Want To Improve Your Basketball Skills? Take A Look At These Tips!

The love of basketball extends to the young and older alike. Basketball is played all over the world by novices and pros with one thing in common; the need to play their best. Learning the tricks of the game and how to improve your skills can be found in the article ahead. Learn proper dribbling. You'll want to use your fingertips to dribble instead of using your palm. You'll have a lot more control over the ball this way. Dribble off to the side waist high. Look up and never down at the ground.

TIP! Improving your flexibility will greatly help you during a game. If you're flexible, you'll be able to move around defenders better.

Practicing with your team is important, but don't overlook the value of daily practice on your own. Set up a daily practice time for yourself and stick to your schedule. Practice footwork, shooting, and dribbling. It is also important to include strength training and endurance training in your practice schedule.

When playing basketball, remember that you are playing on a team. Don't be a "ball hog." A team is like a support system and your teammates are there to help you and you should be there to help them. The objective of the game is to work together to beat the opponent. When shooting the basketball, it is important to maintain good balance. Jumping and leaning to the right or the left can result in a missed goal. Learn to jump straight up while maintaining your balance for best results. You can practice this by running and shooting the ball during your practice time.

TIP! Never pass the ball and stand still. This is a mistake most often made by those new to the game of basketball.

When trying to pass the ball to your teammate, the chest pass is one of the most effective. To do the chest pass, have your knees bent while you step into the pass. Then, make sure your thumbs are facing down and that the ball is coming off of your fingertips. Keep in mind that basketball shoes don't last forever. Ask questions at the store or do research to find out just how many games or months a good pair should last before needing replacement. You need to feel safe in the quality of your footwear when moving on the court. Need to dupe the opposition? You should try a back pass. If you wish to try this pass, get the ball in your dominant hand. Next get the ball pulled up behind the back. Quickly flick with your wrist in the direction you want to pass the ball. You can use this action to deceive your opponents.

TIP! Be careful not to travel when dribbling the basketball. Traveling occurs when you take too many steps in between dribbles.

Try yoga to improve your basketball game. You might not want to tell your teammates about it, since some of them are going to likely laugh. However, the increased flexibility and agility you get helps prevent injuries or at least leaves able to get back up quicker when you get knocked down. Don't laugh; Kareem Abdul-Jabaar used it to extend his NBA career.

Good rebounding is a key aspect of a success basketball player, so practice rebounds and jumping. Many easy baskets come from the second, third or even fourth shot taken. Practice getting your own rebounds. It is very common for a ball to hit off the rim and head right back towards you. When shooting free throws in basketball, make sure you properly line up with the basket. Your lead foot needs to be lined up with the rim's center. If you're right-handed, your lead foot will be the right foot. If your court has a hardwood floor, check it for a dot. If it has one, put your toe on it for a straighter shot.

TIP! Keep your opponents guessing as to where you will be going next. Dart right, lean left, move back and forward too.

To stay hydrated while playing basketball outside on a hot day, make sure you drink plenty of water or sports drink before you head outside, and take a bottle with you. When you sweat, you not only lose water, but you lose electrolytes and sodium. Sports drinks like Powerade help you replace those and keep your edge on the basketball court. Passing between your legs can be helpful when the other team is riding you hard. Refine this skill by bouncing a ball with force between the legs while stepping backwards or forwards. Mastering this technique can give you a significant advantage. Learn something about basketball every day. Even if it's the off-season and there's nowhere to play, you can still improve your game. Read up on tips via books and websites or watch archived games to see what your favorite pro players can teach you. You may be surprised how much rubs off the next time you're on the court.

TIP! Make sure you know what is going on with your feet. If you step on the baseline, you will be out of bounds.

If you want to be sure that you are dribbling correctly, dribble in some dirt. When you're done, take a look at your hands. If your fingers are dirty while your palm is nice and clean, then you are holding the ball correctly. A dirty palm means you need to refine your technique. To better your vertical jumping in basketball, try doing some deep knee bend jump exercises. Begin by standing straight. Quickly crouch down as low as possible with your bottom nearly touching the ground, then jump upwards as high as possible. The minute you land, crouch immediately and jump back up again. Try doing this about 15 times, and when you're able to, try increasing it to 20, 30, and so on. Don't do these exercises more than four or fives times every week. To develop an accurate shooting stroke, put your dominant hand under the ball and use your other hand on the side of the ball, as a guide. If you develop this consistency, you will be able to follow through with your shooting hand and get a high, looping arc that is more likely to go through the hoop.

TIP! Strive to be a player that everyone can respect. You are representing your team both on the court and off.

To inbound a basketball successfully, you have to be able to look one way and pass another. Many times, defenders will follow your eyes to try to guess where you are going to throw, so if you can look to the left and pass to the right, you will fake many defenders out. Taking your ball skills to the next level is not so hard when you focus on information like you have read here. The key to being great at a sport like basketball, is gaining more knowledge. Now that you have some great ideas for improving your game, get on the court and take charge.