Want To Be A Better Basketball Player? Read These Tips.

Even the NBA’s best players don’t know all there is to know about this wonderful game. Do you want to be a hand up? Read on to find the edge you an edge over the competition.

Always dribble with your head up and looking forward. If you have to look at the ball while dribbling, that means you need to practice more. Carry your basketball everywhere. If you walk to the store, dribble the ball. Staring at the ball doesn’t allow you to watch the other players.

TIP! When dribbling, your head must be up, and you need to look forward. Lack of practice will manifest itself in looking down towards the ball when dribbling.

Make sure that you practice your layups whenever possible.Layups account for up to 80 percent of all shots. When practicing this technique, then jump and shoot smoothly. This method will teach you in perfecting your jumps and then shoot.

Learn how to throw proper bounce passes. A useful bounce pass that’s good is going to end up hitting the other player at waist level. A good estimation is to target the ball bounce roughly 3/4 of the distance to the recipient. There are many factors which come into play, however.

You need to keep your balance if you’re shooting. While some NBA players are able to launch a ball to the net mid-fall, this is not appropriate for most people. These are not practiced skills, they are just flukes. You should have proper balance when making your shots, and over time this will lead to consistently making baskets.

A good way to hone your basketball game up to speed is to start trying to see how the pros.

A great way to practice sound passing is to drill without dribbling. It is a challenge not to dribble while playing, but it does make sure you and your teammates make accurate passes.

A bounce pass is an important technique to learn. The bounce pass needs to reach the player at waist level. Bounce the ball so that it lands near your teammate. This all depends on many factors.

TIP! Teach yourself how a bounce pass can be properly thrown. A useful bounce pass will hit the receiving player at waist level.

Don’t bulk up if you plan on being a jump shooter. Muscle strength is beneficial for playing any basketball position, you can have too much when it comes to perimeter play.Some pro shooting guards that play professionally have such big arms that their arms so big that it started decreasing their field goal rate went down.

Would you like to fool the other team? Try using a back pass. Use the dominant hand whenever trying a behind the basketball when trying this pass. This should make it easy to trick the opposing team.

Free throws require as much mental focus as physical skill. You’re able to train your whole body to do full free throw motions, but if you’re not mentally prepared, you will fail. Relax yourself and concentrate on your shot.

TIP! Making free throws are almost as much a mental part of the game as they are a physical part. You must be mentally strong to be a consistent free throw shooter.

Never play through pain after an injury. Basketball is challenging physical and there’s always a risk of injury. Trying to play while injured will just make the injury worse.See a doctor if you think your injury is serious.

Never turn away from the ball so that you’re ready for anything in a basketball game. You have to be aware of what is going on the court. Keep an eye open for areas that are open.

Do not practice by playing against the zone defense. While you might see a zone defense mostly, a team can switch defenses to man-to-man quickly in order to confuse you. If your practice hasn’t included this type of scenario, you might lose control rapidly.

Always know where your feet and what they are doing.

Be certain you are able to see clearly.This isn’t just so you can read the scoreboard and be able to make shots as well as catching passes that come your way. You have to build your peripheral vision to be as good as it can.

When developing your jumping skills, limit your use of weight-training. Being weighed down by too much bulky muscle can have a negative impact on your jump shot. There have been instances where great shooters bulk up so much that it adversely affects their shooting percentage.

You need to take charge anytime you can.

Strength and flexibility training can improve your game. Stamina and strength are required for basketball excellence.Even the right way and legs. As they reach their teen years, get them some weights to help them exercise harder.

Ask teammates what they admire about your playing skills? Are you great at any one thing? Perhaps you are quick footed, or you are always ready to lend a hand on the court. Develop your strengths even further and look for ways to improve your weaknesses.

TIP! See if your teammates admire something in particular about your game play. What do you need to focus in on and practice more? Maybe you are nimble or you are reliably there to support them.

Keep low when you defend. This will aid you to jump fast and react quicker. Remain in a correct defensive stance always. If you need to block someone’s shot, quickly get back into that good defensive position.

If you are a basketball then you should be serious about your diet. When playing regularly, you are going to need lots of carbs for serious energy, along with protein and fats. Good foods that provide these essentials include nuts, lean chicken and nuts. Try to avoid overuse of salt or sugar.

Keeping your fingers spread wide is important for holding onto the ball. This can help you avoid losing it when you hold it. However, remember to keep your palm away from the ball. Fingers should be the only point of contact as you pass or shoot the ball at its target.

Figure out where it will land to grab the ball.

When you come back down to earth from a rebound, you should come down with spread out legs so that they’re wider than your shoulders to get good balance. Keep your hands along any side and hold it tight to your chest tightly. Watch your elbows since hitting an opponent or a foul will be called.

When you’re working out, concentrate on core strength building and your footwork. Your body will retain balance and move quicker when you have strong core muscles. The most important muscle groups include your back, stomach, and pelvic region. Similar to boxers, jump rope to help increase speed and better your footwork.

TIP! Focus on your footwork and core strength when working out. You will stay balanced if your core is strong.

Your should have good position both before and after a rebound to assure you will keep possession. Jump using both feet for increased power and balance and retrieve the ball using both hands. After rebounding, keep your feed wider apart than your shoulders to improve your balance, and hold the ball closely to your chest.

Now you should know what it takes to be a better player. Applying these tips will help you improve. Don’t stop practicing and learning. Get better at the game and keep all of the things you’ve read here in mind so you can begin working towards being better.

Watch your shoulders if you obtain a shooting slump. When the shoulders are wrongly positioned, your shot is unlikely to succeed. Be sure to keep the shoulders squared up to the hoop. You want your strong-side shoulder in perfect alignment with the rim.