Basketball Skills: The Dribble

Dribbling: It’s one of the most underrated skills in all of basketball. We all ooh and aah at a perfectly fluid jump shot, a crisp pass through traffic, or a soft baby hook in the lane. But without confident ball handling, none of those other skills would be possible. A talented dribbler is like a six-speed Maserati, ready to shift gears and leave a defender shaking his head in disbelief. In the game of basketball, there are good dribblers, and then there are great dribblers. Putting in the work to make yourself a great dribbler will make up for almost any shortcoming in your game.

The-Dribble

Mechanics of Dribbling

When you break it down into basic motions, dribbling is straightforward. Fingers, hands, wrists, feet and eyes are all part of the action in some way. As you probably guessed, everything starts with the hands. Think of your hand as a suction cup over the ball. You want to make contact with the ball using your finger pads and not your palm. The finger pads give you much more precise feel and control, while that little pocket of air between your palm and the ball helps create suction. Try dribbling  with just your palm and see how far that gets you.

The-Dribble-Techniques

Good wrist action is just as important as proper hand placement. You want to flex your wrists as you dribble, similar to how you might shoot a jump shot. That wrist action adds a little velocity to the dribble and improves your control. It also creates backspin in the ball, which keeps it closer to your body and away from defenders.

Another way to protect the ball is to dribble with authority. What does that mean? It means you want to pound the ball hard into the court, upping the speed of your dribble. A lazy, slow dribble is a sure-fire way to get your pocket picked.

Last but definitely not least, a defensive stance is key to maintaining possession while you dribble. If you’re right-handed, you want to place your left foot forward and keep the ball behind you. Face your defender with the left side of your body and use your left arm as a shield. Bend your knees slightly, keep your head up, and dribble with confidence.

The-Dribble-Methods

Practice Every Day

There’s no magic bullet for learning how to be a better dribbler,only practice and more practice. Start with the fundamentals and then build up. Pistol Pete Maravich walked two miles from his home to the courts where he played every day, and he dribbled a basketball every step of the way. When the ball becomes an extension of your body, you’ll be a much more confident player. 

For more effective techniques you can visit my game techniques page.