To be a good basketball player, you have to be able to control the ball, both with your strong hand, and with your weak hand. Dribbling drills, done daily, are a great way to work on this important skill. In today’s video blog post, we are discussing the basic principles of ballhandling and I share a great “Control Dribbling” Drill.
Basic Principles of Ballhandling and Dribbling
- When handling the basketball, always have your head up, and vision of the court. You want your focus to be on the opposite net. “If the ball had eye, would it see when it’s in your hands?”
- Keep your back straight while in your dribbling stance. Bad posture will force your head to come down, causing you to lose vision of the court.
- Be ball quick and dribble with your fingertips. You want to pound the ball on the fingertips of your hand so you can have a good feel for the basketball. You don’t want to dribble on the palms, or you can’t control the ball. You control the ball – don’t let the ball control you.
4 Basic Types of Dribbles:
- Control Dribble
- Power Dribble
- Speed Dribble
- Crossover Dribble
Next step: for our latest practice ideas and tips, check out our main basketball coaching page.
Or, if you need fresh ideas for your next practice, head over to our complete basketball drills directory. You’ll find dozens of simple, fun and effective drills to rapidly improve your team’s skill level.