Countless individuals love the sport of basketball. You can play a quick pickup game at the park any time. Also, you can have a career in basketball if you get an early start. Read on to learn the ins and outs of basketball.

Practice hitting your free throws. The free throw shot might seem simple, but it can actually be pretty difficult. Practice regularly and employe the technique that follows. Start with the ball ahead of your face. Then, look at the ball and visualize it going in the basket. Once you’ve visualized this, take your shot as you just saw it in your head.

TIP! Many people forget that defense is as important as offense during practice. Defense is essential to winning these games.

Learn to crossover if you get the ball often. Moving the ball from hand to hand is a crossover. You have to do this quickly to be good at it. One done the right way, the crossover dribble can help you change directions and get down the court more efficiently.

Put the emphasis on your strengths can help you to be a better basketball player. Your best talent may not make you the star of every game, but learning to play your best angle will help you contribute more to the team. Learn what your strengths are, then practice to perfection!

It is important to know the right way to throw a bounce pass. This means your pass should be aimed towards the receiving player at the level of his waist. 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. It does depend on a variety of other factors, however.

TIP! Hitting free throws is a mental challenge as well as a physical one. It is possible to practice the physical movements needed to make such a shot, but when your mental focus is lacking, you are likely to miss.

Play basketball games with yourself during the season and before it. Basketball is sport played in teams, but there are times when no one is around to play with you. This is just fine. Solo games also help. Practice free throws and layups. You can always practice.

If your son or daughter wants to play high school basketball, they need to work on core muscle training. Show them how to exercise their hips, lower back and abs. A good core leads to a solid foundation and that is required to be very good at basketball. Building strong core muscles will allow your to jump higher, run faster and maintain your balance.

To properly handle the ball, you have to spread your fingers out. This way, you won’t lose the ball when holding it. Keep your palm off the ball too. Don’t let anything but your fingers touch the ball during passing or shooting.

TIP! A good way to get your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing. You can follow the pros in online videos, on TV and you can also attend a basketball game if there is a pro team in your area.

When exercising, concentrate on building up core strength and improving your footwork. Your body is going to be more balanced and be able to move faster when you have strong core muscles. Work the abdomen, buttocks, hip, and back muscles. Your speed and footwork can be improved by jumping rope.

When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. When your shoulders are not properly positioned, then it is almost impossible to perform at your best. Be sure that your shoulders square up in front of the hoop. Try to line your dominant shoulder up with the rim.

Always be aware of your feet. Just touching the baseline is going to get you called out of bounds. Taking excessive steps while not dribbling results in a call of walking as well as a turnover. Do not move your feet when attempting to set up a screen, a foul can be called.

TIP! A good tip about passing is try doing it without dribbling the ball. Playing without any dribbling is very hard, but builds your passing skills.

Having a pre-free-throw shot routine will help you become dependable at free throws. It could be that you dribble several times, bend at the knees, brush your hair out of your eyes or do something else. This consistency will get your body in tune to do the same thing every time, increasing your chance to make shot after shot.

To help improve your ball handling skills, start incorporating your weak hand into your dribbling. If you have two hands that can dribble the ball effortlessly then it becomes easier to get by your opponent. Hold the dominant hand behind the back and make certain you use just the weak hand. You will improve dribbling with your weak hand soon enough.

Now you should know what has to be done if you wish to do well at basketball. It’s no cake walk, but basketball isn’t rocket science, either. You can succeed with information and dedication. So get out there and use the tips that will help up your game. Have fun and play basketball.