You have accessed this article to learn more about the great sport of basketball. Everyone who loves basketball wants to excel at it. That takes a great deal of learning. This article helps you learn a few things. The wide variety of tips are sure to peak your interest.

Learn how to maneuver a crossover if you have the ball fairly often. Switch from one side to the other while dribbling. This action most be quick to work out. Once you master the art of the crossover dribble, you will be able to change directions quicker.

TIP! Try learning how to hit free throw shots. There are usually a lot of distractions when you are shooting free throws so you need to concentrate.

It is important to keep your balance when you shoot. Everyone has seen professional basketball players make a shot from 20 feet away as they are falling. They are improvising. By learning how to stay properly balanced, you can improve your game.

Keep practicing your layups. A huge percentage of successful shots are layups. Don’t just walk through a layup drill. It is key to go at game tempo to practice the timing needed to maintain accuracy. This method will teach you to improve your jumps and shots throughout the game.

Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. By doing this, you will quickly find that players all have their unique subset of skills, allowing you the best chance to see what areas are the best fit for your personal game.

TIP! Having a good foundation is key when shooting the ball. We have all seen the professional basketball player falling out of bounds and making a basket from 30 feet away, but this is not proper technique.

If you want to take jump shots, don’t build your arms up too large. While muscle mass is good for any basketball position, perimeter play requires less than other positions. Some overzealous shooting guards buffed up too much, and it had an adverse effect on their overall field goal percentages.

Need to dupe the opposition? The back pass is perfect for this. To work it, place the ball in your most dominant hand. Pull it behind you. Then do a wrist flick in the same direction that you want the ball to end up. This will confuse the opposition.

Avoid errant passes by the use of hand signals. One of the most challenging aspects is trying to send the ball to your teammate as they are going for the basket. These common miscommunications can be avoided by utilizing hand signals, which tells the passing player the other player is ready for a pass. If the signal is not used, then the pass should not be made to that player.

TIP! Frequently train yourself on your pass catching moves. You should practice catching errant passes, along with perfectly executed ones.

If you get injured while playing basketball, do not try to play through the pain. This is a physically challenging game, so you may end up hurt much worse. Trying to tough it out and keep playing, even if you are experiencing discomfort, can exacerbate an injury even more. Serious injuries may require medical attention.

Make sure you know what is going on with your feet. Placing even a single toe atop the baseline while holding the ball will result in you being ruled out of bounds. Not dribbling when you take more than a few steps will result in a walking call as well as a forfeit of the ball. Avoid lifting your feet when you are screening or in position for a charge or the foul will be called on you instead of your opponent.

When you want consistently good free throws, repeat your routine. Whatever you do before each shot, from dribbles to body motions, should be the same each time. As long as this is a quick set of movements and it’s consistent, you won’t have any trouble having your body memorize what you’re doing.

TIP! Remember to practice a lot of different possibilities so that you will not limit your game. Though much of the game is sure to be played within a zone pattern, the opposition may try to go man-to-man in order to confuse you.

It’s time to take everything you’ve learned and use that enthusiasm to make improvements. It is wonderful to learn new things and have them work. Don’t forget everything you’ve just learned. This engaging sport is great for people of any age.