You want to learn more about the game of basketball. Maybe you play basketball and you adore this sport. However, you can’t know everything, and every good basketball player knows that. There’s an excellent chance that you’ll acquire a few skills here. Keep reading to see what is here to make your basketball game improve.

If you get possession of the ball a lot, you must learn the crossover technique. A crossover is when you move the ball from one hand to the other. It has to be done fast to be effective. When done properly, crossover dribbling is a great way to quickly switch direction or move around the court in an efficient manner.

TIP! A good tip is to practice your layups on a daily basis. This will make up about eighty percent of shots during any basketball game.

If you want to take jump shots, don’t spend time pumping iron. 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.

Would you like to pull one over on the other team? Trick them using a back pass. To start, grab the ball using your good hand. Next, pull the ball behind your back. Finally, flick your wrist towards the direction in which you wish that ball to travel. Doing this will trick your opponent.

If you have student that wants to play basketball for their high school team, they will need to spend some time training their core muscles. This includes their abs, lower back, and hips. The core connects the lower and upper extremities, and if a person has a weak core, they will fail to excel in athletic pursuits. The stronger your core, the higher you will jump.

TIP! You have to know how to bounce pass properly. This means your pass should be aimed towards the receiving player at the level of his waist.

Pay attention closely to the shoulders if you’re starting to slump when you shoot. No matter your skill level, you won’t make shots if your shoulders aren’t in the proper position. Keep your shoulders squared with the basket at all times. The dominant shoulder must be perfectly aligned with the rim.

Always know where your feet are and what they are doing. Just touching the baseline is going to get you called out of bounds. You will get called for walking if you take extra steps and are not dribbling. In addition, moving one foot while working on setting a screen or pick will produce a foul.

Use deception by looking elsewhere when you make passes. This may confuse your opponents, greatly. When done right, the look draws your opponents to the wrong locale so that the person you passed to has a good long look at the basket before shooting. It can be quite powerful.

TIP! When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. You won’t be able to make a shot if your shoulders aren’t in the right position.

If you wish to shoot free throws better, you have to have a routine that’s consistent. If you are inconsistent then your shot will be off. The most effective method to achieve a great free throw is by practicing it repeatedly until you get it right. If your routine is off, then you will miss the shot.

Dribbling Skills

Using a weaker hand helps improve overall dribbling skills. If you can dribble equally well with each hand, it is simpler to get past your opponents. If you find it difficult to continue using your weak hand, make your strong hand unusable. You will get new dribbling skills with your weak hand.

TIP! Have your games taped so you can play them back later and observe your court presence. You can see where you can improve and what plays you missed.

Being a good defensive player involves disrupting your opponent’s concentration. Make them uncomfortable. Execute your moves with aggression. Do not let them call the shots. If you let them, you’ll be at their mercy. Make your moves first and end their patterns.

You want to strive in practice to bring the ball all the way up the court in no more than five dribbles. Although this might seem tricky in the beginning, this can really help your game if you can master this skill. If you master this, you will be able to quickly take layups.

Only stop dribbling if you want to shoot or pass. After you have stopped dribbling, your options are quite limited. If you decide not to shoot a basket or pass the ball on, you are only allowed to pivot on the heal that is furthest back. This leaves an opening for your opponents to double team and try get the ball away from you.

TIP! When doing a layup, start running using the weaker of your two feet. Thus, if you tend to shoot with the right hand, make sure to jump off with the left.

Practice dribbling by switching momentum. Basketball games are fast and you will encounter different scenarios while dribbling. The court might be wide open, but you could just as easily be swarmed by many opponents. This is why it’s important to switch the direction you will be dribbling. This can help you out of jams.

These tips give you the needed motivation on the court. When you learn something new, you can see how they will work. Keep the information learned here close by to help you better your skills. Keep playing and enjoy the game of basketball!