Basketball is a game that people enjoy all over the world. When you want to master this game, practice is key. Go over this article to improve your knowledge to help further your understanding of the game.

Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Basketball games are won because of good defense. Offense gets more attention, but the team is going to lose without a strong defense.

TIP! The way to properly dribble is to keep your head up while looking ahead of you. If you need to look at the ball while dribbling, you’ll need to practice more.

Practice catching passes as often as you can. When practicing make sure you drill yourself to catch errant throws as well as picture perfect passes. During a game, not all of your passes will hit the mark. By learning to catch errant passes, you will do your team a great favor.

To make sure there are no errant passes, use hand signals. It can be frustrating making a pass when a player moves away towards the basket. Hand signals help ensure that the player is ready to take the ball. No signal, no pass.

If you’re injured in a basketball game, don’t attempt to play while in pain. It’s easy to be hurt when playing basketball. Trying to tough it out and keep playing, even if you are experiencing discomfort, can exacerbate an injury even more. If the pain is bad, visit a doctor.

TIP! Do you want to fool the other team? How about the behind the back pass? Hold the ball in your strong hand to start the pass. Now, pull it behind your back.

Ask your teammates what they like about how you play. You may have a certain skill that you have perfected. Maybe you are nimble or you are reliably there to support them. Learn what the other people around you see while you are playing and it may open your eyes to new areas for practice.

If you have the right tips in mind as you practice basketball, you will find the game becomes easier and more enjoyable. Find other article and blogs to read to continue learning. The more you learn, the better your game will be.