What is the best information to know when learning about basketball? What will help me to perfect my game? This article is going to provide you with great knowledge to take with you to the court.

TIP! Look forward and hold your head up while you dribble the ball. Looking directly at the ball means you aren’t good at the game yet.

While focusing on offense is fun, you must also make sure you focus on defense. Basketball games are won because of good defense. While offensive players sometimes seem like the stars of the show, it is the efforts of defensive players that allow them to shine.

Free Throw

TIP! Crossovers are key for ball handlers. Crossovers involve moving the ball from hand to hand.

Learn how to hit a free throw shot. The execution of a free throw is not as simple as it may appear. Use the following directions to perfect free throws and practice often. Put your weaker hand in front of the ball and center your stronger hand over the air valve in the basketball. Focus on the ball and visualize it going toward the goal. Then shoot! Shoot the ball in the trajectory you imagined.

When dribbling, make sure that you look forward and keep your head up. By focusing your sight on the ball, you cannot be fully aware of your surroundings. Make the basketball an extension of your body, taking it wherever you are. Dribble the ball when you’re walking to the shops. Remember, if you are directly staring at the ball, there’s no way for you to see what’s happening on the court.

TIP! Make sure to practice your layups whenever possible. You should expect layups to represent about 80% of all the shots you take in a game.

It is vital that you learn to crossover the basketball while dribbling. Moving the ball from hand to hand is a crossover. The action must be very swift if it is to be successful. If done correctly, a good crossover helps you get past your opponent and to the rim.

To improve your game, concentrate on your strong points. Your skills might not make you an all-start every time out, but playing up your strengths makes you a great contributor. Know the things you’re great at and keep practicing until there is no one better than you.

TIP! Make sure, no matter what else happens, you can see where the ball is. This provides court awareness and prevents you from unexpected turnovers or quick passes.

Teach yourself to throw bounce passes correctly. A good bounce pass should hit the player on the receiving end at waist level. One good rule is for you to bounce the basketball most of the way toward the other player. But, there are some factors that can change this.

Make use of hand signals so that wild passes can be avoided. It can be frustrating making a pass when a player moves away towards the basket. These common miscommunications can be avoided by utilizing hand signals, which tells the passing player the other player is ready 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! If you experience a slump in your scoring and shooting, your shoulders may be the cause of the problem. If your shoulders aren’t properly positioned, your shot is not going to go in.

Have you found the answers you seek? Do you feel confident to take control on the court? Utilize this advice each time you play basketball. Practice what you’ve learned, and you will soon see the results.