Basketball is one of the most popular sports around the world. You can go play it in your driveway if you wish to, or it’s something you can do for a living if you begin early. Keep reading for some valuable information about this sport.

It is tempting to concentrate just on offense when just staring out, but defensive practice is absolutely vital. Basketball games are often won by great defensive play. Offense may be splashier, but lacking a solid defense, any team is sure to lose.

TIP! Find out how to make free throw shots. As easy as these shots may seem, they are rather hard.

Dribble while keeping your head upward and looking ahead. By focusing your sight on the ball, you cannot be fully aware of your surroundings. Carry your basketball everywhere. Dribble the ball when you’re walking to the shops. If you are looking at the ball, you cannot see what is happening down the court in front of you.

To be a great basketball player you need to work on your balance. You have seen some crazy shots made by professionals, but these shots aren’t going to be based on fundamentals. These shots are improvisational and usually desperate attempts. Non-professionals should focus on having good balance to ensure good shots. As time passes, you will make more and more baskets with this method.

If you want to take jump shots, don’t spend time pumping iron. Strong muscles are certainly useful for basketball, but you can overdo it if you plan to play on the perimeter. Some overzealous shooting guards buffed up too much, and it had an adverse effect on their overall field goal percentages.

TIP! It is vital that you learn to crossover the basketball while dribbling. When you do a crossover, you move the basketball very fast from one hand over to the other hand.

If you’re shooting isn’t what you’d like it to be, make sure that your shoulders are in the correct position. No matter your skill level, you won’t make shots if your shoulders aren’t in the proper position. Keep your shoulders square to the hoop. You want your strong-side shoulder in perfect alignment with the rim.

Your forearms and hands should be strengthened if you wish to handle the ball better. One important exercise is wrist curls, which help you with your dribbling. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can stay stationary, catch all the ball, and shoot them from that same location. You have to be ready to move fast and change directions on a dime.

It is important that you can clearly see everything that is occurring during a game. This is so that you’re able to catch passes, get shots in, and look at the scoreboard. Working to improve you peripheral vision will help you become a more successful player. It allows you to view the game as a whole rather than simply watching the ball. In this way, you can be aware of the players around you.

TIP! To be a better basketball player you should concentrate on the things that make you great. 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.

To improve three-point shooting, do it from NBA distance at the very least. All the other three point lines are much closer than the NBA line. Learning how to shoot from the NBA three point line can help you get better looks at the basket.

You should practice your dribbling while switching your balance from right to left. Remember that you must dribble in a variety of situations during a basketball game. Perhaps you will have open court; however, you might have bunches of opposing team members all around you. You must dribble while you make your body lean in various directions. This will help you maneuver around trouble.

Your off-court practice should mimic your on-court playing. Sprinting will help you develop speed, while running long distances will help you develop great stamina. You can acquire muscle through weightlifting that helps with hustling and shooting. You will be able to shoot well with this confidence and aggression.

TIP! Make sure that you practice your layups frequently. During any game, layups make up about 75 percent of the game.

These tips should give a better idea of how to improve your game. It’s not too tough, it just takes the right kind of knowledge and some work. Once you begin playing basketball, you will probably want to play often. All you need to do is hit the court and have some fun!