For a long time, people of all ages have enjoyed basketball. Be that as it may, not all fans and players really understand the game completely. This article was put together to help anyone who wants to play basketball to appreciate it so they can do better at it.

Make sure to dribble properly. Use the fingertips, not the palm, for the best dribbling. You retain much more ball control this way. Keeping the ball to your side will help it from getting in the way. Keep your head up, do not stare down towards the ground.

TIP! It’s natural to focus on offensive abilities when practicing the sport of basketball, but your practice time needs to focus on defense. Many times, defense actually wins the game.

Shake things up rather than focusing solely on a zone defense. Your opponent may change their game up to keep you on your toes. You might lose your control of the court if the other team use this technique, unless you are ready for this possibility.

If you want to take jump shots, don’t spend time pumping iron. Being weighed down by too much bulky muscle can have a negative impact on your jump shot. Some overzealous shooting guards buffed up too much, and it had an adverse effect on their overall field goal percentages.

If you become injured when playing basketball, stop immediately. It’s a challenging sport that’s very physical, and you have the ability to get injured. Trying to tough it out and keep playing, even if you are experiencing discomfort, can exacerbate an injury even more. Anytime you have a serious injury, you should seek medical attention.

TIP! Watch your form while you dribble the ball. You’ll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm.

Quickness is a key skill in basketball. If you want the advantage, you need to be quicker than your opponents. You have to be steady as you play quickly. Avoid playing faster than your abilities allow. If you push too hard, your performance may be haphazard, and the game may get out of control.

Improve your ball-handling by strengthening your hands and your forearms. Curling your wrists also help you improve your own dribbling. You will not be able to stand in one place and shoot. Motion is key to being successful on the court.

Dribble hard if you don’t want the ball taken from you. The harder you dribble, the faster the ball will return to the cup of you hand. If you are being closely guarded, you should cease dribbling and pass the ball to an open member of your team.

TIP! Any good basketball player needs to know how to make a layup. Layups account for up to 80 percent of the shots taken during a game.

A great way to make sure you’re in a good position defensively is to keep yourself in the defensive stance. Slide your feet to the sides or push off using the opposite foot to always be in position. Stay low and make it hard for opponents to get around you.

Use your weak hand for brushing your hair, doing up your belt and opening bottles so you can build up its strength. You’ll find it becomes more controllable. This also can significantly help your basketball game.

Use workouts to better your game. For example, building up your stamina will help you play your hardest throughout the game. To play more physically, lift weights to make yourself a more dominating presence. Your shooting abilities are greatly enhanced by a more self-assured, aggressive mindset.

TIP! Perform skills, practice your ball handling and shoot free throws when you are practicing alone. While basketball is a team sport, sometimes you just can’t find others to play with.

What you eat can affect how you play. In order to be skilled at basketball you need to load up on carbs to give yourself plenty of energy. Smart thigns to include in your diet are peanut butter, wheat breads, chicken and nuts. Try not to use too much salt or sugar.

A missed shot from the corner of the basketball court will usually go to the opposite side. Figure out where it will land to grab the rebound.

Don’t dribble twice in a row with a stop in between. This occurs whenever you resume dribbling after a brief pause. When you stop dribbling, you must shoot or pass the ball. You are not allowed to recommence dribbling. This will lead to you having to turnover the ball to the opposing team.

TIP! If your kid is going to try out for the basketball team, they should be properly training their core muscles. These core muscles for basketball include your lower back, hips and abs.

Try to stay calm as you shoot. This will help improve your focus during the shot. Focus your stare on the back part of the rim as you are shooting. If you wish to do a lay-up, move them to the backboard needed for banking the ball off.

If the person whom you are guarding is bigger than you, you should be the barrier between this player and the player with the ball. This will stop them from being open for a pass, ensuring that they don’t get the ball as they would likely be able to shoot it right over you.

Basketball appeals to all types of different people. Knowledge is what makes or breaks a player. Keep the ideas from this article in your mind, and your appreciation of basketball will rise.