Even the basketball greats don’t know all there is to know about this wonderful game. Things are always changing, and you must learn the sport as well as learn with the times. Do you want to have a hand up? The following article will give you some great advice to improve your game.

Don’t dribble during your drills. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it will ensure the accuracy of your team’s passes. Keep your emotions in check if quality passing is not happening right away as it takes time to perfect this part of the game.

Core Muscles

If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. The core muscles are the hips, lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles. Your performance is going to be sub-par if you don’t have strengthened core muscles. A solid and strong core lets force that comes from the legs get used for beneficial movements when playing, like faster running and higher jumping.

Avoid errant passes by using hand signals. It’s frustrating to pass to your teammate at the very moment they’re heading toward the basket. You can stay away from doing this if you use a hand signal to see if someone is ready for a pass. Without a signal, you should not attempt to pass the ball to a player.

TIP! Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. Bounce passes need to be at waist level when received.

If you’re on the offense, you footwork needs to be excellent to stay open for passes and shots. You must be certain to get the good spot ahead of your opponent. Once you’ve reached a good spot, you need to secure it. These will both require powerful footwork.

Don’t play while injured or else your injury will worsen. This sport is physically demanding and you can become injured. Trying to play through the pain could just cause more damage. Be sure to seek medical care if you have a serious injury.

Never have your back to the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. This will give you court awareness and keep you from being surprised by quick passes or turnover potentials. Always watch for areas opening up where you can go for a quick basket.

TIP! Practice using different types of defenses. Zone play will be important, but man-to-man will pop up from time to time, too.

A good basketball player is really quick on his feet. You need to be faster than the opposing team if you want the advantage. You need to really drill to get to the point where you can play fast. Just don’t play any faster than you’re able to. Playing beyond your capabilities will lead to bad passes and lots of turnovers.

To make your layups count the most, take off from the foot opposite your shooting hand. Practice shooting using your right hand, then jump off your left foot. That way, the body stays balanced while it moves toward the hoop.

Practice dribbling with your weaker hand. If you’re using both hands to dribble the ball well then you can get by an opponent easily. You can focus on the strength of your weak hand by tying your dominant hand behind your back. Your weak hand won’t be that for long!

TIP! A good way to improve team passing to use a no dribbling drill, that is to play the game without dribbling at all. This is very hard to accomplish, but it forces you and your fellow players to work on accurate passing skills.

Work on making your forearms and hands stronger in order to improve ball handling. For example, you can improve dribbling skills by adding wrist curls to your routine. You can’t just stand and shoot for the whole game. You must move the ball to have things happen.

As soon as the ball leaves your teammate’s hands after a free throw, start moving into position. Your defender will move towards you, so figure out how to slither past him and grab the ball. This helps you avoid the foul call and also grab the rebound.

Drills should be done where you attempt to get your basketball up the court within five dribbles or even less than that. This might not seem possible, but if you can do it your speed and length will strengthen. That translates to smooth layups during fast breaks.

TIP! Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. You always want to beat your opponent to the open spot.

Hopefully you’re able to be more confident about playing a game of basketball after reading through the tips above. These tips were made to better you as a player. Never give up on the learning process and stay committed to regular practice. Get better at the game and keep all of the things you’ve read here in mind so you can begin working towards being better.