Everyone loves basketball. It is easy enough that anyone of any age can enjoy it. When you’re playing, you have to cooperate with others and you have to be a good sport no matter what happens. If you seek to know more about this game, keep reading.

It is important that you perfect dribbling the ball. Finger tips, not palms, are the key to successful dribbling. Using your fingertips will allow you to have better control when dribbling the ball. Also, dribble off to the side instead of in front. The ball should bounce no higher than your waist. You should always be looking up instead of at the ground.

TIP! You have to know how to bounce pass properly. Proper bounce passes ought to hit the recipient at the level of their waist.

When dribbling, make sure you hold your head high and look straight ahead. Lack of practice will manifest itself in looking down towards the ball when dribbling. If you are just getting started, bring your ball with you everywhere. Dribble as you walk down the street. Always look ahead when you are dribbling the ball.

Free Throws

Hitting free throws is a mental challenge as well as a physical one. Of course, you can show your body how to make free throws. However, if you’re not in the right state of mind, you won’t succeed. Relax and focus on the net, and you’ll be able to make more.

TIP! Learn how to block out movement, noise and other distractions when taking a free throw. Training your body is important, but you also have to be mentally ready for the shot.

Watch the pro’s play if you want to improve your game. Go to as many pro games as possible, watch them on TV, or watch videos of them playing. You will quickly notice all the different skills that they have which makes them a great player, then take what you learned and use it to help improve your own game.

Practice Catching

You should practice pass catching regularly. You want to practice catching perfect passes and bad passes. This will help you catch those bad passes during a game. Therefore, it pays to practice catching passes that are a bit off-target.

TIP! You want to be prepared for any type of defense the other team plays. You can count on quite a bit of the game being played in zone; however, you should not be surprised if it becomes one-on-one coverage just for the sake of confusion.

Do not only practice zone defense plays. While much of the game is played in zone, the opponent can flip to man-to-man coverage, changing everything and surprising you. Practicing these techniques can give you a competitive edge over your competition.

There are passes that can confuse the other team momentarily. Trick them using a back pass. Hold the ball in your strong hand to start the pass. Then, move the basketball around your rear. Then, quickly snap your wrist toward the location where you want the ball to end up. This is a very useful trick to confuse the opposing team.

Try playing basketball games alone before and during the season. You may not always be able to find someone to play with you. There is nothing wrong with that. You can still do a lot on your own. You can work on pivots and free throws. You can always work on something.

TIP! Keeping your fingers spread wide is important for holding onto the ball. You will have better luck holding onto the ball as well.

To make sure there are no errant passes, use hand signals. One of the more frustrating aspects of basketball is making a pass to a teammate at the same time they head to the basket. Hand signals can be a great way to find out if a teammate will be able to receive your pass. Without a signal, players shouldn’t attempt to pass.

What makes basketball so popular? That’s because it’s fun and easy to learn to play. If you are an aficionado then the tips presented here will be very useful. Enjoy playing while also bettering your game by using this advice as you practice and compete.