Dribbling is one of the most basic and important basketball skills, and often is the quickest or only way to get the ball up the court. Many great dribblers can run while bouncing the ball faster than others can run without it.
Dribbling Basic Skills
Dribble the ball low and control it with your fingertips, keeping the palms of your hand off the ball. Bounce the ball fairly hard but always under control. Coach's Clipboard notes that you should use only your forearm and wrist to make the ball bounce, meaning your arm and shoulder should be still as you dribble. Keep your head up as you dribble, not looking at the ball, so that you can see everything going on up the court. Coach's Clipboard notes that it is important that you learn to dribble equally well with both hands. Players, especially beginners, should keep their hand on the top of the ball to control it better.
Why Dribble
You can advance the ball without dribbling and some taller players even get through games without bouncing the ball at all, but for most players, dribbling is a necessity to advance the ball, to get to the basket or to create a shot. Coach's Clipboard adds that dribbling can help you get out of traps, run out the clock and open up lanes to pass to your teammates. A player able to create with the dribble can not only open up scoring opportunities for himself but for his teammates as well, which can give a defense headaches.
Styles of Dribbling
Dribbling action can be different because of the situation and purpose. For instance, in the open floor, speed is of the essence and you want to get to the basket as fast as possible. The Guide to Coaching Basketball says that in this scenario you want to push the ball in front of you at waist height and run behind it. When you are closely guarded, like in a late-game situation, you want to protect the ball and keep your body between your man and the ball. In this scenario you should turn at an angle so that your hip is pointed at the defender and your off-hand and body help to protect the ball. There are many other dribbling moves that are more advanced that can help you get by defenders. The crossover, behind the back, between the legs, in and out and hesitation dribble are all designed to free you from the defense.
Improving Dribbling
According to the Guide to Coaching Basketball, the only way to improve as a dribbler is to practice and have the ball in your hands constantly. By dribbling as often as you can, the ball becomes more comfortable for you and you can improve. There also a plethora of dribbling practices that can help you hone your craft. Some of these are drills, while others are simply ball-handling practices that involve passing the ball around your body to mimic the motion and improve your skills. Some of the most effective are standing drills in which you simply stand and work at dribbling between your legs, in and around your legs and behind your back. You also you can sit or stand to dribble in front of you to work on crossovers and in and out moves to better control the ball. More advanced drills involve dribbling two balls at one time for speed and tempo.
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