FUNDAMENTAL MECHANICS OF DRIBBLING
1- Use your fingertips and the pads of your fingers (not your palm).
2- Keep your head up at all times.
3- Keep your dribble low (at least below your waist).
4- Protect the ball with the arm you are not using to dribble.
5- Pound the ball! A hard dribble makes you Ball Quick!
TYPES OF DRIBBLES
1- CONTROL DRIBBLE: Used when you are being closely guarded. Keep the ball below your waist and keep your body between the ball and the defender.
2- SPEED DRIBBLE: Used in the open court when you want to get the ball up the court quickly. Push the ball out in front of you while maintaining control.
3- CROSSOVER DRIBBLE: Used when your want to change directions. Cross the ball over from one hand to the other, low (below your knees) and in front.
4- INSIDE – OUT DRIBBLE: Used to make the defense think you are going to change directions. Dribble hard at the defender, bring the ball inside aand look in that direction (as if to crossover) and quickly pull it back, keeping the ball in the same hand. Push off the opposite foot and explode past the defender to the basket.
5-HESITATION DRIBBLE: Used to keep the defender off guard. Act like you are pulling up to shoot, tilt your head and shoulders back, then explode by the defender.
6- THROUGH THE LEGS DRIBBLE: Used to change direction. Must bring the ball low to go through your leg.
7- BEHIND THE BACK DRIBBLE: Used to change direction. You must get low and bring the ball close to your body. Wrap the ball around your back and push it out in front, bringing the ball to the opposite hand. Hit your butt with your hand as you wrap the ball around to insure the ball stays close to your body.
Pinch: Hold the ball with your fingertips with elbows extended. Pinch or squeeze the ball back and forth from hand to hand. Do not
bat the ball; squeeze it. The ball should never touch the palm of your hands. Keeping the elbows extended, move the ball down to the floor and up over your head as high as you can reach.
Ball Slaps: Slap the ball hard from one hand to the other 25 times. This improves the strength in your hands and fingers, which is vital in catching the ball in traffic.
Around the World: Move the ball around head, waist, knees and back up
Ball Taps: hold the ball above your head elbows locked. Tap the ball back and fourth as quickly as possible. Bring the ball from above your head down to the floor, keeping the arms extended.
Figure 8: Begin with the ball in your right hand, push it through your legs to your left hand (which is behind your leg). With your left hand, bring the ball around your left leg and back in the front, continue through your legs to your right hand and back in the front. Continue in a figure eight motion. Back door-reverse the direction by brining the ball through your legs from behind.
Ricochet: Stand straight, legs apart, knees locked. Bounce the ball between your legs and catch the ball behind your back. Wrap the ball back to the front and repeat.
Ricochet Rhythm: Same as above, but after catching the ball behind your back pass it through your legs back to the front.
Ricochet Inverted: Bring the ball over your head and drop it behind the back catch it, pass it through your legs and repeat.
Pendulum: Push the ball into the cup of your fingers. Continue to switch hands and swing your arms high like a pendulum.
Hikes: Hold the ball in front of your knees with both hands. Pass it back, swing both hands behind your knees and catch the ball. repeat as quickly as possible.
Pretzels: Start with a ball between your legs, one hand in front and one behind. Quickly switch you hands without letting the ball hit the floor.
Walking Pretzel: Same as above while walking down the court.
Leg Wraps: Wrap the ball around the right leg as quickly as possible. Repeat around the left leg. -Start with both feet together. Wrap the ball around both legs, step back with the right foot, wrap around the left leg. Step back and wrap around both legs, step back with the left leg and wrap around the right leg. Continue this pattern. (both, left, both, right, etc.)
Pound: Dribble the ball as hard as you can starting with a high dribble to the chest(20x), then to the knees(30x) and finishing at the ankles(50x). Switch to the other hand and repeat the drill.
Dribble ball around right leg with right hand. Dribble ball around left leg with left hand
Figure 8 Dribble the ball between your legs and switch hands as you push the ball through. Continue to dribble in a figure 8 motion.
Crossover: Cross the ball back and forth in front of your body (25x) only using 1 hand. Keep the dribble low and hard (below the knees). Work on being Ball Quick! Switch to your opposite hand and repeat. Then use both hands.
