The best way to achieve your goals in the sport of basketball is to always be willing to practice. If you aren't practicing right then there really is no use in practicing at all. You will also find out which skills are most important.
As you dribble, bring your body down just a little closer to the ground. This will make it easier to bounce the ball. If the ball has a shorter distance to travel between the ground and your hand, you are less likely to make a mistake that leads to a turnover.
Always follow through when shooting. A great way to practice is to hold your follow through until the ball goes in the basket or misses. This will give you some clues on why you missed a shot or where you need to strive for consistency. Watch how other players follow through and follow their lead.
When you dribble, make sure that you use fingertips instead of palms. This gives you much more control over the ball. Using your palms can cause the ball to go all over the place on the court, whereas using your fingertips keeps it under your control when you have to run.
Work on flexibility. Flexibility is very important during basketball. This is because you may have to stretch to grab a ball that is in the air. Additionally, increased flexibility helps protect your tendons and joints from the damage caused during this fast playing sport. Do flexibility exercises often and always stretch before beginning any game.
Beware of picking up bad habits from street basketball games. Street games are often rougher and flashier than team basketball. It's a game to impress through individual showmanship, not from your work as part of a bigger group. Therefore, you can bring the wrong skills to the table if you base your team play on what you've learned from street games. Remember, you are part of something bigger than just you.
Always be aware of where you have your feet and what you are going to do with them next. Stepping even a toe on the baseline with the ball in your hands means you are out of bounds. Holding the ball for too many steps and not dribbling will result in a walking call which will cause you to you will lose possession of the ball. In addition, a foul can be called against you if you move either foot while setting a screen, a pick or taking a charge.
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.
Stick with the same routine every time that you do free throws. You have 10 seconds to shoot, so you can use that short period of time as you like. You can bounce the ball a couple times, spin it within your hands, talk to yourself, etc. Try to be creative and find a routine that works best for you. You will eventually get more comfortable with this shot by doing the same routine over and over.
Patience can be a key component to getting the best shot. Taking a perimeter jump shot from near the three point line while early into the offense is probably not the best idea. Instead, get into your half court set and begin looking for the open shot. Look down low for an easy basket or outside for an open three point shot.
Become a great athlete. There are few great basketball players out there who aren't also superb athletes in general. This is a very athletic sport, so prepare for it by playing all sorts of athletic games. This can be running, swimming, cycling, you name it. All of these sports will add to your abilities on the court.
When you're playing basketball, make sure that you dribble with your head up. If you feel that you have to look down every time you dribble, then you need more practice. Try to practice dribbling all over the place when you can without looking to get better at it. Watching good point guards can help since they always look forward and around when they dribble.
Add stretching to your warm up, cool down, and work out routines. Stretching helps give you a wider range of motion with your arms and legs. That's critical to basketball. It'll allow you to do things with the basketball that others will find impossible, including between the leg dribbling and behind the back passing.
Know your place on the team and play it. You may be better as a support player than as the one who can dunk the basketball. That doesn't mean you will never make a winning shot, it just means that you don't neglect other players or interfere with them in pursuit of scoring points.
Be slick with your feet so you can get a rebound from a teammate. The person defending the position down-court from you will be coming at you, so you need to find any way you can to slide around him that gets you to the ball. Now you can achieve a proper rebound and not commit a foul.
Whether you only play on the weekends or you're a hardcore enthusiast, these tips will still help improve your skills on the court. Start using a tip and see how much better your game gets. You can pass better, shoot better, rebound and make sure you get better all the time.