Practice is vital to your success as a basketball player. You shouldn’t be practicing things you do wrong, though. The helpful hints in the following text will help you get that ball into the basket time and time again.

Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. Making the right physical motions is easier than having the right mind set. You are more likely to make more successful free throws if you relax and focus on the basket.

Catch Errant

You should practice pass catching regularly. When practicing make sure you drill yourself to catch errant throws as well as picture perfect passes. This will help to improve your game when it gets intense. By learning to catch errant passes, you will do your team a great favor.

Never practice only against the zone. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion. If you haven’t prepared yourself for that, you might lose your game very quickly.

TIP! When dribbling, your head must be up, and you need to look forward. Lack of practice will manifest itself in looking down towards the ball when dribbling.

Want to trick the other team? The back pass is just the thing! Perform this pass by holding the ball using your dominant hand. Keep control of the ball while it is behind your back. And last, flick the wrist in the direction you want the ball to go. This helps trick your opponents.

You can play basketball solo before and during the season. Sometimes during off season, or when practicing, you can’t play as a team or find even a single opponent. This is perfectly acceptable. You can accomplish a lot by practicing alone. Work on free throws or practice pivot moves. You can always do something.

If posting up is what you’re doing, you have to have good footwork to get open for a shot. Being physical under the rim is crucial, but having good positioning on the court is even better. If you are just stepping into position, you now have to secure the spot. Good solid footwork will help you develop the skills you need for success.

TIP! Practice layups often. In a typical game, up to four-fifths of all shots are layups.

Get someone to analyze how you play on tape. You can see where you can improve and what plays you missed. Appraise your performance honestly but don’t be overly harsh with yourself. You can learn a lot by watching how you play and what you need to concentrate practicing on.

When you want consistently good free throws, repeat your routine. This can include the number of times you dribble, how you position your feet, or anything else. Just remember it has to be fast and consistent. The reason is, this routine will put your body on alert that the next thing coming is a free throw. This will help insure your success.

When doing a layup, start running using the weaker of your two feet. Jump off your left foot when you shoot using your right hand. This way you keep your body away from defenders, your momentum going in the direction of the basket and your body stays balanced.

TIP! Bounce passes are extremely efficient when done properly. Executed properly, a bounce pass will connect with the receiving player at the waist.

In order to become better at dribbling the ball you should learn how to practice using your weak hand. Getting by an opponent should be a lot easier if you can dribble using both hands. Don’t allow yourself to use your dominant hand when practicing. Very soon, you will develop dribbling skills with the hand you considered weak.

Improve both forearms and hands to improve ball control. An exercise to help develop your basketball skills is to perform wrist curls. Don’t assume that you are able to just stand anywhere, catch the ball and shoot it. Your ability to handle the ball will affect your success on the court.

You need to take a charge anytime you can. This allows you to get the ball back for your team, setting up a foul. This can have a major impact on the other team psychologically, and it can be a powerful play as well.

TIP! Making a free throw takes mental concentration as well as physical prowess. You must train both your body and your mind.

Become a better basketball player even if you know how to play. Try one tip and see how much your game improves. Improve you shot, learn how to make better passes and get inside for the rebound.