How to Improve Basketball Handling Skills in Seven Minutes a Day

Ball handling is a very important part of the game of basketball. If you are a good ball handler, you will be a valued member of your team. Ball handling is not all about dribbling...it also includes catching and securing the ball. This "How To" includes some focused ball handling exercises that when done with the proper technique and frequency will produce a good ball handler.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basketball
• Hard Surface

1. SLAP
   Hold ball in alternating hands and slap the ball continuously. This not only increase your feel for a basketball but it also gets your hands warmed up for the upcoming exercises.
   
   Duration: 15 seconds

2. ELEVATOR
   Hold the ball out in front of you and pass it from hand to hand using only your finger tips. Go from above your head and to the tops of your shoes and back. This will help you develop the finger tip control that you will need to properly handle the ball.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds

3. AROUND THE WORLD
   Stand with your legs together and circle the basketball around your head, then your waist, and then around your closed legs. After you have completed this, come back up by circling in the opposite direction by starting with your legs, then moving to your waist, then around your head.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds for each direction

4. FIGURE 8
   Spreading your legs a little wider than shoulder width, put the ball through your legs, around one leg, back through your legs, and around your other leg, making a figure eight.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds for each direction

5. FIGURE 8 DRIBBLING – Need Hard Surface
   Dribble the ball as quickly as possible in a figure 8 pattern through and around the legs. Use your fingers when you dribble, and dribble low and quickly. Switch from the right to the left and back to the right. Example: start with the right hand dribbling the ball in front and then dribble through your legs with your right hand, switch to your left hand and dribble from the back, around your left side to the front and back through you legs... then switch to your right hand behind the body and around the right side. Try to go as fast as possible, and your dribbling skills will improve with daily practice.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds for each direction

6. TWISTER
   Hold the ball between your legs, with both hands on the ball, right hand in front and left hand in back. Quickly switch your hands,(now left hand in front and right hand in the back), without letting the ball touch the ground.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds

7. SPIDER – Need Hard Surface
   This exercise will be difficult at first, but with daily practice, you will improve significantly. This drill is called spider because that is what you look like while dribbling the ball between your legs, you touch the ball once with your right hand(fingers) in front, then with your left hand(fingers) in front, then with your right behind you, and then with your left behind you. Continue in this manner as fast as possible.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds

8. SIT-UPS – Need Hard Surface
   Start in a sit-up position with your knees bent. Dribble with your right hand as you sit up, and around your feet, then switch hands to your left as you go back down, and then dribble with your left hand as you sit up, back around your feet, switching back to your right hand.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds

9. SUICIDES – Need Hard Surface
   Holding the ball with 2 hands, bounce the ball between your legs from front to back and catch the ball with 2 hands behind you. Then bounce the ball through your legs from the back to the front, and catch the ball in front of your body.
   
   Duration: 30 seconds

10. SCISSORS – Need Hard Surface
    To start this basketball drill, place your left foot ahead of your right and bounce the ball between your legs from your right hand to your left. As the ball gets to your left hand shift your feet so that your right leg goes ahead of your left and bounce the ball back between your legs. This shifting of your feet will occur with every bounce.
    
    Duration: 30 seconds

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to focus on doing the exercises properly.
• Find a partner that will do these with you on a daily basis - you can push each other to improve.
• Don't get discouraged--stick with it and you will see your improvement.
• Once you are comfortable with the exercises, increase your speed to maximize your growth as a ball handler
• Keep your head up while doing the exercises - trust your feel for the ball and don't depend on looking at the ball as you cannot look at the ball while playing in a game
• Be sure that you are doing this exercises in an area that you will not break anything if you lose control of the ball--you will lose the ball at times while doing these exercises, especially when you first start.

[3CMom]

on 12/12/2008 Great tips for my son. Thanks.