How to Improve Basketball Dribbling

A basketball player who does not know how to dribble should take another sport.

Dribbling is to basketball like fielding is to cricket, running is to athletics, and catching is to baseball. It is the skill by which a player manoeuvres the ball around the court, dodges the opposition players and sells them into committing fouls, not to mention the space which is created as a result. It can be done with one hand or a combination of both and also involves the co-ordination of both the feet. Any good offensive player on the basketball circuit, international or in the National Basketball Association (NBA) would be a master dribbler and it is one aspect of the game that needs major attention.

Instructions

  • 1

    Maintain your natural posture

    The key to being a master dribbler is to maintain the natural posture. Your muscles should be relaxed and when you dribble, the movement should naturally to you.

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  • 2

    Learn to dribble with both hands

    In football, an offensive player is only complete when he can shoot with both legs. The same applies for dribbling in basketball. If a player dribbles from his left hand only his direction of attack would already be known to the defence and he/she can be easily contained.

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  • 3

    Dribble blindfolded

    Getting the feel of the ball is a basic in dribbling. The balls should stick to a player’s hands like glue while he/she is trying to out-fox and out-think a defence. The best way to do that is to dribble the ball blindfolded. The complexity of the dribble should be very low to start with and should be gradually increased. Some practice in this way and a player would start feeling the ball as a part of his body.

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  • 4

    Practice power dribbles

    A useful tip for improving the dribbling is to practice power crossovers. To do that, power dribble the ball in your right hand for about 10 seconds, before shifting the ball to your left hand, and doing the same. Repeat the drill five times to start with and then gradually increase the count as to start to feel more comfortable.

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  • 5

    Watch a lot of videos

    Star players come up with newer and better dribbling skills everyday and it only helps if a budding player practices these signature moves. That is also a good method to stay involved in the game, and develop more interest.

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