Everyone seems to love basketball. Playing it well, however, requires practice and skill. The game of basketball can still be a fun game even if you don’t rank at the top in genetics and athleticism. Read on to learn how you can make the most of your basketball experience.

It’s natural to focus on offensive abilities when practicing the sport of basketball, but your practice time needs to focus on defense. You can win a game, thanks to good defense. The offense gets lots of attention, but if the defense is lacking no basketball team will ever win a game.

TIP! Watch how the pros play basketball. Go to professional games in person and/or watch them online or on TV.

You must learn how to dribble, how a crossover is done and other important ball handling skills. This is when you switch hands while dribbling. It should be done quickly. Once you have learned how to do a crossover, you can travel down the court quickly.

Make sure that you practice your layups frequently. Four out of every five shots taken in a given game will be layups. It’s critical to practice running towards the basket at full speed and following up with a good jump and smooth shot. Practicing the running and jumping method will help you shoot better this way in a game.

Practice playing a man-to-man defense and zone defense. The majority of the game is in that area, but be careful about a team who changes things up. If you have not practiced enough on this scenario, you could run afoul of the scoreboard very fast.

TIP! Want to trick the other team? Back passes are a great way to confuse other players. To accomplish this, grab the ball with the dominant hand.

If you want to be a master of the jump shot, do not make weight lifting a priority. Muscle strength is great for any position in basketball, you can have too much when it comes to perimeter play. Certain pro guards ended up increasing their arm size so much that their shooting started to suffer.

If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. They should train their lower back, hips, and abs. The core connects the lower and upper extremities, and if a person has a weak core, they will fail to excel in athletic pursuits. A strong core provides a center of force that can be tapped through the legs while running and jumping during games.

To make sure there are no errant passes, use 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. No signal, no pass.

TIP! If you have a child who has expressed interest in becoming a basketball player in high school, make sure he trains his core muscles. Core muscles include hips, abs and the lower back.

Always be aware of where you have your feet and what you are going to do with them next. If you have the ball and you step outside the baseline, then you’re out of bounds. You will get called for walking if you take extra steps and are not dribbling. A foul will result if you try to take a charge or set a pick and your feet are moving.

A consistent routine will help you to achieve great free throws. If you don’t have one, your accuracy may suffer. Repetition is an excellent way to improve your ability to make each free throw. Stick with a routine until you can perfect it. Failing to stick with your routine can adversely affect your shooting accuracy.

To improve your dribbling skills, practice dribbling with your weaker hand. If you have two hands that can dribble the ball effortlessly then it becomes easier to get by your opponent. To help develop your weaker hand, avoid using your dominant hand. This will help you use that hand more easily and improve your dribbling with that hand.

TIP! Try using hand signals to prevent passes in error. One of the most challenging aspects is trying to send the ball to your teammate as they are going for the basket.

Upset and disrupt your opponent’s play. All successful basketball players do this. Force them out of their comfort zone. When you are guarding, do so aggressively. Don’t let them dictate the game. If you let them, they’ll totally take the control from you. Try making the initial move and interrupt their rhythm.

When you’re working with defense, staying low is a good idea. This helps your reaction time against your opponent. Stay in your defensive stance. When you break your stance to block, return to proper form as quick as you can.

To boost your ability with the weaker hand, try to use it for all daily tasks. You’ll find it becomes more controllable. Keeping your opponents on their toes is an important part of basketball.

TIP! If you’re injured in a basketball game, don’t attempt to play while in pain. Basketball is very physical and there’s always a risk of injury.

If you want to improve your three-point shooting, try and do it from the NBA distance, at a minimum. All other three point lines are closer than what the NBA uses. Nailing shots from the NBA line can really help improve your overall shooting skills.

Shoot from every point on the court thousands of times a day to get better. You should also practice starting with a dribble and then taking a shot. Hone in on your target while you are jumping, but not before you leave the ground. This can help you simulate the conditions of the game and also helps you improve accuracy.

Do you want to show off your new skills? You should practice these tips first. Get pumped and get out into the game! You will soon begin to see the advice you got here will help you to improve your game.