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Tennis Ball Dribbling

One of the more effective, but unkown ball handling drills is the use of Tennis Balls. If I had to choose one drill to improve ball handling, this would be it. At first it seems difficult, but after time you will begin to master the tennis ball and have much more conrol over your basketball handles.

Start with stationary drills. Alternate dribbling 5 times with your right, then 5 times with your left. It's ok to look down at the ball in the beginning. Try to use your fingertips to dribble the tennis balls, you have more control with the smaller tennis ball.

Now go to walking while dribbling the tennis ball, again alternating hands. When you have mastered this, go to sprints, again alternating hands. At this point you should work on keeping your head up while dribbling.

Your next progression would be to dribble two tennis balls at the same time. This is HIGHLY advanced. Only the best ball handlers in the world can comfortably accomplish this. Hopefully you can get there after plenty of hard work.

Comments

6/9/2009 11:31:25 PM
qwerty said:

good tips they work

7/27/2009 9:32:47 PM
tommy said:

you should mention the one drill where you have both balls in the same hand and you throw one up and push the other tennis ball up farther on your hand and catch the other tennis ball. once perfected it looks like juggling. it's really hard. i learned it from ganon baker

8/1/2009 2:43:00 AM
Boss said:

Does this really work?

8/1/2009 4:35:25 PM
Brian said:

yes. I promise they work.

1/10/2010 10:34:05 PM
Dre said:

Wat's up my name is D'Andre I'm 16 years old and I got cut my sophomore year because I couldn't dribble, that's what my coach said. Will doing these tennis ball drills improve my left and right in ball handling? please help!!

1/14/2010 5:05:44 PM
Brian said:

Listen, if you're dedicated about improving your ball handling, this is the ONE drill I would recommend over any other. So yes, this will help your ball handling skills, as long as you put in the work.

1/18/2010 10:24:13 AM
dsmith said:

yes,yes,yes...last year i was a bench warming freshman,over the summer i did every dribbling drill with tennis balls.Now i am a sophmore, 5'8 point guard that starts varsty.the tennis ball will cordinate your court vision.Also it will help u dribble the basketball with quickness.

2/21/2010 1:04:08 PM
jamar said:

how will u be able to dribble the tennis ball with ur finger tips if its so small? U would automatically think top dribble with ur palm because thats the only way u could control the tennis ball. some one respond and help me out so i may properly do this drill.

2/22/2010 8:24:48 AM
Brian said:

You would dribble the tennis ball just like you would a basketball, with your fingertips. Nobody said it wouldn't be difficult, which is why it such an effective drill. You may look silly when first starting out, but that's a small price to pay for improving your ball handling abilities.

4/4/2010 12:52:45 AM
john said:

hey my name is john what if u think your handling is good will it still improve my handles

4/5/2010 8:31:11 AM
Brian said:

you can always improve. Even if your handles are nice, they can always get nicer.

4/25/2010 11:49:02 PM
KC said:

Great tip.

5/11/2010 11:17:42 AM
izaiah said:

ive already gotten better. i dribble the tennis ball anytime i have a chance, like during school and when im sitten around

5/11/2010 9:33:17 PM
Brian said:

good to hear. Keep doing that and you'll live up to your name, lol.

5/18/2010 7:31:50 PM
tevin said:

can you use a handball

5/20/2010 3:40:50 AM
Brian said:

sure, lol.

6/3/2010 6:05:05 PM
justin said:

how long will it take until i see results in my handles?

6/5/2010 12:51:50 AM
Brian said:

There's no way to quantify something like that. It depends on the person, but if you put in the work, there will be noticeable improvement. That much I can guarantee.

6/6/2010 6:54:33 AM
Daniyal said:

Hey im 14 i play 2 aka SG can you recommend me any camps or any private instructor i am trying to change my game into a pg i used to be a post and i live in texas so if you have any camps i have talked to Robert Pack but his camps are in New Orleans and i need to improve my dribbling and dribble penetration atm i am working at my foorwork so plz if you know any good camps plz tell me

6/10/2010 4:25:25 AM
Brian said:

I'm not too familiar with the Texas area, sorry. If you were in the Vegas area, I could personally train with you, but obviously that isn't possible. GL with that.

