The fundamentals of basketball are fairly easy to learn. You can get the basics in a couple minutes. However, you can always learn more if you would like to improve your game, and the following tips will help.

If you want to improve your game, concentrate on your strengths. Your strengths might not make you a star player, but you’ll be contributing a lot to your team. Know your strengths and keep practicing to get even better.

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. Defense ultimately determines the winner of a game of basketball.

If you want to be a jump shooter, avoid pumping iron excessively. Muscle strength can be great for basketball players, but it is actually possible to have excessive amounts for playing on the perimeter. Some shooting guards that play professionally have such big arms that their field goal rate went down.

Strong Core

If you have a kid that wants to play basketball in high school, ensure they’re training core muscles in the right way. The concept encompasses the abdominal muscles, the hips and the lower back. The core links both the lower and upper extremities. Without a strong core, they will have limited athletic performance. A strong core helps the legs move better, like jumping higher and running faster.

TIP! Get good at making free throws. That’s a shot that appears simple but is actually difficult in reality.

One good way to always be ready for whatever happens on the court is to never turn your back on the ball. Always knowing where the ball is will make sure that you are ready if it quickly comes your way. Make sure you also have the court in your line of vision as well, so you know when and where you can drive in for the score.

Get someone to analyze how you play on tape. You’ll likely see ways that you can improve. Stay honest when you’re assessing yourself, but don’t over criticize yourself either. Sometimes you have to face reality about your skills and just not dream about how you want to be.

If the opposition is hot on your tail, pass between your legs. Go forwards and backwards with the ball to practice bouncing it. If this move is something you master, you’ll have an advantage when you go out to play a game.

TIP! Make sure that you practice your layups frequently. In a typical game, up to four-fifths of all shots are layups.

Your routines must be consistent for free throws. A consistent routine enables the shooter to have a perfect motion every time. Free throw shooting is best improved by lengthy sessions of repetitive practice. You’ll miss if you don’t have a good routine down.

Practice dribbling with both hands, dribble on both sides of your body and learn to dribble in front of you while taking large strides. If both hands are useful for dribbling, your opponents will not stand much of a chance. Tie the main hand you use behind your back so that you have to use the weak hand. In no time, the weak hand will also be useful for dribbling.

To be a strong defender, you must have the ability to disrupt and interfere with the opponents’ plans. Don’t let them get comfortable. Be aggressive as you execute your moves. Do not allow them to choose the plays that they make. If you do, your opponent will run all over you. It’s important, then, to be aggressive and mess up their game rhythms.

TIP! Practice your bounce pass. Bounce passes need to be at waist level when received.

A good way to develop ball handling skills is to make your forearms and hands stronger. Wrist curls can be effective at helping you to control the ball as if you’ll be dribbling in your sleep. One thing that is important to remember is that it is difficult to be static and be a scorer. You have to be ready to move fast and change directions on a dime.

Perform drills where you attempt to get the ball up full-court in 5 dribbles or less. This may not seem feasible, but once you master it, your speed and stride will be truly impressive. This can mean easy lay-ups on fast breaks, or just give your team numbers for a moment.

Perhaps you have been just began to play basketball before reading this great article. Or, maybe you have been playing ball since you were little. In either case, the information in the preceding article can help you become a better player. Use this information the very next time you play.