Learning to play basketball is an extremely fun and beneficial opportunity. Maybe you already play with a group of friends or maybe you are considering trying out for a local team. The following ideas are tips that the professionals practice each and every day. If you want to play in the big leagues, you have to learn how the big leagues play.

Practice dribbling the ball on a number of different surfaces. As you get used to how the ball reacts, you will be able to adjust your game accordingly. How you handle the ball can make or break the game. Turnovers lead to points that your team may not be able to recover from, so your skills in this area need to be solid.

When rebounding, start moving as soon as the shooter uncoils. When you react and move quicker, you better anticipate their moves and get more rebounds. When they start to uncoil, start contact by blocking them out. Make sure to do the same thing on offense since the shooter will most likely try to uncoil after the rebound. This can boost your number of rebounds.

Play basketball against yourself even during the off-season. Many times you are unable to find people to play with. There is nothing wrong with that. You can accomplish a lot by practicing alone. You can practice free throws or pivot moves. There are always things that can be done.

To be a good post-up player in the pain, you need to have really good footwork. While physical positioning is important, it is even more essential to move quicker than an opponent. If you are just stepping into position, you now have to secure the spot. Both of those skills rely on solid footwork.

In order to shoot the basketball properly, you need to have good balance. For starters, to have a good base, you need to keep your feet roughly one shoulder length apart. Next, have your stronger foot half a step in front of the other foot. Finally, make sure your head is centered.

A player’s free-throw percentage is generally much higher than their field goal percentage. While part of this has to do with being in action with defenders right on you when shooting field goals, the other part is the dedicated form and practice put into this “free” shot. Be sure you spend some time practicing your free throws during each practice.

If you are being heavily guarded, a pass between your legs might help. Bounce the ball very hard through your legs while stepping to the front or the back. If you manage to master this, you will have a tremendous advantage during games.

To get an amazing arm workout, dribble the ball on a patch of dirt. This will take a lot of power as the dirt absorbs most of the energy you put into the ball when it hits. Do this for a few minutes, but don’t over exert yourself or you could hurt your arm.

Vision is one of the most important aspects of basketball. Specifically your peripheral vision is an area that you need to work on improving. You will be able to read the defense, see open teammates and locate scoring opportunities if you can learn to use your peripheral vision during the game.

Success in basketball is now a step closer than it was before. You can now head onto the court with confidence in your knowledge of the sport and its mechanics. Use the tips you have read here to surpass the other players and become the team star. Nothing is holding you back.