6/16/2010 9:38:42 PM
Ej said:

So when I'm done doing this drill and I pick up a basketball I will be able to moves much easier? But how does the tennis ball help me dribble a basketball

6/17/2010 12:47:47 PM
Brian said:

yes

6/17/2010 9:37:09 PM
Michael said:

Will doing these drills with the tennis ball help me with my crossover?

7/11/2010 8:47:10 PM
JD said:

does dribbling with a tennis ball get your handles faster

7/14/2010 12:34:11 AM
Brian said:

It just allows you to control the ball better. Over time this would equate into a faster dribble, so yes.

7/18/2010 10:12:05 AM
Devin said:

I am 6'2 and I am 15 and I am going to be a sophomore this year, and the coaches have me at post because I can't dribble that good and we don't have many people taller then me, so I am trying to learn to dribble so I can make it to the next level, because I am pretty sure I won't be a 7 footer. Any other recommendations to increase your dribbling skills?

7/19/2010 4:47:26 PM
Brian said:

Dribbling is nothing but putting in the work to gain complete control over the ball. The tennis ball drills are a great place to start. Work on dribbling from triple threat, and on the break. Pracice, practice, and practice some more. GL

8/30/2010 7:34:56 PM
Jay said:

@Brian You can sprint and dribble a tennis ball at the same time while keeping your head up??? lol who are you

8/31/2010 3:48:49 AM
Brian said:

Yeah, I know. I'm pretty awesome.

9/17/2010 10:19:04 PM
DownSups said:

Hey, how high do i bounce th balls??

9/20/2010 4:03:21 PM
Wertz said:

This is the best exercise for ball handling, any pro player or very good one will tell you that. If your serious about your game and want to have great handles then do this everyday and you will see results.

10/22/2010 11:28:52 AM
adenis said:

do you have any videos of you doing different drills with the tennis ball?

11/12/2010 12:32:45 AM
Jess said:

Hi Brian when saying use your fingertips while dribbling the tennis ball wouldn't you have to have your fingers more close together almost touching when going through the motion since the tennis ball is so small contrary on what you do with a regular basketball where you have to spread your finger as far as possible comfortably? When I try to use my finger tips with a tennis ball its almost as my hand forms a pinching position that doesn't look totally right, Using your fingertips do you recommend having all in contact with the smaller ball. Or do you have your fingers well spread and dribble the tennis with you finger pads and the bottom of your fingers? I'm just confused on the subject, hope you can help, thanks for reading

11/16/2010 11:56:40 AM
Brian said:

Yes, I recommend putting your fingers closer together while dribbling the tennis ball. You're basically forcing yourself to control a much more difficult ball to dribble, the tennis ball, making control over the basketball that much easier. As I said to other posters, it's not easy. You're not gonna start off looking like Steve Nash dribbling a tennis ball. It's gonna be clumsy, it's gonna be awkward, which is why when you finally CAN dribble the tennis ball, it is so effective in dribbling a basketball. It's all about practice though. If you're not willing to put in the work, it will not be effective. GL

11/30/2010 4:30:42 AM
Jess said:

Thank you for replying back, I wish I lived near your area I would love to be trained by you! but do you have any videos of you doing these tennis ball drills or any basketball training videos at all? lol I would love to see you in action sprinting while dribbling a tennis ball! that would be amazing

12/9/2010 2:08:19 AM
Brian said:

There might actually be a video coming out soon. Keep your eyes on the site, glad to help in any way.

12/9/2010 2:13:13 AM
Carla said:

I am a sophmore and I help coach rec ball and I was wondering if this drill would be worth trying with the kids. They are in grades 3&4.

