Exclusive Basketball Sponsor

Get Fresh Tips Every Week!
Don't Miss Any Basketball Tips. Subscribe to the Basketball Tip Newsletter.

View Archive

Bookmark This Site
Keep up with our Tips


Tip of the Day RSS Feed
Fresh Basketball Tips Daily


Business Solutions
Our tips are powerful.
Our writers are experts.
Our results are guaranteed.

 

Listen to our Radio Show
Hot topics for both consumers
and webmarketers
on WebmasterRadio.FM

Every Wednesday, 5PM Eastern.

 



Dribbling Tips


Use angles

One of the most important techniques to bringing the ball up the floor is to use angles to your advantage. Rather than trying to put on some great move and go by someone, the novice point guard should concentrate on a low dribble, protecting the ball with their body and an arm bar, then advance the ball up the floor using 45 degree angles. When they feel pressure and the defense is in front of them, they should change directions and attack at another 45 degree angle.
8.8 8.8
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Proper Dribbling Position

JumpUSA.com Tip: You would never have two people basketball dribbling in a game, but a two dribbler attack will teach players to improve their basketball dribbling skills. Have two players dribbling the basketball in a small area. While they are dribbling, they go after the ball of the other player. Each player learns how to protect their own dribble and control their own dribble simultaneously. Practice this drill for two minutes at a time. The same theory applies to this dribble in a crowd drill. A real game would never have more than one person with the ball, but this drill will help players master the dribbling technique. You begin by using three to five defenders. The offense shoots and rebounds a layup. As the offensive player dribbles to the other end of the court to shoot a layup, the defenders try to take the ball away from him. The dribbler must look in all directions to protect the ball. This drill will give the player a better feel for dribbling in a crowd. Practice this drill for 15 minutes using all the participants.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Power dribbling blindfolded

Wrap a cloth around your head as a blindfold, or you could simply
close your eyes...no peeking. Power dribble a ball for at least 60 seconds. This drill
helps you enhance your tactile sense of the ball. You can enhance the drill by performing
it in the center of a deserted basketball court, walking around while dribbling. To make the
drill even more challenging, try power dribbling two balls, one in each hand, while being
blindfolded and slowly walking around a deserted basketball court.
8.8 8.8
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Power dribbling sprints

This drill requires you to power dribble for an extended period
of time and run back and forth on the basketball court. Stand at one end of a basketball
court. Dribble to the nearest foul line, and then return to the baseline. Dribble to the
middle of the court, and then return to the baseline from which you started. Dribble to the
farthest foul line, and then return to the baseline from which you started. Finally, dribble
the entire length of the court, and return to the baseline from which you started. This
entire continuous power dribbling exercise counts as one complete cycle of the drill.
Repeat multiple times to practice your dribbling, speed, and direction-changing abilities.

8.7 8.7
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Protect the ball

When dribbling against a defender, ALWAYS protect the ball with your body. You can do this by dribbling with your left hand when you are going left and your right hand when you are going right. This will force the defender to reach across your body to attempt a steal.
8.7 8.7
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Dribbling To the Right and Left

Improve your technique by learning to dribble to the right and left.

Begin with your knees slightly bent. When you take a step to the right, do not bring your feet close together or slide your feet.  Take a quick step to the right forward and backward. Take a quick step to the left forward and backward. Now pick up the basketball and repeat the movement.  Practice this drill for two minutes.
8.7 8.7
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Developing your "off" hand

It is important to work right from the start at developing both hand equally well. When practicing your ball handling, make sure that you practice at least as much with your weak hand as you do your strong hand, eventually increasing to twice as much with your weak hand.
8.7 8.7
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Dribbling to avoid pressure

By dribbling the ball over half court on the sideline, you are giving the defense an advantage. They can set up their help side defense or trap you. Change directions and it helps relieve some pressure. As often as possible, bring the ball up the middle of the court.
8.7 8.7
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Power dribbling-Dirt dribbling

This drill actually requires you to leave the basketball court and find
a patch of dirt. Do a Power dribble on the dirt for 1 or 2 minutes. You will need to power
dribble the ball even harder than usual in order to get the ball to bounce on the dirt. This
drill is an extremely good arm workout with power dribbling.

8.7 8.7
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Stutter step move

This is a great move for a guard also. Dribble hard toward the defender, take some hard steps in place, and then go fast past the defense. Often you will catch them flat footed and you will have an open lane to the basket.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Proper Dribbling Position

Basketball dribbling is one of the key techniques in the game. So what's the proper dribbling position? Try this drill.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Your torso should be kept straight and your knees should be slightly bent.  Let your arms hang straight down at the sides.  The back of your hands face forward, the palms face backward.  Flick your wrists upward and let them come back without any additional effort.  Practice this drill for one minute.

Want to use both hands for basketball dribbling? Try this.

Bend your knees so they are a few inches away from the ground in a squat position.  The feet are shoulder width apart, arms extended downward, elbows slightly bent and  hands straight down.  Start with the right hand and flick the wrist upward.  Hold the position for 20 seconds. Switch to the left hand and hold the position for 20 seconds.  Practice this drill for two minutes.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Stationary Dribbles:

stationary dribbles: Crouch down in defensive position and dribble the ball at a moderate height (about 2 feet off ground), then at a high height (shoulder level), and finally low (about 4 inches off the ground) - do with both hands. Change the speed and the "rhythm" of the dribble as you go.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

"spin" dribble

Dribble in one direction then quickly jump stop, reverse pivot, take an extra dribble with the same hand, then push the ball in front of you and explode past the defender. The move must be done low and under control to protect the ball and not create a turnover.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Speed dribble

The speed dribble is used to advance the ball quickly up the floor, against little or no defensive pressure.The dribblers hand should be behind the ball pushing it in front, then running to catch up. This prevents a "palming" or "carrying over" violation. The speed dribble on the open floor can be a little higher than other dribbles. Control dribble moves should be around the knee, but a speed dribble can be waist to chest high.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

30 second “free style”

30 second “free style”-for 30 seconds practice a variety of your very best moves. Mix up your dribble moves(crossover, inside out, between the legs, behind the back, etc. Change the speed and the "rhythm" of the dribble, change the combination of the dribble moves.
8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Power dribbling-3 chair dribbling

Set up 3 chairs or cones in a line, spacing each chair/cone 10 feet
apart. Power dribble around the chairs/cones in different shapes, such as figure-eights,
circles, or any shape. Use your imagination.

8.6 8.6
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

One-handed side

one-handed side "V": Also know as the "push-pull" dribble, dribble ball at a moderate height forward and back in a rocking motion. With the right hand, and a stance with your left foot in front and the right foot in back and your knees bent, dribble with the right hand at the side of your body,front to back and back to front(with only the right hand). Key: in order to dribble from the front to the back, you must place your hand on top and towards the front of the ball, and push the ball to the back. When you dribble from back to front, you must place your hand on the top and rear of the ball to push it to the front again. Make sure you give equal time to practice with your left hand.
8.5 8.5
Save Tip Comments Tip Rating

Power dribbling - Dribble between legs while walking

In order to do this drill you will need a segment of
floor, such as a basketball court floor, a street`s sidewalk, or a wide hallway that is
deserted. Power dribble while walking up and down the walkway. Power dribble the ball
between your legs to practice fancy dribbling skills. To enhance the drill, perform the
drill at a quicker walking pace, maybe at a light jogging pace.
<