Basketball Dribbling and Ballhandling Fundamentals, Drills, & Tips

Most coaches use dribbling and ballhandling interchangeably. Though they are linked, the 2 skills are definitely separate.

Dribbling and controlling the ball is a skill that can be practiced alone and is separate from the other ball skills on the court. Ballhandling, however, involves knowledge of the game and integrates dribbling, passing and decision-making.

Practicing and improving your dribbling is a simple task. There are innumerable dribbling drills that are in use today that are challenging and effective. The set of drills that have come to be known as "Maravich Drills," (after the late ball-handling wizard Pete Maravich) are widely known. They include drills such as passing the ball around your body, dribble figure 8s, spider dribbling, drop and catch.

Practicing and improving your ballhandling requires imagination, as you have to put yourself in game situations.

9 Tips To Improve Your Dribbling & Ball Handling

Here are 9 tips from pro coach Don Kelbick.

1. Dribble the ball hard. The more time the ball spends in your hand, the more control you have of the ball. The harder you dribble, the quicker it gets back in your hand.
   
2. Head up at all times. Look at the rim or a spot on the wall during all practice.
   
3. Use your finger tips to control the ball, not your palm.
   
4. Use your imagination. Picture when and how you would use each of the dribbles.
   
5. Teach mentality. There is too much dribbling for no reason in our game today. I like to teach that the primary purpose for putting the ball on the floor is to get a lay-up. If you don't have an opportunity, don't put it on the floor.
   
6. Basketball is a game of length. Work on lengthening the dribble. Work to get your opportunities with 1 dribble. You don't beat defenses with your dribble. You beat people with your feet; you SEPARATE from your defense with the dribble.
   
7. Basketball is also a game of angles. Try to move in straight lines.Whenever you make an "East-West" move (something that takes you toward the sideline), re-capture a "North-South" path (direct line to the basket) as quickly as possible.
   
8. Don't do things in 2 dribbles that you can do in 1.
   
9. Practice outside your comfort zone. Experiment; go faster than you are used to, use your imagination. When working on new skills, don't be concerned with losing the ball. Just pick it up and do it again. If you practice only things that are comfortable, then you will never improve.

Dribbling Practice

"Maravich Drills" are very good at getting players comfortable with the ball. Below are some examples.

• Dribble Figure 8's - Spread legs about shoulder width. Dribble the ball through and around legs in a figure 8. Can be done multiple ways - front to back, back to front, low dribbles (as many dribbles as possible with dribble about shoe height), as few dribbles as possible (high dribble about waist high), can even be done walking. For even more of a challenge, try the drill with one hand instead of two.
  
• Spider Dribble - Feet spread about shoulder width. Dribble the ball between your legs in the following manner - left hand, right hand in front of your legs; left hand, right hand behind your legs. Work to as fast a possible.
  
• Drop and Catch - Hold ball between your legs with right hand in front of your body, left hand behind. Drop the ball and exchange you hand position and re-catch the ball before it hits the ground.
  

These are just examples. There are too many of these drills to list here. Pete Maravich devised these drills out of his imagination, his need for challenge and his drive to improve. You do not need to be bound by other people's drills; challenge yourself to come up with your own drills.


Dribbling Warm Ups

I prefer to practice skills in combinations that are relevant to multiple aspects of the game. It saves time and instills a great sense of urgency.. It saves time and has a great sense of urgency. One of the ways I do this is to add dribbling into my stretching exercises.

• Hamstring Stretch - While dribbling with your right hand, cross right leg over left. Bend at the waist, touch the floor with your left hand and bring your dribble down to shoe top level. Hold for an 8 count. Reverse position and switch hands.
  
• Lower Body and Achilles Stretch - Dribble waist high while standing up. Step as far forward with your right leg as you can, keeping your back straight and your left heel on the ground. At the same time bring your dribble forward of your right foot, keeping the ball at shoe-top height. Hold for an 8 count and then stand up. Switch legs and dribble hand.
  
• Crossover - Same as above except, step forward with left leg. As foot goes to the floor, switch hands, right to left, keeping dribble shoe top height. Cross back when standing up.
  
• Through Legs - Same as above except instead of crossing over, put ball through legs at shoe top height.
  
• Multiple Through Legs - Same as above except put ball through legs 3 times (left, right, left) on quick, successive dribbles shoe top height.
  
• Torso Twist - Spread legs outside of shoulder width, dribble with right hand. Keeping legs straight, bring ball across body to left side, outside left foot and dribble at shoe top height behind left foot.
  

These are just samples. You can develop a dribble stretch for any part of the body.

Two Ball Dribbling Drills & Videos:

I think the most effective way to improve your dribble, however, is by using 2 balls. Any dribble or drill you can do with 1 ball, you can do with 2. Stationary practice at first will build confidence. Stand on the baseline and try to control both balls. Then start to move. Go half court, then full court. Follow the lines around the court or in any route you can come up with.

To see more DRILLS & VIDEOS Click Here.