12/9/2010 2:15:40 AM
Brian said:

I would say that the tennis balls are probably a little advanced for the third and fourth graders. I wouldn't start doing something like that until middle school age kids.

12/23/2010 12:43:07 PM
kcthaman said:

If I dribble with a ball the size of a big softball will that work also

1/7/2011 12:33:17 PM
Brian said:

Yes.

1/9/2011 7:48:05 PM
GrowingPg said:

Hey i was wondering should you dribble the tennis ball low as if you were dribbling a real ball? Or just standing straight up dribbling? Which is better?

1/11/2011 12:37:29 AM
Brian said:

Start off dribbling higher than normal, get the feel, then work your way to dribbling it more like you would a regular basketball. It feels awkward at first, just continue working, and it will feel more comfortable after a little bit. GL

2/3/2011 6:48:28 PM
kevin said:

wil this really improve my left hand when i dribble ? and will my handles improve alot if i do it everyday ?

2/6/2011 2:05:37 PM
david said:

is this a really good drill to improve alot my ball handling skills?

2/13/2011 7:22:44 PM
Brian said:

yes and yes

3/5/2011 11:43:06 PM
greg said:

will this help me with my crossover behind back in and out dribble moves

Tennis ball drills can help improve all of your dribble moves
-CoachLok

4/1/2011 11:40:31 AM
jake said:

will this really help me improve when i dribble with my left. will i have alot more control of my left so that i can dribble at high speed

Extra dribbling drills can help ball control with eother hand
~Coach Lok

4/16/2011 7:03:42 PM
zhivko said:

is this the only drill that i should do? because the other drills take too much time and space, i can do this anywhere, is this more effective?

it will help - but there's no 1 drill fits all solution.You've gotta practice everything if you want to improve

5/7/2011 1:44:33 PM
zach said:

i was thinking about doing this but i feel if i use a tennis ball a basketball will have a feeling of being large and i feel more comfortable with the basketball feeling small so i got a "bigball" from jumpusa what should i do?

Using both will be effective. Anything that gives you better fingertip control will help

Coach Lok

5/26/2011 12:19:45 PM
chris said:

im chris and im 14.. i started pg at the jv level and nexy year i will be a sophmore starting at pg.. but i need to get my handles better and faster.. so would these drills help me overcome tht.. so i can take over better in games??

Yes, Diligent practice always helps

5/26/2011 8:50:16 PM
harry said:

im 15 and im a 5'11 sg on jv, but i gotta play pg cuz we dont have other ppl that can handle the ball. if ppl come to press me or i have to dribble in tighter areas, i get nervous and start lookin at the ball, would this help me with that?

~ this would definitely help. You also need to get more practice against live defense - so find some players and just work on protecting your dribble

5/30/2011 10:35:54 AM
diamond said:

i am a kid and i think this will work for me at the basketball court and listen to the coach.

6/27/2011 10:57:03 AM
devin said:

hey what if you have no handles at all, would this be the correct drill for me to work on?

7/26/2011 6:11:20 PM
Kevin Durant said:

I do these drills. They really improve my ball handling. I highly recommend them.

9/7/2011 11:21:40 AM
chris said:

how can i improve my shot and my doubble crossover

10/26/2011 10:10:57 AM
gary said:

i am left handed and its hard to go right will the tennis ball help me with that

11/3/2011 5:56:43 PM
Lebron Michael James said:

Hey people sure these drills work just be confident in youtrself doin the drills and eep practicing u will get better trust me how u think imade it in the NBA. its called repetition and

12/19/2011 6:02:41 PM
raven said:

i play basketball as the pg and im only 5'3 and i was wondering would this help my confidence in being trapped or pressed

1/10/2012 8:17:25 PM
Benchwarmer said:

Do you have a demonstration of this drill on youtube?

2/8/2012 3:47:41 PM
ThePointGuardCharde said:

Hey im 13 in the 8th and im a point guard and i really love crossing over and will this drill really help me on fast break and euro stepping?

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