DRIBBLING

As another way to move the ball, dribbling is an integral part of both individual and team play. Nevertheless, it is often overused. Basketball legend Isiah Thomas once said, While you are dribbling the ball around, four other teammates are standing around waiting for something to happen. Before you know it, the defense begins to tighten. More often, than not, the dribbler gets trapped and turns the ball over to the defense, which often scores two easy points. You should dribble in order to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Move the ball when you are on the offense. Accelerate past your defender to get to the hoop. Escape from a tough, close defense. Shoot. Move around a screen to shoot the ball. Get a better passing angle. Keep the ball in your teams possession during the closing minutes.

Whenever you dribble, have an idea of where you want the ball to go and of how to protect the ball. Keep your head up to see an open teammate or an oncoming defensive player. If the defense is closely guarding you, keep your body between the ball and the defender. Use your off arm to protect the ball. Finally, be able to dribble effectively with either hand to prevent the defense from overplaying your strong side.

BASIC DRIBBLING TECHNIQUES

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Keep your head up to see what is happening on the court. Dribble the ball closely to the body and at knee level or lower. Make sure the ball leaves your hand before you lift your pivot foot. Dribble the ball with your fingers, not the palm of the hand. Extend your wrist and fingertips to push the ball to the floor. Use your body and your off hand to protect the ball.

BASIC DRIBBLING MOVES

Crossover
1. 2. 3. 4. Keep your head up to see what is happening on the court. Cross the ball at a backward angle in front of your body. Keep the ball low (below the knees) and close to your body during the crossover. After the crossover, you should continue dribbling with your other hand.

Between the Legs

1. Keep your head up to see what is happening on the court.

2. While dribbling the ball with your dominant hand, take a step forward with the opposite leg. For example, if your right hand is your dominant hand, step forward with your left leg. 3. Bounce the ball between your legs, on the spot directly underneath your body. The ball should bounce up on your other side. 4. Dribble the ball with your other hand.

Spin
1. Keep your head up to see what is happening on the court. 2. While dribbling the ball with your dominant hand, make a reverse pivot on your opposite foot. For example, if you are dribbling with your right hand, make a reverse pivot on your left foot. 3. Step through with the other foot. 4. Pull the dribble forward while you keep the ball close to your body. 5. Continue dribbling with your other hand.

Behind the Back

Keep your head up to see what is happening on the court. Dribble with your dominant hand. Move your hips forward, and push the dribble around your back to the other side. Continue dribbling with your other hand.

The Low Dribble

The low dribble is to be used whenever you are closely guarded. This type of dribbling simply entails keeping the ball low to the floor and in your control. Extend your dribbling hand and arm down as much as possible to shorten the distance the ball has to travel. Keep the elbow of your dribbling hand close in at your side. Dribble the ball on the side of your body away from the defender. The palm of your dribbling hand is kept over the ball. Don't watch the ball as you dribble. Look over the court and prepare your options. Use your other forearm to shield the ball from the defender. While being tightly guarded, be careful not to blatantly push or shove the defender with your forearm.

The Speed Dribble

Once you're in the open court, you need to go as fast as you can with the ball while still remaining in control of the ball and your body. Since you are not tightly guarded, keeping the ball from the defenders is not a priority here; however, maintaining top speed is a priority. To run fast and dribble at the same time, push the ball out in front of you at waist height and run after it. Keep your head up so you can see the entire court, your teammates, and whatever defenders are in front of you. The faster you run, the farther out in front of you the ball has to be pushed. With this type of dribble, your hand is not directly over the ball as in the low dribble, but behind it (at nearly a 45-degree angle to the floor) so you can push the ball hard and in front of you with your arm completely extended.

The speed dribble requires a high dribble, but make sure that the bounce is not higher than hip level, else you may lose control of the ball as you sprint down court.

The Change-Of-Pace Dribble

This dribble is one of the most common and is used to make the defender think that you're slowing down or going to pick up your dribble and stop. When your man is closely guarding you, slow your dribble down and almost come to a stop. Straighten up your back as if you are looking for a teammate to pass to, but still keep your dribble. Once the man guarding you loosens up his defense, quickly bend over, dribble the ball out hard and long. Explode by him at top speed, protecting the ball with your free hand as you move around him. The dribbling hand slides from the top of the ball to behind it, to nearly a 45-degree angle to the floor.

