Basketball season is always an obsession for the fans of the game, and the players themselves. In order to keep fans happy, give them a reason to cheer. You play a major role in your team’s abilities, so you should constantly be working to improve your game. Some great tips follow below that can help you become a winner in the game of basketball.

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. Basketball games are often won by the defense. While offense seems to get the praise, defense must be stellar in order to win.

TIP! Make it a point to concentrate on both your defensive and offensive skills. Focusing only on offense does not make you a well-rounded player.

Practice your layups a lot. Since layups account for the majority of scoring in a game. During practice you want to get up enough speed to quickly get to the rim then easily lay the ball towards the hoop. This technique helps improve your on-court layup skills.

Lay off the weights if you are trying to become a jump shooter. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. Some professional shooting guards made their arms so big that it started decreasing their field goal percentage.

Strong Core Muscles

TIP! Try learning how to hit free throw shots. This may seem like an easy task, but in reality, things prove otherwise.

Basketball players need to build strong core muscles. This is the hip area, the lower back, and the abs. These muscles form a bridge across the lower and upper parts of your body. When the core is weak, it is difficult to coordinate the movements of both halves. Strong core muscles help you with many movements associated with basketball.

Hand signals can help stop you from turning the ball over. Passing is tough, especially if you and your teammate are not in sync with one another. Players should use hand signals often when available for a pass. If the signal is not used, then the pass should not be made to that player.

Talk to your teammates and find out what they like about your game. Are you skilled at something? They may say that you are a great team defender or are always playing with excellent speed. You can learn a lot about your skills by knowing how others see you on the court.

TIP! Free throws are as mental as physical. You can train your body to complete the motions of making a free throw, but if you are mentally prepared to fail, you will.

It’s important to know where you have your feet and also what they’re doing. An errant toe to the baseline while holding the ball will result in an “out of bounds” call. If you travel without dribbling, you’re going to get yourself into a turnover situation. You may need to keep your feet planted to avoid getting called for charging.

This article has shown you that you can improve your basketball game through many methods. Better players make better teams. All of the people involved contribute to the fun of the game. By being a player you should be giving your team lots of help. Make it a priority to become the kind of teammate you would want to have.