I don't really care what position you play - guard, forward, or center... If you wanna be a good basketball player, then you gotta be able to dribble a basketball. Dribbling doesn't mean awesome ankle-breaking moves, it simply means the ability to handle the ball.
So, what are the secrets to handling a basketball?
There are 3 secrets, and once you understand these, you really can become better at ball-handling, pratically overnight. Ok, so here are the secrets:
1) You must dribble to protect the ball - This means avoiding turning
the ball over (getting stripped, stolen, etc.)
2) You must dribble to create space - This means creating room between
you and your defender, so you can get off a shot or pass.
3) You must dribble to get past your defender - This means getting
one-step ahead of your defender so you can be in front of him/her.
The above 3 points may not seem like secrets, but they really are...
Most players think that the purpose of dribbling is to "show off" and "shake the defender".
This is wrong! Once you know the REASON you are dribbling the ball, once you know WHY you're dribbling, only then can you become a good ball-handler. And thats why the above secrets are important, because they help you mentally identify the goals of ball-handling.
Think about the 3 points carefully, and you'll begin to realize that handling the ball isn't complicated...its simply about meeting a goal.
So, now that you know the goals, how do you achieve them? How do you improve your handles?
Well, here are some tips to work on your handles:
> Dribble with your fingers first. Keeping the ball on the fingers helps maintain better overall control. To develop better finger control, work on strengthening your grip, stengthening your forearms, and stetching out your fingers one by one by pulling them back towards your body.
> During a strong dribble move, slightly palm the ball. For example, when you're crossing the ball over from one side the another, you have to slightly palm the ball so you don't lose if off your fingers. Becareful, because over-palming can result in carrying the ball. Same with the behing-the-back dribble, you have to slightly palm the ball.
> Always keep the ball low. The ball is fastest when its low to the ground, and its easier to control as well. Bend at the knees to get low, as if you're crouching a little bit.
> Trick your defender. This means dribbling in a way that your defender doesn't know what you're gonna do next. Using head, shoulder, and leg fakes can help you trick your defender. Also, constantly switching the ball between your left and right hands also keeps the defender guessing.
> Ofcourse, learn to dribble with both hands. To follow the above tip, you need to be good with your left and right hands.
Once you start improving your handles, you're ready to put down some strong dribble moves. All one-on-one moves, such as "the drive", require decent ball-handling skills...
This is why its important that before you try fancy one-on-one offensive moves, you work on improving basic ball-handing fundamentals.
Thanks again to basketball drills and plays for providing me with this excellent information and for further information visit this site.
