The key to great handles is unsurprising- time spent dribbling. Kyrie, Steph, Harden, all spend hours each day practising this fundamental skill.

As a coach, it’s good to have plenty of drills in your drill library:

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Teaching Dribbling to Kids

Dribble, Jump stop and Pivot RH, LH

Wall Finger Tip Drill

Pivoting after picking up the dribble is a fundamental yet often neglected part of dribbling the ball. Young players who aren’t taught this often travel or can’t use footwork effectively to get separation when they become older. Bob Bigelow, youth sports coach and former NBA player, loves this drill and teaches it at all age groups, with this being the first progression.Players line up along the baseline, spread out, each with a ball.On the coach’s whistle, players take two dribbles forward with the right hand and pick the ball up with a jump stop. Then, they pivot to the left, back, right and front again in a full circle, all on the left foot. Reach the end and repeat with the left hand.– Make sure players have their knees bent when pivoting – this helps them keep their balance and control– After picking the ball up with a jump stop, players should hold it at chest height, elbows out protecting the ball.

Shot Fake and Pivot Drill

This drill is the equivalent of doing weights- except that all you’re working against is gravity! By dribbling against a wall, your kids will be working on their strength so that dribbling on the court will seem much easier.Players face a wall with a basketball.Players find a spot on the wall just above their head to try to hit consistently. Bounce the ball against the wall, trying to keep the ball in place. Run for time and swap hands.– Once players have mastered accuracy, the key is to master speed. Try and limit holding the ball in hand- as soon as it touches the fingers, dribble again.– The distance from the wall determines the drill’s difficulty. New players should stand up to 3 feet from a wall. More familiar players can stand right against it.

Dribble perimeter

A great shot fake should be considered a dribble move- after all it gets the defender out of position in preparation for a drive to the rim. Another drill to be taught at a young age as it can be effective at all age levels.Players stand in lines, each with a ball, facing the coach.Players protect the ball, holding it at the waist. At the coach’s call, they move their dominant foot forward into a shooting stance, and shot fake. Protect the ball again and repeat.– As coach Bigelow explains in the video, the shot fake can’t be too high- the point is to get the defender, not you, off balance. Keeping the ball low also allows it to be put to the ground quicker for a drive.– Emphasizing the use of the body to protect the ball is also an important part of this drill. Your players will need to learn to quickly move between protecting the ball, shot faking, and dribbling

Walking Figure 8’s

Dribbling and stopping whilst under control is something even high school players can have trouble with. This is a fundamental skill that needs to be taught early.Players line up along the perimeter, each with a ball.Players face the same direction and begin dribbling at 1/3 of max speed. At the first whistle, pick the ball up and pivot to face the center court in an offensive stance. At the next whistle, pivot in the other direction and dribble with the opposite hand.– Remind your players to always be dribbling with their outer hand, whether it’s the left or right– More experienced teams can speed up and slow down at the coach’s command . The key however is to always pick that ball up or put it down quickly after the whistle.

Walking figure 8’s serves as a great warm up for dribbling drills. If your players can execute this drill at speed and without errors, they’ll be sure to perform between the legs crossovers with ease.Players line up along the baseline, each with balls.Players stand low, and lunge forward. Pass the ball in front of and under the front leg. Step forward and repeat. Do the drill until the half court line and come back.– The introduction to this drill would be the stationary figure 8. To make the drill more difficult, dribble the ball low, at ankle height, instead of passing it with the hands– Players need to treat this like a dribbling drill and keep their heads up- this drill will teach them to “get a feel” for coordinating their upper and lower bodies.]

NOTE: Bob Bigelow spoke to us about the 3 most important factors of coaching youth basketball. If you liked these drills, this article might tell you “why” they’re so great.

Games Based Drills

Steal the Ball with Basketball Decision Training (BDT)

Dribble tag

Steal the Ball is already a great drill as it teaches the player how to dribble against pressure. Steal the ball with BDT adds an extra player and makes the drill even more game like by adding pass decisions.Designate a small area, e.g the center circle for your players to play in. Players pair up, one with a ball. A third player or coach stands on the perimeter.The player with the ball must dribble and protect the ball against the defender. When the player on the perimeter puts their hands up, the player with the ball must pass to them. Run for time and swap roles.– To make the drill more difficult, have your players make a dribble move, e.g a crossover, every 3 dribbles– Allow your defenders to get very handsy, even foul with reach ins, as this will improve your player’s ball security in games and teach them that they won’t always get the call.

