How to Be a Better Dribbler
Unless you are blessed with sheer size and dominant skills likened to that of Shaquille O'Neal, learning decent dribbling skills is an integral part of playing good basketball. Not only does becoming a better dribbler help with ball movement, but it also can help you to attain better control when getting out of tight defensive situations. Practicing your ball handling is an important part of being a better dribbler, but not as important as knowing what and how to practice.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Avoid looking at the ball while you practice dribbling. Look around as you dribble the ball as if you are looking for someone to pass the ball to. This will help you read the defense during a game and see players who are open as well as open shots for yourself. You will also improve your feel for where the ball will bounce up by not looking at it while dribbling.
-
2
Train your strong and weak hand equally. Practice switching between hands equally when dribbling the ball. This will make it much more difficult for defenders to steal the ball from you during a game. Your coordination will also improve with both hands in doing this, as well as your comfort with ball handling.
-
-
3
Utilize basketball movements when dribbling. As you practice dribbling, incorporate spin moves, quick starts or stops, direction changes and dribbling with your back to a defender as you would in the post. Ensure that you practice these moves to both your left and right side when dribbling to become comfortable with your technique.
-
4
Build up to game-speed practicing. While you may have to start off slowly when you are first learning moves and how to dribble, building to a high speed or game speed should be done as soon as possible. Practicing at game speed will ultimately get you used to moving at a real-time pace when executing your dribbling moves.
-
5
Keep a low profile while bouncing. Good form when dribbling the ball can change due to several factors including height, position and situation. Although this may be the case, keeping a low profile, which means keeping bounces below your waist will help you maintain better ball control and dribbling speed.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Remember that you should use your fingertips when bouncing the ball rather than smacking the ball with the palm of your hands to enjoy better ball control.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit street basketball image by .shock from Fotolia.com
