Many people share a love for basketball. Keeping fans happy is all about playing well enough to keep them cheering. Start practicing now and improve your game. Let these tips be your guide to helping out your team.

To be a better basketball player you should concentrate on the things that make you great. Your skills might not make you an all-start every time out, but playing up your strengths makes you a great contributor. Find you best position and then refine it until you are unbeatable.

TIP! Practice hitting your free throws. This seems like an easy shot, but it is quite hard.

Frequently practice passing and catching the passes of others. When practicing make sure you drill yourself to catch errant throws as well as picture perfect passes. When a game is underway, not every throw will be perfect. So do your teammates a favor by learning how to consistently haul in their less than perfect passes.

Completing passes to your teammates is just as important as dribbling the ball. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it will ensure the accuracy of your team’s passes. Don’t get upset if it seems hard, this will improve your team’s passes over time.

Would you like to completely fool the opposing team, making them look silly? Trick them using a back pass. To properly perform this pass you will need to have the ball in your dominant hand. Next get the ball pulled up behind the back. After determining which direction you want the ball to go, use a quick flick of your wrist to send it that way. This should should thoroughly fool your opponent.

TIP! A good way to get your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing. Go to actual games or watch on TV.

You should ask your teammates about your strengths and weaknesses. What do you need to focus in on and practice more? Perhaps you have an excellent understanding of defensive strategies or you are the fastest player on your team. Develop your strengths even further and look for ways to improve your weaknesses.

The key for controlling the ball well is to spread your fingers. This way, you won’t lose the ball when holding it. Don’t let your palms touch it. You should try your best to only hold onto the ball with your fingertips when passing and shooting.

Being able to anticipate your opponent is a key skill. One great way to get a better understanding of your opponent is to take the time to watch film and get information from other players or scouts. Know which players are left and right handed. When you know some of the other player’s moves, you’ll have a leg up during a game as you’ll be able to predict what he is going to do. Smart defenders are good defenders.

TIP! You want to be prepared for any type of defense the other team plays. While a great portion of a game will be concentrated in the zone, your rivals could opt to go to man-to-man covering to keep you guessing.

Have someone taper your games and then watch it to see how you look on the court. Can you see where you can improve your form? Are there things you might have done differently? Don’t get yourself down about your performance, but stay honest with yourself concerning where your game needs some work. It can be an eye-opener to see how you’re playing the game really, not just what you picture it to be.

When you are passing the ball, get used to looking in the other direction. This will easily confuse your opponents. If you do this fake the right way, then the receiver of the pass should have an advantage and a great look at the goal. It’s a powerful play when done right.

To land your layups, jump off the foot opposite the hand you shoot with. What this practically means is that if your right hand is your shooting hand, you need to take off with your left foot. This gives you better balance, while keeping you poised toward the basket.

TIP! A good way to improve team passing to use a no dribbling drill, that is to play the game without dribbling at all. It is hard to play basketball without dribbling, and demands accurate passing and teamwork, so it will be a challenge.

An excellent way to have proper defensive posture is to remain in the correct stance. You need to learn how to slide your feet instead of crossing one foot in front of the other. Remember to never let your feet cross and you will be a difficult player to get around.

Stay low when playing defense. You will be able to react more quickly and jump higher because of this. Maintain this low stance with arms raised until a shot or high pass is made. If you need to block someone’s shot, quickly get back into your stance.

AS you dribble the basketball down the court, keep your knees bent. Standing straight will make you see that it’s harder to handle and easier for the opposing players to take. Just bending a little bit at your knees can really help you to control the ball better.

TIP! Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. Getting a great position under the goal is the most important.

Try practicing three pointers from the NBA range in order to be a more effective three point shooter. The standard line and college lines are much closer. If you make your shots from where the NBA players shoot, you will improve your skills and increase your range.

To improve your perimeter shooting, it is important to practice every day from various spots on the court. For even better results, practice the run-up to your shot in addition to the actual shot. Look at the target when you’re airborne and not a moment before. This simulates what actually happens in a game and improves your accuracy.

As you can tell from above, there are many ways to increase your skills. Knowing all you can helps you enjoy the game. No matter what your role is in supporting the team, everyone has a job they can improve on. By being a player you should be giving your team lots of help. The tips in this article can help you become an invaluable member of your basketball team.