Up and back: Start the ball in your right hand in front of your right leg. In a push and pull motion moves the ball from front to back on your right side. Switch to your left hand and repeat the drill on your left side.
Hesitation: Dribble with the right hand and have your left foot forward. Pull the ball back and shift your weight to your right foot. Keep low with your knees bent and look at the rim. Now push the ball out and put your weight back to your left foot. Repeat this procedure 5 times. Switch to the left hand and put your right foot forward.
Between the legs – Put your right foot up and dribble the ball back and forth between your legs. Switch and put your left leg forward.
Scissors: Dribble the ball between your legs while alternating your legs back and forth. For beginners, dribble 1 or 2 times before going through your legs.
Behind the Back: From a stationary position, dribble the ball behind your back alternating hands.
Wrap around: With your heels on a line, dribble the ball hard with your right hand, then as you catch it, wrap the ball around your back(slapping your butt with your hand) so that the ball crosses the line you are standing on. Dribble once with your left hand then cross over to your right and repeat the drill. Switch and do it with your left.
Spider Dribble: Put the ball between your legs, dribble it with your right then left hand. Quickly put your hands behind your back and repeat the right and left hand dribble. Bring your hands to the front again and continue to alternate right-left, front-back as quickly as possible.
TWO BALL DRILLS
Simultaneous Dribble: Dribble both balls in rhythm at the same height. Start waist high, move down to your ankles and back up. You can also dribble each ball at different heights.
Alternating Dribble: Alternate your dribble (one up while the other is down). Go from waist to ankles. You can also dribble each ball at different heights.
Crossovers: V dribbles in front at the same time. You can also alternate keeping 1 dribble closer to your body.
Up and back: Same as the 1 ball drill but you do 2 at once. You can also alternate with one ball up as the other is back.
Around the legs: Both balls are dribbled around the outside of your legs and brought through from back to front. Start with 4 dribbles and work up to 1 and through.
Follow the Leader: Dribble both balls around the right leg. 1 ball will always follow the other as the balls switch hands. Go to the left leg, then go in a figure 8 motion.
Yo-Yo: Hold the balls at your waist. Bounce the ball in your right hand and catch it with your left. As you bounce the first ball, you must pass the ball in your left hand over to your right. Continue to bounce and pass as quickly as possible. Reverse directions.
Scissors: The same as the 1 ball scissors drill except you pass 2 balls between your legs at one time. Take a dribble and do it again.
X-Out Drill: This is a dribbling and lay-up drill designed to improve your timing, eye-hand coordination, balance, and quickness. Begin with the ball in your right hand on the right elbow. Use one dribble to g the basket and shoot a lay-up, grab the rebound out of the net and take 2 dribbles to the opposite elbow with your outside (right) hand. Plant your left foot on the elbow,
pivot toward the sideline, switch the ball into your left hand and go hard to the basket for a left handed lay-up. Continue to do this for 30 seconds. The goal is to make 7 lay-ups in 30 seconds.
Guard Series: Set up 2 cones on each wing. Start at half court on either side and go to the basket. As you approach the cone use your crossover dribble then shoot a lay-up. After shooting, dribble at the cone on the opposite wing, working on that same dribble. Then go back hard to the hoop. Go through each dribble 2X on both sides. You can use dribbles such as crossover, hesitation, thru the legs, behind the back, and inside-outside dribble.
Dribble Tag: All the players begin dribbling in a designated area (in the lane, inside the 3 point line, or half court, depending on the number of players in the game) and they are protecting their dribble while trying to knock the ball away from the other
players. If your ball leaves the designated area you are out of the game. As the number of players decreases, you can
decrease the size of the playing area.
Sharks and Minnows: All the players (minnows) line up on the baseline. 1 designated player(the shark) stands at 1/2 court and when the whistle blows, the minnows try to dribble from 1 end to the other without being tagged by the shark. Whoever gets tagged, joins the shark at 1/2 court. You play until all the minnows are gone.
Sprint Dribble: Start from the foul line and speed dribble to the opposite foul line, reverse pivot and dribble back. Continue this for 30 seconds. You should be able to complete 6 trips in 30 seconds.