Contact dribbling

Who doesn’t love a fun dribbling warmup that’ll get your players engaged and active? Dribble tag is a great way to teach ball protection and awareness.Each player has a ball and stands inside the 3 points line.One player is designated “it”. On your whistle, players who are it run around and try and tag other players. End when everyone is tagged.– To make the game more realistic for older players, have the “it” players steal opposing player’s balls before they are out.– Practice dribbling with the off hand by forcing your players to only dribble with that hand.

Team Drills

Cone Weaving

Fouls often aren’t called and your players need to learn how to play through contact. This drill teaches just that.Players start with one ball, facing a coach.Players pound the ball with one hand, in front of them. A coach faces them and taps them on their arm, simulating a reach in foul. Repeat with both hands.– Advanced players should dribble with two balls, one in each hand– Unlike other drills, players shouldn’t protect the ball with their body- the aim is to simulate the reach in foul, and to continue dribbling through that initial contact.

Full court off hand

In our last interview with coach Nick George, former GB International, he talked about how he loves to integrate basketball drills with conditioning. This drill is one such example.Place 5 cones in a line, roughly 3 feet apart. Adjacent to this line, place 5 hurdles in a row, each 3 feet apart. Players line up behind the cones with ballsPlayers weave in and out of the cones, using various crossover dribbles to change direction. At the hurdles, they pick the ball up and jump over each hurdle. Run as part of a circuit.– The jump of the hurdle isn’t about speed, but height. Try and jump as high as you can over each.– Variations of weaving between the cones include: dribbling the ball at knee height, using the off hand only, crossing the ball over a certain number of times before moving forward, etc

Zig zag drill

Off hand work is a great way to start practice- at least that’s what Coach Collins, 3X WI state championship winning coach thinks. If it’s developed the players he’s sent to college and the NBA, it should work for your players too.Players line up along the baseline, each with balls.Players dribble from baseline to baseline, using only their offhand, in a series of progressions: 1. V dribbles 2. In and out 3. Hesitations 4. Between the legs 5. Behind the back. Work on this progression everyday in practice.– Young teams should only do 4 and 5 to half court, as crossing over with one hand is quite difficult– Once the progression is mastered, players need to begin doing this drill at full speed. Until then however, stress to them to take their time and keep their heads up.

1 vs 2 Press Break Drill

This is the classic zig zag drill that you’ll see in every coaching camp. You guys love it, and we just had to include it. The next drill, 2 on 2 game, is a great variation of this.Players line up along the baseline and pair up, one player with a ball. Place cones at diagonals on the imaginary half court dividing line, and each sideline.Players take turns dribbling in zig zags to the other end of the court. At the other end, swap roles.– Young players should not try and steal the ball. Focus on a low defensive slide. Older players can play more aggressive defense, and you can turn it into a 1 on 1 game at the end.– Players shouldn’t just crossover- use spin moves, behind the back, hesitations, like a real game.

Baseline shuffle and crossover

Players get pressed all the time in youth level and the only way to teach them how to handle the pressure is to practice. This drill will teach your players to look up, use their body to protect the ball, and use changes of speed to beat the defense.Players stand in groups of 3 along the baseline, one with a ball.Players zig zag their way to half court. The defense must try and trap the dribble along the baseline. The dribbler must try and avoid getting trapped with changes in speed and direction.– Initially, players should just do this drill at half speed, and the defenders allow the dribbler to get to where they want to on the court. This will help them get used to being guarded closely– Players on defense need to focus on trapping at 90 degree angles with their hips, not fouling by keeping the hands in the air, and guiding the dribbler to the baseline.

Team dribble weapon drill

Protecting the ball is a lost art of dribbling. Drills like these teach players the technique of dribbling the ball under pressure.Players line up along the baseline with basketballs.Players face the end of the court side on, using their bodies to shield the ball. At your whistle, dribble and shuffle forward. At your next whistle, they will dribble and shuffle backwards. Repeat to the end of the court.– The movement forward should be quick, the movement back slower. Keep the ball under control at all times.– Advanced teams should use assistant coaches, or another player, to harass the dribbler.

Solo Drills

Side dribbles bounce

This dribbling drill combines practicing d dribble moves with developing them against defenders- a must have for any high school team.Players line up along the baseline, with balls. 3 assistant coaches (or players) stand at the top of each perimeter as well as the center circle.The first player dribbles to the first coach, performs a dribble move and beats him. Repeat with the next coach. At the last coach, they play a 1 on 1 ending in a layup. When the shot goes up, the next player goes.– The first and second coaches should just guard the player for a few steps then get back in position for the next incoming player– Remind your players that the hesitation, not change of direction, is the most effective move in these open court scenarios. Make sure they use it often.

