Basketball: Dribbling Drills

I was speaking with my older son during the holiday about practice
planning for his 5th grade boys team. One issue we discussed was how to
build confidence and train the young players to not dribble all the
time with the strong hand. Also, many young players look way too much
at the ball while they dribble. This is especially true when the player
comes under pressure. This will most likely be accompanied by turning
the back on their teammates while trying to keep from losing the ball.
While I don't have the space here, nor the capability for diagrams and
pics that can illustrate all this, here are some of the drills I teach.
I will attempt to give as much text detail as I can to give you a good
'visual'. To preface these drills, if you at any time have a player
finding it difficult to dribble with the off hand, or to keep from
looking at the ball while dribbling, take them back to the very basics
where you teach them "how" to dribble. This is where they can learn to
dribble without looking at the ball and where you have instilled
confidence and control with use of the weak hand. They must have a
place that's comfortable to fall back to, when this happens, in order
to then be able to work forward for success. #1) Start with walking
while dribbling the ball at hip height. Because of the distance the
ball is off the floor, the ball is out of the dribbler's hand for this
time/distance. It could cause their confidence to ebb, causing a need
to look at the ball. Have them walk and dribble slowly, using the
hand/elbow action they learned early on. (If they have too much
trouble, take them down on one knee and continue to practice and build
confidence there.) As the player increases forward motion, the ball
will have to be pushed out ahead of the dribble-side foot, even with,
but slightly outside, the hip. Practice going around dribbling, first
with one hand, then the other. Each time they change sides with the
dribble, the ball should be dribbled slightly forward of the front foot
and pushed slightly toward the other hand while the other hand comes
toward the ball to continue the dribble. By now, players should be able
to jog easily, dribbling at hip height, pushing the ball slightly ahead
of the ball side foot. There will be ball errors, but emphasize the
coaching points up to this point. Don't let them slap at the ball. Have
them drive the ball with the fingers and the arm movement you've
practiced. They should be able to dribble with either hand and minimize
looking at the ball. #2) Now, set up 4-6 chairs in a straight line.
Explain to the players that when they approach a chair, to pretend it's
a defensive player and they must dribble by it using the hand away from
the chair. Teaching Point: Always dribble with the hand away from the
defensive player, keeping the dribbler's body between the ball and the
defender. Have the players walk the dribble out to the first chair,
passing to one side using the rule above. Have them touch the top of
the chair with the near hand as they go by. This will make the player
aware that the ball is being dribbled with the hand away from the
chair. As they pass the chair, the ball is switched over (still on the
dribble) to the other hand, so when they pass the next chair, they will
do so on the other side, again touching the chair with the near hand.
#3) From the straight line of chairs, go to a ziz-zag set up. The
angles approaching the chairs are sharper now and the players will
actually be changing directions with each chair. Walk through first,
then jog, then run. Touch each chair in the beginning to check the hand
being used for the dribble. As they go around a chair, have them
immediately change dribble hands for the next chair. #4) Have the
players line up on the end line. On the whistle, have them move slowly
up the floor, on the dribble. On the next whistle, stop and assume a
protective stance while continuing the dribble. On the next whistle,
switch dribble hands and start again up the floor. At each stop, the
player goes into the protective stance. On each start, the player will
have switched dribble hands and go back to an up-right open court
stance. This alternating action simulates having no pressure on the
open court and then meeting the pressure of defense. Watch for balance,
foot placement, body angle, correct dribbling hand for the direction
heading, the angle of the back, and dribble height. #5) Eyes Up Drill.
This is designed to have the player protect-dribble all over the
backcourt area, halfway between the mid-court line and the three point
line. The coach, or another player, can move around anywhere below the
three point line. Never turning their back on the other player, the
dribbler must continually change directions/dribbling hands in order to
hold eye contact with the other person. When that other person raises
their arm over-head, the dribbler must immediately make a good pass to
the person with the hand up. The passer then makes a fake and then a
cut to the basket for a return pass and layup. This drill teaches
keeping the eyes up, protecting the dribble, making a pass off the
dribble and fake and cut to the basket. A defensive player could be
added to play on the dribbler. I would have them be passive at first,
allowing the dribbler to move and pass freely. The more advanced the
players, the more game-like this drill can be made. Don't go live until
individual defense has been taught!! #6) Circle Dribbling. (King/Queen
Of The Hill.) In the circle at center court, or if the free throw area
has a full circle, have 4-5 players each go in with a ball. (Big kids
use only 4 players.) On the whistle, each player begins to dribble,
protecting the ball from the others while trying to knock the other
balls away. For young players, you can go easy on the rules at first.
No one may stop dribbling or dribble outside the circle, or they're
out. All players need to keep their eyes up to see what is happening
and must dribble-protect while changing hands and directions and trying
to slap the other balls away. Last one in is a winner. This is a fun
competition drill at any level. #7) Bumper Cars. This is an all over,
half-court drill, where any and every type of skill and dribble may be
used. More advanced players may go between the legs, behind the back
and use a spin dribble. (This is the only free-style dribbling I allow
at every practice.) Players must go after the other dribblers while
avoiding having the ball taken away as they attempt to slap another
dribbler's ball away, if they can. Eyes are up all the time. Dribble
never stops. It's time to practice all the skills, alternating between
open-floor and protect dribbles. 10-12 dribblers within the confines of
a half-court makes for a good avoidance/skill drill. In my DVD,
Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching and Playing, and
in my book, with the same title, due out in '07, I go into much greater
detail about how to teach all the things mentioned above.
http://www.basketballonatriangle.com/ Yours in Sport & Spirit,
Coach Ronn