Dribbling Tips
Read these 12 Dribbling Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Basketball tips and hundreds of other topics.
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.
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.
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.
Keep Your Head Up
When doing all drills involving dribbling, it is extremely important that you keep your head up. You must be able to see where you are going and where your teammates are so you can pass them the ball when they are open.
Coaches like...
Coaches like a person who: 1) can dribble with both hands 2) doesn´t try to show off for no reason 3) isn´t afraid to make the extra pass to get a teammate more open than you are. And if coaches like you, then they tell other coaches. Word spreads very quickly and just by doing the little things you can have a name for yourself in no time.
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 in 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 high.
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.
Basketball dribbling skills
Basketball dribbling skills are something that you have to work at to obtain, maintain and improve. Most everyone knows how to dribble a basketball, but not everyone can dribble like a pro. When you first begin to learn dribbling techniques you will learn that you don’t dribble with the palm of your hand, dribbling a basketball is done with the tips of your fingers. You will use your forearm and wrist to balance the ball as you learn to dribble with using the tips of your fingers. Your coach will usually put together a different basketball practice plan for the team each practice. This will assist each player individually and as a unit to improve both their individual and team skills. Don’t just stop with scheduled practices if you truly want to improve your skills and control on the court. On your own you can start by running dribbling drills. Remember to keep your weight on the balls of your feet and in the ready position. As you continue to learn and improve your foot and dribbling control on the court as an individual player, you will begin to show your improved skills as a team player. Your team members may also want to run drills with you after practice, or just play for fun. These are other ways for you to learn potential opposing team types of moves and learn different offensive techniques. A team works together toward the goal of winning, but they also work together offensively to help prepare each other for what the opposing team may be bringing to the court.
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 and NEVER pick up your dribble in the corners.
Dribble Knockout Drill
Start with the entire team inside the 3 pt arc, each player with a ball. The players attempt to keep their dribble alive while knocking away another players ball. Put players in the key when the group is down to 5 or under, then in the circle when it is down to the final 2. Emphasis is on keeping the head up and protecting the dribble.
Pressbreak 5 dribbles to half
Dribble against a defender, using a variety of moves in the back court, trying to get to half court in only 5 dribbles. Puts an emphasis on GOING SOMEWHERE with the dribble.
Pressbreak 1 on 2
Dribble against TWO defenders, using a variety of moves in the back court, trying to advance the ball to half-court. Puts an emphasis on the back dribble and other “escape moves”
| Guru Spotlight |
| Ray Lokar |