Ballhandling

The difference between dribbling and ballhandling is intent. Dribbling is the skill of controlling the ball as you bounce it to the floor. Ballhandling (at least 1 aspect of ballhandling) is what you do with that dribble.

Whether you use it to go to the basket, make a passing angle, escape from pressure or anything else, those situations have to be imagined and practiced.

Here are some situational drills:

• Full Court Lay-ups - Start on the baseline. Dribble full court with right hand in 5 dribbles and make a lay-up, come back with left hand. Then reduce the number of dribbles to 4 and then to 3.
  
• Chair Changes - Place a chair about 21 feet from the basket. It can be on top, on the wing, or in the corner. Start about 8-10 feet beyond the chair. Dribble straight at the chair. At the chair, use a change of direction dribble (crossover, inside out, behind back, etc) to go beyond the chair and make a lay-up. Try to get to the point where you only need one dribble to get to the lay-up. Practice all the changes.
  
• Two up - Two back - Set a chair such as in the drill above. Take 2 hard dribbles at the chair. When reaching the chair, take 2 backup dribbles. After the second dribble, push ahead into 1 dribble lay-up or pull-up jumpshot.
  
• Dropstep Dribble - (works on footwork and ballhanding)
  
• Chair Curl - This is another great multi use drill. It combines shooting, ballhandling and speed and high intensity change in direction.
  
• Chair Curl Phase 2 (With 2 Chairs)
  
• Two Ball Dribbling Drills & Moves - Excellent way to improve one on one moves. 

How to Become a Better Basketball Shooter

These basketball shooting tips are a great way for players, parents, and coaches to learn and understand the proper mechanics and techniques needed to be a great shooter. Every basketball player loves to shoot the ball! The most practiced skill in the game is shooting. Coaches spend lots of time at their practice on shooting drills to improve their players' skill level. After all, if you can't shoot, you can't score!

Whether a player is shooting a jump shot, lay-up, or free throw - there are certain techniques they must use to be successful. The basketball shooting tips below will give players, parents and coaches a better understanding of what these techniques are!

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   Remember BEEF (Balance, Eye, Elbow, Follow-through) when shooting the basketball and "put your hand in the cookie jar". Remember to make your hand an L shape and to point your elbow towards the rim as per the photo shone above and make sure to do a follow-through to increase accuracy. Get into the habit of always using these proper shooting techniques -- especially in practices to make it "automatic" in a game. If proper techniques are not practiced, then bad habits are formed that are often difficult to correct. If you don't have a practiced shooting technique - you need to practice one!
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   Be relaxed and concentrate on the basket. Focus on the back of the rim as you make a jump shot or shoot from the free throw line. When shooting lay-ups and bank shots, focus on the part of the backboard where you will bank the ball. You will need to factor in from where you are shooting from.
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   Know when you have a good shot - and then take it. Find the right balance between shooting too often and not shooting enough. As you develop confidence in your shot, you will also develop the ability to know/feel when you have a good shot to take.
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   Keep an even-keel; be in proper balance, when shooting the basketball. Donot be leaping/careening to one side or the other. Feeling a proper balance (both front-to-back and side-to-side) is critical on all shots, and leads to consistency.
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   Follow through on every shot you take. Hold your follow through as this is one thing that will show you why you made or missed the shot.
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   Jump naturally. Avoid forcing your jump - it should be nice and easy. You should jump straight up in the air smoothly and release the shot at the top of your jump, letting the force easily slide off your fingers at the same time.

   • "Up, Hang, Shoot" is an easy way to remember this.
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   Make sure you have an arc on every shot you take. The height of the arc will vary from player to player. Some players shoot with a high arc, while others have a lower arced shot. As long as you are using proper shooting techniques, consistently and the shots are going in, then the arc is fine.
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   Be relaxed when shooting free throws. Concentrate on the basket, and have your knees bent slightly. Keep your routines the same as it normally would be. This helps you to be able to focus on the task at hand. Avoid excessive and unnecessary movement. Only use the motion needed to take and make the shot.
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   Practice all of your shots. Learn to shoot from any location on the court, within your range. By doing this, you become more of an all-around shooter. Strive for the following shooting goals: 90+% lay-ups and close bank shots, 70+% free-throws, 45+% field goals, 30+% 3-pointers. These goals can be modified for younger players.
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    Forget the misses: Not overreacting -- while staying visibly calm and keep on trying -- actually is a greater, important part of being a much better shooter.

Basketball

Basketball is a sport played by two teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and 10 feet (3.048 m) high mounted to a backboard at each end. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.^[1] The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most popular and widely considered to be the highest level of professional basketball in the world and NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.^[2][3]

A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the shooting team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line, and two points if shot from in front of the line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, after the other team was assessed with certain fouls. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) is issued when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while walking or running or throwing it to a teammate. It is a violation to lift or drag one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling.

As well as many techniques for shooting, passing, dribbling and rebounding, basketball teams generally have player positions and offensive and defensive structures (player positioning). Traditionally, the tallest and strongest members of a team are called a centeror power forward, while slightly shorter and more agile players are called small forward, and the shortest players or those who possess the best ball handling skills are called a point guard or shooting guard.