Effective basketball dribbling drills will improve the basic dribbling moves – crossover dribble, spin dribble, behind the back – so your players can use them when they are closely guarded. To do this, these moves need to be taught and practiced regularly as if your players are in a game situation.
But your players also need to know how to fast break with the ball, how to take the ball half the length of the court on their own, with the opponents nipping at their heels – a very different dribbling skill than the others.
This basketball dribbling drill practices both situations and helps your players understand not only the skills involved in each type of situation but also improves their ability to switch from one situation to the next – a necessary skill if they do manage to break free of their opponent and have a clear lane to the net.
Instructions to Players
Here’s what players need to focus on:
- Constantly remind them that these drills need to be carried out as in a game situation – the cones are not cones but defensive players, and the moves they make need to be strong and decisive.
- Control dribble needs to stay low, with free hand guarding the ball.
- The crossover dribble is essentially a fake – the player jobs hard in one direction while at the same time crossing the ball to the other side – and the defensive player gets rooted moving in the wrong direction.
- The spin dribble is used when the defense is crowding the player – the player jams one foot into the middle of the stance of the defensive player, and then spins off and around his body.
- The speed dribble is a higher dribble, the ball coming up higher and being pushed out farther.
How this Basketball Dribbling Drill Works
- Four cones are laid out in one half of the court, in a diagonal pattern as shown in the diagram.
- Four more cones are laid out in the diagonally opposite corner.
- Players line up at each baseline, each with a ball.
- The first player in line starts dribbling up the court as if guarded. Each time he comes to a cone he makes a move on it – crossover, spin, behind the back, onside dribble, between the legs – you can specify or simply tell them to mix it up.
- NOTE: players on the other side of the court are doing the same thing, moving in the opposite direction.
- Once he reaches half-court, the player sprints as fast as he can to the basket, keeping control of the ball and making the basket.
- As soon as the first player starts to sprint, the second player in line can start making his way through the cones.
- When a player finishes on one side, he goes to the end of the line on the other side and awaits his turn to come back down the court.
basketball dribbling drill – control to fast break
This is a great basketball dribbling drill for improving ball-handling skills under controlled situations as well as in the open court. As long as players continue to approach the activity as if it were a game situation, they should see good improvement in their abilities and in their confidence with the ball.