Side dribbles push pulls

This drill is the first of coach Oliver’s side dribbles series. The idea behind it is that players practice a low defensive stance and also are forced to look forwards.Players stand in front of a coach, each with balls.Players slide sideways. With each slide, they dribble once, hard and up to chest height. At the end, crossover and repeat with the other hand.– Players should keep their heads up, focused on the opposite rim– When players are familiar, add in an element of games based training by having the coach call out changes in direction.

Wall dribbles

Adding lateral movement to an otherwise stationary drill practices the defensive stance and greater ball control.Players stand in front of a coach, each with balls.Players slide sideways. With one dribble, they push the ball inwards, and with the next, outwards. At the end, crossover and repeat with the other hands.– Aim to cover as much distance possibly with each slide. Also aim to dribble the ball inside then outside the body with alternating dribbles.– Dribble to a steady rhythm

Inside Out Crossover Jump Shot

Using a wall and your player’s own hands as a distraction helps keep their eyes off the ball and gets them to develop a feel for dribbling. A great drill for young players.Players stand in front of a wall, each with balls.Players dribble the ball, all whilst keeping a hand on the wall. Go through these variations: 1. Dribbling ball at ankle height, hand in place 2. Dribbling ball whilst crossing over every 2 dribbles, swapping hands 3. Dribbling ball whilst crossing over behind the back every 2 dribbles, swapping hands.– Keep the ball low whilst dribbling, and around the hip, like protecting it in a game– Keep the shoulders back and head up at the hand.

NBA skills coach Don Kelbick is big on spending much of his practice working on one or two moves. His drills combine shooting and dribbling and are drilled over and over again to become automatic.Players stand at half court with a basketball. Place a cone at the top of the perimeter.Players dribble full speed to the cone and perform an inside out. They then crossover to the other hand, take one dribble, and pull up and shoot.– The key to mastering this is repetition from the same spot- set your players a number of makes per 10 minutes and challenge them to beat their scores– Players that aren’t typically point guards should do the same drill from the wing- take game shots!

NOTE: Don Kelbick has a whole bunch of rules of developing individual training plans- check them out here!

Triple Crossovers

Baby Steps Crossovers

Coach Ryan Holliday of Next Level Basketball loves progressions- packaged sets of drills to develop ball handling that can be run in a 20 minute session per day. This drill is part of his killer crossover series that will see players improve their ball handling, particularly in the pick and roll.Players stand in front of a coach, each with balls.Players bounce the ball low, at ankle height three times. They then crossover. Repeat whilst stationary for 1 minute.– This drill will help your players get the ball through traffic- but only if they keep the ball low for the triple tap.– Players shouldn’t just bend their back to get low, bend the knees first.

This is another drill in the Next Level killer crossover series that will increase the speed of your crossovers.Players line up in a line, each with a ballPlayers walk forward, dribbling the ball at knee height, crossing it over from hand to hand with each dribble.– Keep the dribble low and the crossovers fast- one with each step forward.– Try and find a steady rhythm to help you dribble the ball quicker and under control.

NOTE: Coach Holliday is a master at designing individual practice plans. Learn how to apply these ideas here.

2 Ball Behind the Back

Figure 8 No Dribble Into Pick Up Shot

Using 2 balls is another great way to improve both hands at once. Coach Holliday has again designed a great progression- this drill is just a fraction of it.Players stand in lines, each with 2 balls.Players zig zag. When they change direction, dribble one ball behind the back, and one in front, to swap hands. Repeat until half court.– Advanced players can alternate between dribbling both balls at once, to dribbling balls alternately– The secret with this drill is to crossover strong. Bring the hand pushing the ball across the body, otherwise you’ll never be able to control the ball.

Teaching dribble moves is great- but unless they ultimately translate into a shot of some form, they’re useless. This move helps your players with their ball pick up skills off the dribble.Players stand in the midrange area (or 3 point line) with a ball.A player stands in an athletic stance and completes 4 or 2 figure 8’s between the legs. Hop into a jump shot. Aim to make 20 shots.– If players are missing the jump shot, make sure they align the ball into their shot pocket (area at chest height where they can bring the ball up directly into a shot)– Another common mistake is not looking at the basket- the eyes need to preferably be aligned at the hoop throughout the drill, or at least before the ball is brought up to shoot.

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If you’re using these drills, leave a comment and let me know how it’s worked out for you!

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