Many people love basketball. Whether you’re playing or watching at home, basketball isn’t going anywhere. Of course, anyone who plays wants to be a star player and win the game. Use these basketball tips to enhance your understanding and love for this incredible sport.

When learning the game of basketball, it’s easy to get caught up in offensive play. But you should also give plenty of attention to defense. Defense is essential to winning these games. Offense may score points but defense keeps the other team from scoring points that your team will have to match.

TIP! Remember to practice a lot of different possibilities so that you will not limit your game. Most of the game is played in zone, but your opponent may try to switch things up to do man-to-man coverage.

Make sure to dribble properly. Don’t use your palm to dribble, but use your fingertips instead. Using your fingers allows you to better control the basketball. Keeping the ball to your side will help it from getting in the way. Look up, not down.

Learn how to hit a free throw shot. These shots may seem easy, but they can be quite difficult. Use the following directions to perfect free throws and practice often. Start out by holding the basketball right in front of you. Maintain focus on the basket and try to visualize your basketball falling through the hoop. Shoot the ball how you imagine it going in.

It is important to practice catching the ball from others as much as passing. When practicing make sure you drill yourself to catch errant throws as well as picture perfect passes. When the pressure is on, not every pass will come straight to you. Learning how to catch these errant passes will put you at an advantage.

TIP! One good way to learn good passing is drill often without dribbling. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it will ensure the accuracy of your team’s passes.

You should practice against a variety of defense types, not just zone. The majority of the game is in that area, but be careful about a team who changes things up. Practice with each type of defense so you will know what to expect.

Want to make the other team not know what’s going on? Trick them using a back pass. To accomplish this pass, grasp the ball using your dominant hand. The next step is to draw the ball behind you. Then you will use your wrist and flip it in the direction you want the ball to be going. This should make it easy to trick the other team.

After reading the above article you should be familiar with how to get better at basketball. You can improve your game by learning new techniques and practicing them often. It is important that you practice as much as possible to improve your game. No matter if you are practicing with teammates or shooting in your own driveway, the work you do is sure to pay dividends.