Basketball is similar to many other areas of life. For instance, would you try fixing a car’s engine if you didn’t know how to do it? The same standard goes for a sport like basketball. Use these tips to improve you game to an expert level. 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. When you rebound in basketball, make sure you make contact before your opponent. You’ll be in control of what occurs if you are the first to make contact when boxing out. Hit them first before they get a chance to make contact with you so that you can get leverage. Be sure to anticipate and be sure you’re always first. This will provide you with an edge. Work on being able to receive a pass. You need to be able to retrieve perfect passes and not so perfect passes. During a game, not all of your passes will hit the mark. Therefore, it pays to practice catching passes that are a bit off-target. You can learn to trick the opposing team. Back passes can give your team the opportunity to score while the other team is still wondering what happened. Perform this pass by holding the ball using your dominant hand. Then you will want to pull the ball into position behind your back. After determining which direction you want the ball to go, use a quick flick of your wrist to send it that way. You can use this action to deceive your opponents. Never leave the practice court without taking some practice shots. Do some free throws, lay-ups and 3-point throws every practice before you leave. Of course you are doing some shooting during practice, but this additional practice will help you in the long run. Keep practicing your shooting on a daily basis. Understanding your opponent is a good way to shut him down on defense. Make sure that you’ve watched tapes that show the other player. You can also check out scouting reports. Learn which of the opposing players are left-dominant and which are right-dominant. Your defensive game will be a lot more effective after you get to know your opponent. A knowledgeable defender is a strong defender. If you are shooting as well, pay attention to the position of your shoulders. When your shoulders are positioned improperly, you will never make the basket regardless of how good your abilities are. Keep your shoulders square in line with the basket. The dominant shoulder needs to be aligned correctly with the rim. After you understand the inner workers of an automobile, you’ll excellent. Learning to be the best basketball player possible would be even more exciting. This can help you to impress your teammates, and help you to win games.