When you are thinking about how you can get better at basketball, the thing of most importance is to practice. Make sure you perform drills correctly and keep working on an exercise until you get it right every time. Keep reading for some basketball pointers that will have you hoop ready in no time.

Free throws are as much mental as they are physical. You must train both your body and your mind. Stay relaxed and just focus on the goal and you will increase your free throw rate.

TIP! It’s natural to be drawn towards offense as a novice, but the pros know defense is where the game is won or lost. Victory requires the ability to play defense.

Watching the pros play is a great way to see how great basketball players use their skills in the game. You can do this by watching games in person and on television. This is a great way to learn new techniques to try out on the court.

Find out what your teammates like most about how you play? Are you great at any one thing? Perhaps they see you as someone who is fast on the court, or that you’re a really good teammate. Find out what your strong points are in the eyes of others. This way you can develop your most valuable skills.

When your shooting isn’t accurate, check out your shoulder position. Shoulders are the key to a consistently successful shot. Be sure that your shoulders square up in front of the hoop. The shoulder that’s dominant needs to be lined up with the rim perfectly.

TIP! Find out how to make free throw shots. The free throw shot might seem simple, but it can actually be pretty difficult.

If you’re quick on the basketball court, you have a built in advantage. If you want the advantage, you need to be quicker than your opponents. In order to play fast, you must practice drills. Don’t play too fast and risk your chances. By playing beyond your speed capabilities, you will quickly lose control of the ball, which will lead to bad passes, bad shots, and turnovers.

If the opposing team is breathing down your neck, it’s a good idea to pass the ball between your legs. This will make it very hard for your defender to get it. This move can give you an advantage when playing a tough defense.

Playing basketball well means developing good court “eyesight.” Vision is an integral part of making shots and catching passes. You want your peripheral vision to be as good as it can. If you scan the entire court, not just the location of the ball, it is possible to anticipate defense moves in advance and see which teammates are open.

TIP! Making free throws are almost as much a mental part of the game as they are a physical part. It’s easy to physically train for a free throw, yet mental preparation is also needed.

Changing up your pace is something you have to do to make sure the offense is paying attention. Plant a foot and start to straighten your body. Your guard will do the same, thinking you plan to stop. After that, push hard in a forward motion and scoot by them.

When you are on defense, make sure to keep yourself low. Doing this allows you to have quick reactions, especially to your opponent. Remain in a correct defensive pose always. When you break your stance to block, return to proper form as quick as you can.

Your defenders need to wait for the point guard to make it 10′ ahead of the time line. Once your opponent is trapped, he will have no option but to make a pass. It also lets you have forwards on blocks sprint to the wing players. The point guard should throw up a pass that your forwards can easily steal.

TIP! A good way to get your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros are playing. Get tickets to some pro games, if possible, or catch some games on television.

To build up your skills with your weaker hand, use it for everything from opening jars to brushing your teeth. If you’re able to do more with your other hand daily, you can start controlling it better. This will have a positive impact on your basketball game, too.

You should practice your dribbling while switching your balance from right to left. Real game dribbling has a lot of variety. It is likely that you will be fending off two or more players from the opposing team. You must know how to dribble effectively by leaning your body in both directions. It can help you get out of a jam.

Whether you simply enjoy basket or live, breath, and eat the sport, you are sure to find value in what you’ve read. Every skill can be improved on. You will learn to play like a professional basketball player.