Dribbling Drills
1. Warm-up: The five parts of this drill are crossover, figure eight, one knee, sitting, and lying down. a. Crossover: In an athletic stance, dribble the ball from one hand to the other. Keep the ball below your knees and close to your body. Complete 20 repetitions (one repetition equals a dribble from your right hand to your left and back to your right). b. Figure eight: Dribble the ball in a figure-eight pattern. To do this, alternate your hands to move the ball from the back to the front through the middle of your legs. After 10 repetitions, change the direction, and complete 10 more repetitions. c. One knee: Dribble as you kneel down on one knee. Dribble in front of your knee, around to one side, and under your raised knee. Then switch hands to dribble the ball behind your back leg. Switch hands again and repeat this figure-eight pattern. After 10 repetitions in one direction, reverse the direction, and complete 10 more repetitions. d. Sitting: Dribble as you sit down. Dribble 10 bounces on one side. Then raise your legs, and execute the crossover dribble under your legs for 10 more bounces. Finally, dribble 10 more bounces on the other side. e. Lying down: Dribble as you lie down on your back. While lying down, dribble 10 bounces on one side. Next, dribble the ball above your head and to the other side of your body. Finally, dribble 10 bounces. 2. Two Ball: This drill has six exercises. Complete 20 repetitions of each exercise. e. Together: Simultaneously dribble two basketballs below knee level.

e. Alternate: Simultaneously dribble two basketballs. One ball should be up when the other is down. e. Crossover: Cross the balls back and forth in front of you. You should dribble low and close to your body. e. Inside out: With one ball, dribble toward the inside. Then rotate your hand over the ball to dribble it toward the outside. After you alternate hands with this inside-out dribble, practice using two balls simultaneously. e. Through your legs: Begin dribbling with one ball and then the other. After this warm-up, practice dribbling both balls through your legs. e. Pendulum: Dribble a ball on each side of your body. Then, like a pendulum, dribble the balls back and forward by flexing your wrists. 2. Moving Two-Ball Dribble: Use the length of the court to complete each drill. 0. Zigzag: Dribble two balls up the court in a zigzag pattern (dribble diagonally to one side and then to the other). Change direction by crossing the balls in front of you. a. Stop and go: Dribble two balls up the court using a stop-and-go dribble. Speed dribble, pushing both balls forward; stop sharply, keeping your dribble alive. Continue with the speed dribble. b. Change of pace: Change your pace as you dribble two balls up the court. Pretend you are being guarded, and use acceleration and deceleration to get past them. c. Reverse: Dribble two balls as you zigzag up the court. Dribble both balls back to one side. Then change your direction by making a reverse pivot on your opposite foot. Keep the balls close to your body. d. Fake reverse: Dribble two balls as you zigzag up the court. Before changing your direction, dribble both balls back to one side, and turn your head and shoulders to look behind you. Then quickly turn your head and shoulders forward as you dribble both balls forward again. 4. Cones: Set up five cones down the court. Complete this drill down the court and back, and perform each of the following moves at each cone: a. Crossover b. Between the legs c. Behind the back d. Spin 2. Dribble Tag: Dribble tag is a game that can be played with many people, provided everyone has a ball. All players must stay inside the designated boundaries and must keep their dribble alive at all times. The object of the game is to knock someone elses ball out of the designated area without losing control of your ball. You may not double dribble or walk with the ball. If someone

knocks your ball away but not out of the boundaries, you are still in the game as long as you begin dribbling again. You are out of the game if you lose your dribble or if your ball goes out-of-bounds. The last player left in the game is the winner. 6. Boundary Game : Mark off a small area of the court (e.g., the free throw lane). One player should have the ball, and another player should be the defender. The goal of the game is simplethe offense tries to keep the ball away from the defense and in bounds. The defender tries to either steal the ball or knock the ball out-of-bounds. Take turns being the offensive player, and see which player can keep the ball in play for the longest time.