Basketball is fun to play for anyone and everyone. All different types of people can enjoy an exciting game of basketball. Gather your friends and show them your new moves. What skills might those be? Keep reading to learn what sorts of things you can do.

It is important that you perfect dribbling the ball. Use fingertips to dribble. This gives you the best ball control. Avoid dribbling in front of you and only dribble to the sides of your body. Always look upwards, never at the ground.

TIP! When dribbling the basketball you should keep your head up. If you start staring at the ball while you dribble, you know you need to practice more.

Learn the best way to make your free throws. That’s a shot that appears simple but is actually difficult in reality. You should practice as often as possible with this technique. Start with the ball ahead of your face. Visualize the ball sailing into the hoop. You should then shoot and try following the trajectory you visualized.

What do your teammates admire about your skills? What are your your best skill areas? Perhaps you have an excellent understanding of defensive strategies or you are the fastest player on your team. It’s great to get an idea of how your teammates think of your skills, this way you know what areas of the game to focus on.

If your shooting is in a slump, take a look at your shoulders. Shoulders are the key to a consistently successful shot. Keep your shoulders square in line with the basket. If your right hand is your dominant hand, your right shoulder must be aligned with the rim. For left-handedness, the opposite is true.

TIP! To improve your game, concentrate on your strong points. Your skills might not make you an all-start every time out, but playing up your strengths makes you a great contributor.

Quickness is something that’s desired in basketball. If you want the advantage, you’ve got more quickly. If you want to play the game fast, you need to drill continuously. Do not play beyond you capabilities, however. Playing beyond your own capabilities sends the game spinning past your ability to control it, and turnovers are bound to occur.

If the other team has a good defense, passing the ball between your legs is a good option. Practice this by bouncing the ball hard between your legs as you take a step forward or back. When you get this move down, you will have an advantage.

To improve ball handling, consider focusing workouts on your forearms and hands. Wrist curls can be effective at helping you to control the ball as if you’ll be dribbling in your sleep. Don’t just think you can place yourself in one spot, wait for the ball then hoist up a shot. You need to be able to move the basketball to make things happen.

TIP! Watching the pros play is a great way to see how great basketball players use their skills in the game. It is important that you see how other people play the game.

Stay on top of your footwork when attempting a rebound. Try to anticipate the move of the defender between yourself and the basket so that you can maneuver around him and to the hoop. This technique will help you rebound the ball without getting a foul called on you.

Can you see well? Not to just be able to see the scoreboard, but to actually make a shot and catch a pass. You have to build your peripheral vision. If you scan the entire court instead of keeping your eye on the basketball, you will be aware of oncoming defensive pressure as well as the positions of your open teammates.

Whenever possible, take advantage of an attack. Taking charges gives you a chance for earning a defensive stop, gives your team the ball, and gives one more foul called in your favor. This may lower the other team’s morale, and it gives you a chance to take the offensive when play resumes.

TIP! Practice your passes and catches frequently. You should practice catching errant passes, along with perfectly executed ones.

In order to ensure that you are always ready to defend, keep your stance at all times. Slide your feet to the sides or push off using the opposite foot to always be in position. Never cross your feet and your opponents will find you a difficult player.

If you are in a defensive position, keep yourself low. This will help you be quicker on the jump and react to the man in front of you easier. Be in the correct defensive stance all the time. You should return to this position immediately after leaving it to block or defend.

In order to better your shooting skills, you must practice shooting hundreds of times each day from various position on the court. Practice dribbling and quick shots. Avoid looking at the basketball goal while dribbling the ball. Doing so allows you to move more precisely and with greater accuracy.

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 a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it will ensure the accuracy of your team’s passes.

The hand not used to dribble the ball should serve as a wall separating the ball from the opposing players. Avoid physical contact like pushing, but keep the ball from them by separating them from it. You should try to keep your barrier arm up slightly when you are dribbling.

If you find yourself guarding against a large opponent, just stay in between the ball and them. That should make it difficult for the ball to be passed to them.

Prior to working out, write down should be accomplished during your session. Many players go to the gym with no plan. This makes it easier to become distracted and miss out on excellent opportunities to improve yourself. If your workout routing is documented, you’ll be able to concentrate on conditioning without being distracted.

Communication is essential to basketball. Communication starts in practice. Create a system of hand signals to communicate with teammates. You can communicate secretly where you want players to be.

You should now be able to be confident when you start playing so you can hit the court with that confidence. Now you know some tips even your opponents don’t know. Never forget that the game should always be fun. Remember that winning is its own reward.