When you see an NBA player evading a defender with a very fast dribble between the legs or behind the back, you are looking at the result of years of patient training. If you are a novice beginner, even the simple dribble can seem complicated. Thankfully, with practice, you can learn how to handle the ball. It takes effort and dedication to learn from scratch, but with this guide (and lots of training) you'll be able to do stunts!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Learn the Basics
Step 1. Touch the ball with your fingertips, not your palm
When dribbling, hand contact must ensure that you are in control of the ball, so you don't have to use too much arm strength. For this reason, do not hit it with the entire palm, but only use the tips of your fingertips. Open your hand wide to touch as much surface area of the ball as possible.
Using only your fingertips not only gives you better control, but also a quicker dribble. Indiana Pacers player Paul George strongly discourages palm contact as it "slows down the entire dribble."
Step 2. Take a "low" position
When dribbling is not very good to stay upright like a post, try to take a lower stance instead. If you stand too straight, the ball has to travel a much longer distance during the rebound and that way the defender has a better chance of stealing it from you. So before dribbling, crouch slightly in a defensive position. Distance your feet as much as your shoulders, bend your knees and lean your butt out a little (as if you were about to sit down). Keep your head and upper body straight. This is a fundamental position: it allows you a good balance, mobility and at the same time protects the ball.
Don't bend over at waist level (as if you want to pick something off the ground). In addition to the fact that it is a bad position for the back, this way you are out of balance and could easily trip and make serious mistakes in the game
Step 3. Bounce the ball
Here it is! Hold the ball with the tips of your dominant hand and bounce it off the ground. You have to dribble firmly, but not so much that you strain your arm, otherwise you will have problems with control. The dribble must be quick, uniform and controlled. Each time the ball comes back into contact with the hand, do not grab it but simply push it down with your fingers with a movement of the wrist and forearm; once again, remember that it doesn't have to be a movement that strains your arm. The ball should hit the ground slightly to the side and forward of the foot corresponding to the dribbling hand.
When you train the very first few times, you can look at the ball, however you will need to learn to control it by looking at the pitch. It is a basic and fundamental skill even at the lowest levels, if you want to play
Step 4. Keep your hand on top of the ball
When you dribble it is important to maintain control, he must not move away from you, otherwise you will give it to the opponents. Try to keep your hand above the ball so when it bounces up you find it under your fingers. This way you are always in control as you move around the pitch.
Another reason you need to focus on keeping your hand over the ball is because you are given a penalty called "double" every time you "catch the ball" and start dribbling again. To prevent this from happening, hold your hand over the ball and push it with your fingers
Step 5. Keep the ball low
The shorter and faster the rebound, the less chance you give the defender. The safest way to do this is to dribble close to the ground. If you keep a low position (like the one described above) it will not be so unnatural to bounce the ball in a point between the hip and the knee. Bend your legs and keep your dominant hand at your side to dribble with quick, low movements.
You don't have to lean to the side, if you do you may be dribbling too low. Remember that when you are in the correct posture the highest point that the bounce can reach is your hip, without losing all the advantages of a low dribble
Method 2 of 3: Dribble on the court
Step 1. Keep your head up
When, in the beginning, the dribble is not yet an automatic process, it is difficult not to look at the ball. However, it is very important to learn how to do it, because during the match you have to observe the position of your team mates, the opponents and, of course, know where the basket is. And you can't do that if you spend your time staring at the ball.
Constant training is the only way to obtain the necessary safety. When you play you can't waste time thinking about how to dribble, you just have to do it. It will have to become a natural process, you have to be "certain" that the ball will return to your hand without having to look at it
Step 2. Be careful where you dribble
During the game the way you dribble changes according to your position and that of the other players around you. If you are on an open field (like when your team moves to attack after having suffered a basket), you can dribble in front of you because it allows you to run quickly. However, when you are close to a defender (especially the one who marks you as a man) you have to dribble by your side (just to the side of your shoe) and take a low position in defense of the ball. In this way you place your body between the ball and the opponent who will have a hard time stealing it without committing a foul.
Step 3. Always put your body between the opponent and the ball
When you are man-marked by one or more players (i.e. the defender follows you to steal the ball or to block the pass / shot) you defend the ball with your body. Never dribble in front of the defender, make his life difficult and hide the ball with your body; he won't risk a foul to steal it from you.
