It’s important that you understand basketball if you want to truly appreciate it. What’s the score? Never fret! It’s easy to learn more about basketball. Keep reading to learn more about this wonderful game.

It’s natural to be drawn towards offense as a novice, but the pros know defense is where the game is won or lost. Defense is what stands between you and a win. The offense gets lots of attention, but if the defense is lacking no basketball team will ever win a game.

TIP! To be a great basketball player you need to work on your balance. Of course, pros may make baskets from a great distance while falling off the court, but this isn’t standard.

If you hold the ball a lot, you have to learn crossovers. A crossover is when you move the ball from one hand to the other. This must be done quickly to be successful. Once you master the art of the crossover dribble, you will be able to change directions quicker.

Observing what the professionals do can be a great way to improve your game. Go to a bunch of professional games in person, watch them on television, or just get online to search for basketball videos. Watch great players to learn the specific skills that make them exceptional.

One good way to learn good passing is drill often without dribbling. This is very hard to accomplish, but it forces you and your fellow players to work on accurate passing skills. Even though this is not an easy drill, you will be rewarded for your efforts during game time.

TIP! Practice layups often. Up to eighty percent of the baskets attempted in a game are layups.

Do you want to fool the other team? Trick them using a back pass. To do a back pass, begin by grasping the basketball using your dominant hand. Next get the ball pulled up behind the back. Finally your wrist should be flicked towards where you want the ball to go. This will confuse the opposition.

Core Muscles

If you have a kid that wants to play basketball in high school, ensure they’re training core muscles in the right way. Core muscles include the hips, abs, and lower back. The lower and upper extremities are linked by the core, and athletes with a weak core will exhibit limited performance. When your core muscles are strong, you become a more powerful force on the court. This means greater speed and higher jumping skills.

TIP! Get educated on the way to properly pass the ball on a bounce. A good bounce pass should hit the player on the receiving end at waist level.

Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. Getting a great position under the goal is the most important. Once you have a location, it is important that your feet are firmly planted there. Footwork, therefore, is crucial.

High percentage free throw shooters typically have the same free throw routine prior to each and every shot. This may mean you want to dribble three times, touch your forehead, bend at the knees, or do anything else. If you make your routine consistent, your body will eventually know how to make the shot every time.

To make your layups count the most, take off from the foot opposite your shooting hand. This will allow you to shoot with your comfortable hand. This gives you better balance, while keeping you poised toward the basket.

TIP! Your mind plays as big a part in making a free throw as your actual body does. You can train your body to complete the motions of making a free throw, but if you are mentally prepared to fail, you will.

Keep changing up your pace to help keep your opponents on their toes. Plant a foot and start to straighten your body. The guard is sure to anticipate a slow-down and will then straighten their own body. When they do, push ahead hard and outrun them.

Your defenders need to wait for the point guard to make it 10′ ahead of the time line. They should then trap the point guard. Your forwards should sprint to cover the other players on the outside. Your forwards should easily be able to steal the pass that the point guard throws.

Shoot from NBA distances to see your three-point skills improve. The established International standard line is closer, as are the high school and college lines. If you can make a basket from there, you will open up the defense because they will have to play you closely.

TIP! Lay off the weights if you are trying to become a jump shooter. Strong muscles are certainly useful for basketball, but you can overdo it if you plan to play on the perimeter.

To see improvement in outside shooting skills, you must practice your shots hundreds of times daily from various points on the court. Practice dribbling and quick shots. Hone in on your target while you are jumping, but not before you leave the ground. You will increase your level of accuracy and create an experience closer to real game play.

Wasn’t that easy? Now that you know some things about basketball, you can see how much fun the sport is. Use the information you’ve just been given to perfect your game, or just perfect the contrast on your TV so you can watch the professionals in action.