ball to someone who is open.

TIP! Have your games taped so you can play them back later and observe your court presence. Do you see how you could’ve handled a situation differently? Evaluate what you see honestly, but don’t be too hard on yourself.

To get better at three-point shots, work on shooting from the NBA three-point line. All the other lines are closer. Being able to shoot successfully from the NBA range will give you a great advantage.

Until the moment you are prepared to shoot or pass, you must dribble constantly. The moment you cease dribbling, you have given yourself very few options. If you opt to not pass or shoot, you’re left with pivoting on your back foot. The opposition will cling onto you like a magnet.

TIP! When you’re practicing passing, try to look the other way. This is a great way to fake out your opponents.

The game will be more fun if you keep the tips in your mind when you practice. Read the article carefully and head out onto the court to get all of the practice you need before starting your next game. Take in all the good ideas that you can find, and make your game better.