One of the most popular sports is basketball. There is nothing like the thrill of rooting for your favorite team in the championship, scoring your own goal, or discussing basketball. Naturally, if you play, you want to excel at the game. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you make some great strides towards winning.

Practice shooting free throws. This seemingly simple shot can be difficult to execute under game conditions. Try using this technique in practicing. First, hold the ball just above your nose, about 8 inches from your face. Keep your eyes on the goal and visualize the ball going into the goal. Then repeat that when you take the shot.

TIP! Make sure to dribble properly. Avoid using your palm while dribbling.

When dribbling, make sure you hold your head high and look straight ahead. Looking at your ball when you dribble indicates that you haven’t practiced enough. Bring your ball along when you go out. Dribble as you walk down the street. Maintaining unbroken visual contact with the ball makes it difficult to be aware of your surroundings.

If you wish to do better with basketball, you have to focus on what you’re good at. Your best skills may not be center-stage every game, but knowing how to play the best angles can help you give more to your team. Know your strengths and keep practicing to get even better.

Make sure that you practice your layups frequently. During any game, layups make up about 75 percent of the game. It’s critical to practice running towards the basket at full speed and following up with a good jump and smooth shot. This method will teach you to improve your jumps and shots throughout the game.

TIP! Make sure to practice your layups whenever possible. Layups sometimes wind up being 4 out of every 5 shots in basketball.

You should learn the best way to throw a great bounce pass. Bounce passes should not go above or below the receiving players waist. Letting the ball bounce close to the other person will help the accuracy of your pass. This all depends on many factors.

Frequently train yourself on your pass catching moves. Try to catch all of the passes that are thrown to you. When playing in the game, it’s rare that every pass will hit a bulls-eye. You’ll be helping out your team a great deal if you can catch their not so perfect passes.

Strong Core Muscles

TIP! Practice your bounce pass. It needs to get to the player at their waist.

Basketball players need to build strong core muscles. Focus on hips, lower back and abs. Stronger core muscles will help them be more resistant and allow them to develop many different athletic abilities. Building strong core muscles will allow your to jump higher, run faster and maintain your balance.

Avoid turning away from the ball so that you can always be prepared for what occurs on the court. This can help you to avoid surprises by fast passes, help you keep an eye on the rest of the court, and allow you to spot potential turnovers. Maintain awareness of open areas on the ball court that may allow you to quickly score a basket.

When exercising, concentrate on building up core strength and improving your footwork. Your body will be more stable and easier to move when you have strength in your core muscles. Your hip, buttocks, back and abdomen muscles need to be worked on. Jump rope can be used to speed up your feet.

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’s hard to play without dribbling, however, it can help you and your team create more accurate passes.

It is important to be aware of the location of your feet and just what they are up to. If you slide onto the baseline, you will lose the ball for being 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. Moving your feet as you are setting a screen or pick usually results in you being called for a foul.

Hopefully, now you understand what it takes to play better. A lot of them are easy as learning the techniques and practicing them. If you want to master basketball, practice often. Whether practicing with your own team, playing with some friends, or playing with players that are younger just for fun, it will help you share your love of the sport and help you get better at it.