Basketball Dribbling Secrets, Tips, And Drills
It doesn't matter whether you're a guard, forward, or center, good ball-handling skills are essential in basketball. In today's competitive age, you better be ready to put the ball on the floor. Even centers and power forwards are becoming more versatile than ever, raising the bar of competition with every year that passes.
Dribbling a basketball does not mean fancy moves that break your defender's ankles, it simply means the ability to handle the ball and reach your desired objective.
These "desired objectives" are the real secrets to dribbling a basketball. Understanding these secrets will make you a better ball-handler practically overnight.
There are 3 secrets, and they are as follows:
1) Protect the ball - The 1st objective of dribbling is to make sure you don't turn it over.
2) Create space - The 2nd objective is to create space between you and your defender, so you can effectively relieve pressure to get off a shot or a pass.
3) Get past - This means getting past your defender. The 3rd objective is to get ahead of your defender to create dribble penetration. This opens up scoring and passing options for your entire team.
Even though the above 3 points may seem obvious, many players seem to ignore the basic fundamentals of dribbling a basketball, which is simply understanding what to do with the ball.
Depending on your skills and talents, you can choose one, two, or all three of the above objectives and fine tune your ball handling skills towards meeting your chosen goal(s).
When handling a basketball, you're not trying to show off and intimidate the opponent, although these can be secondary goals depending on whether psychological tactics will help you win.
Now that you know the the goals, here's some tips and drills on how you can become a better ball-handler:
- Dribble with your fingers primarily. This gives you better control and feel for the ball, which in turn allows you to quickly react to pressure or execute a quick move. Its important to work on strengthening your overall grip, your forearm strength, and finger flexibility.
- As soon as you execute a fast, wide dribble move, slightly palm the ball, but don't overdo it. During a wide crossover, for example, slightly palming the ball will prevent it from sliding off your fingers.
- Keep your defender guessing. This is very important. You have to incorporate head, shoulder, and leg fakes to confuse your defender. The goal is to make sure he/she never knows what you're going to do next. Its helpful to keep switching the ball from your left and right hands, so the defender does not know which direction you're going.
- Learn to dribble with both hands. This is an invaluable tip, and a simple basketball drill to work on this is to dribble two balls at the same time, running up and and down the court. Once you become good at that, you can start doing moves while dribbling two basketballs.
Make sure to review the above tips, secrets, and basketball drills, and you'll have a new philosophy on ball-handling. Remember, dribbling can only be effective when there's a purpose...an end goal. The next step after improving your ball-handling is towork on 1-on-1 offensive moves to help you become a true scoring threat.
Author: Doge Naseh
Doge Naseh is a basketball trainer and coach, helping thousands of players and coaches from around the world take it to the next level. His website, http://www.basketball-drills-and-plays.com helps coaches improve their teams and helps players improve their games. He also publishes 2 newsletters that contain many tips, tricks, and secrets on how to be the best in the game. Subscription to these newsletters is available for free
LIVE SOON Mens Basketball: USA vs. Australia - New York Times
Los Angeles Times LIVE SOON Mens Basketball : USA vs. Australia New York Times, United States - By Joshua Robinson Its medal-round (and dinner) time in Beijing which means that the Redeem Team is providing some breakfast theater in New York this ... About the Author - 100%InjuryRate Americans are a focus group Up first for the US in medal round: a smart Australia teamSpain, Lithuania on to semis in men's basketball - CBC.ca
TSN.ca Spain, Lithuania on to semis in men's basketball CBC.ca, Canada - Spain and Lithuania are through to the semifinals in the men's basketball tournament at the Beijing Games with wins in their first games of the medal round ... Olympics- Basketball : Gasol-inspired Spain cruise through to semi ... Spain advances to semis in men's basketball Good morning, Dallas, ready for some quarterfinal basketball ? -Lithuania end Chinas basketball medal hopes - National Post
China Daily Lithuania end Chinas basketball medal hopes National Post, Canada - REUTERS Sergio PerezYao Ming sits on the bench as China loses its men's quarter-final basketball game against Lithuania at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on ... 2008 Olympic Basketball : Quarterfinal Games and Lingering Questions Lithuania through in 94-68 win over China Sister power in the pool as Yao leads China charge -A dream to redeem - China Daily
Ninemsn A dream to redeem China Daily, China - By Marc Checkley A throng of journalists filled Beijing Normal University gymnasium on Tuesday to get up close and personal with basketball legends the ... Opinion: The US Basketball 'Redeem Team' More Like A Dream Redeem Team has already redeemed itself Dressing for Success and Playing Like a Team -