You can use the non-dribbling arm to keep the defender at a distance. Lift it with the outer part of the forearm facing the opponent. Watch out with this technique, do not push the defender, do not hit him with your fist and do not use your elbow to make room and pass him. Use your arm only as a defense and to maintain a certain space between you and the opponent.
Step 4. Don't stop
In basketball a player can start dribbling and then stop just once - don't stop dribbling unless you know for sure what to do with the ball. Once you have stopped the dribble, you cannot restart and the defender will take advantage of your inability to move.
If you don't dribble, you can pass the ball, shoot or have your opponent steal it. If you plan to do one of the first two actions, stop dribbling and act immediately, otherwise the defense will react immediately and unfortunately the third option will happen, whether you like it or not
Step 5. Know when to pass
Dribbling is not the best technique for moving around the court. Often it is better to pass the ball. Good offensive play is based on passing, which is the best way to quickly move the ball across the field and reach the opponent's basket. Don't be selfish, dribbling to the opponent's box means having to overtake many defenders, it is better to pass the ball to a teammate who is in a better position to score.
Step 6. Avoid dribble fouls
There are some basic rules you need to follow and you need to know! A dribble foul can lead to a penalty that blocks the action of your team and gives the ball to the opponent. Avoid committing:
-
Steps: move without dribbling. The phallus of steps includes:
- Take an extra step, slide, jump or drag your feet with the ball in your hand.
- Carrying the ball in your hand while walking or running.
- Move or change the pivot foot when you are stationary.
-
Double: this foul refers to two violations.
- Juggle with two hands at the same time.
- Dribble, stop dribble and start over.
- Accompanied: put your hand under the ball and then continue dribbling. In this foul, the hand passes under the ball (so it is as if you are holding it) and then returns to the top to continue the dribble.
Method 3 of 3: Learn Advanced Ball Handling Techniques
Step 1. Practice in the "three chance" position
This is a very versatile position that can be taken by an attacking player after receiving a pass, but before starting the dribble. From this position you can decide whether to pass, shoot or dribble. It allows you to defend the ball with your hands and body while deciding what to do.
This posture requires the ball to remain close to the body, firmly grasped. The player lowers himself with his elbows back and bent 90 °. It also leans slightly towards the ball, making any attempt to steal it very difficult for the defender
Step 2. Try the "crossover" technique
It is a dribble that confuses and makes the defender react incorrectly. The attacker dribbles in front of his body but makes a change of hands by dribbling between the legs open to "V". In this way the attacker induces the defender to move towards the hand that holds the ball but quickly changes hand and direction of movement by jumping the defender who is momentarily out of balance.
A similar crossover-related technique is basically a feint. The attacker pretends to perform a crossover by confusing the opponent and then not doing it and continuing to run in the same direction
Step 3. Dribble behind your back
When you are marked by a defender you can't shake off, you can try to "burn" him with an imaginative movement. One of the classic dribbles to "drink" a defender is to dribble behind the back. It takes intense training to master the technique, but it's worth it; if you do it right you confuse your opponent.
Step 4. Practice dribbling between the legs
It is another classic movement in basketball and consists of bouncing the ball between your legs. You've probably seen all players do it, from Harlem Globetrotters to LeBron James, and there's a good reason for it. If done well and quickly, this dribble puts even the best of defenders in trouble.
Advice
- Train with a friend.
- Use your non-dominant hand!
- Know what a basketball is like. The regulation one for men has a circumference of 73 cm while the one for women's basketball is 71 cm. However, these few centimeters make the difference both in the dribble and in the shot. Also remember that there are balls designed for playing in sports halls and those for outdoor courts, take this into account when you buy one.
- Set up an obstacle course. You can use cones or garbage cans or shoes.
- Dribble with TWO balloons.
- Start slowly. Start dribbling from a standing position and follow your own pace before you start running with the ball. As you improve you can also put obstacles or ask a friend to confront you.
- Crush a stress ball or tennis ball when you're off the court. This will strengthen your hand and gain greater control of the dribble and shot.
- Practice with a tennis ball.
