Man or woman, basketball is a sport for all sexes. Anyone can play. Have your friends take a look at your new skills. I’m sure you’re wondering what moves I’m talking about. Keep reading here if you wish to figure out what you can do.

Many people only direct their attention to the offensive part of the game without realizing that defense is the key to winning. Defense is what stands between you and a win. Offense gets attention and praise, but when you lack good defense, any team can lose.

TIP! Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Victory requires the ability to play defense.

When dribbling the basketball you should keep your head up. If you must look at the ball while dribbling, you haven’t practiced enough. Take the basketball around off-court wherever you are. On your way to the grocery store, practice your dribbling. By looking forward instead of at the basketball, you are able to see the happenings on the court.

Get educated on the way to properly pass the ball on a bounce. A useful bounce pass will hit the receiving player at waist level. If it helps to measure it out, consider aiming for a mark on the floor about three-fourths of the way between you and your teammate. But, a series of other considerations can require you to make adjustments.

Don’t pump a lot of iron if you wish to become a jump shooter. You do need muscle conditioning and strength, but you can have too much when it comes to shooting field goals. Overdeveloped muscles could actually interfere with your score percentage.

TIP! Dribble the ball the right way. Don’t use your palm to dribble, but use your fingertips instead.

Play games against yourself in and out of season. Many times you are unable to find people to play with. That’s fine. It is possible to get a lot done even when playing alone. You can practice many different techniques, such as your free throw routine. There’s always some work to do.

Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? Do you have an area where you excel? Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will allow you to develop your skills to become an all around better player. Discover what other people feel are your strongest skills and then set about perfecting them.

Focus on your footwork and core strength when working out. Your body is going to be more balanced and be able to move faster when you have strong core muscles. Focus on your hip, abdomen, and back muscles. Similar to boxers, jump rope to help increase speed and better your footwork.

TIP! Knowing how to perform a crossover is a must when you handle the basketball frequently. Being able to dribble the ball with both hands and crossover between the two will make you a better player.

Have your games taped so you can play them back later and observe your court presence. You’ll likely see ways that you can improve. Don’t get yourself down about your performance, but stay honest with yourself concerning where your game needs some work. A realistic view of yourself can be quite helpful.

To become a reliable free throw shooter, always go through the same routine before each shot. That could include a set number of dribbles, knee-bends or some other type of movement. As long as it’s quick, using a consistent routine can help your body retain the memory to make those shots after your “ritual.”

If you want to better your dribble, start practicing with your weaker hand. Opponents are a lot easier to blow by when you can dribble with ease using both hands. Hold the dominant hand behind the back and make certain you use just the weak hand. This will help you use that hand more easily and improve your dribbling with that hand.

TIP! If you get injured while playing basketball, do not try to play through the pain. You can easily tear a muscle or even break a finger while playing.

Perform drills where you attempt to get the ball up full-court in 5 dribbles or less. This seems an impossible feat when you start. By working on this drill regularly you develop speed and great, lengthy strides. This can mean easy lay-ups on fast breaks, or just give your team numbers for a moment.

Varying your pace and direction keeps the offense off guard. When running in the direction of the net, straighten up while planting the front foot. The offense will believe that you’re stopping or slowing down and may follow in your steps. Like them, push and run past them.

You don’t have to worry about your basketball skills any longer. You might even know more than your friends do now. Drill as much as you can but remember that playing basketball should be fun. Enjoy your playtime!