Facts on Dribbling In Basketball

1. How Low Can You Go

The dribbling stance and body position are as important-if not more-than the dribbling act itself. When dribbling bend your knees and lower your body. It is important to keep your feet spread and your shoulders slightly offset. If you have a high dribbling stance, it will likely result in an opponent stealing the basketball. Keep the dribble low and close to your body. If the dribble is too far away from the body, this mayalso result in a turnover.

2. Fingers, Not Palms

To dribble the basketball effectively and keep it under control, a player must use his fingers to control it. Use your fingers to change dribble direction and do not allow the palm of the hand to touch the basketball during the dribble. If you use the palm of the hand during a dribble, even for a second, it will not only limit your control but can also result in a palming violation. The basketball must stay in constant motion while dribbling.

3. Use Your Body

When a defender is guarding you closely, you must use your body to protect the dribble. If you dribble too much with the basketball exposed it may result in a turnover. Turn your body to the side slightly, or, if your defender(s) is pressuring you intensely, turn your back to the defender to properly regain control. This is even more important when dribbling through traffic. You want to limit ball exposure as much as possible. Make sure you're off arm and body are the first line of defense.

4. Keep the Dribble Alive

Do not stop dribbling until you know exactly what you are going to do next. If you stop dribbling then you cannot move more than two steps from that spot without shooting or passing. Picking up a dribble eliminates your advantage against the defense and will invite defensive pressure. So only stop dribbling if there is an open man or if you are about to shoot the basketball. Otherwise, keep the dribble alive until a realistic offensive option presents itself on the court.

5. Look Mom Both Hands

To use the dribble effectively in basketball you should be able to use both your hands equally. This way an opponent can't shade his defense to one side. In addition to using both hands, a person must not look at the basketball while he is dribbling. Looking down puts you at the disadvantage of not seeing what the defender is doing or what is happening on the court.