DISCLAIMER:
This article assumes you spend time outside of practice working specifically on dribbling and not just shooting. Even if you spend time on your handles, this article challenges you to analyze a) how you spend that time and b) rethink the way you think about ball handling. You may not want to hear from me about the importance of ball handling, so listen to IT, Paul George, Mike Conley, and others talk about ball handling and how much it means to them (see video below).
Everyone wants to be a better dribbler, but it’s not something that happens by playing pickup games or working on flashy 1-on-1 moves.
So where to start? A quick YouTube search will reveal the myriad dribbling drills available to improve ball handling. Almost all of those drills are useful when done properly, and a waste of time when done incorrectly. So rather than post videos of dribbling drills, it’s more useful to discuss and analyze the proper approach to ball handling practice (what you focus on and pay attention to).
Good ball handlers mix up the way they dribble. They change up the dimensions and speed of their dribble so they remain unpredictable and harder to guard. This helps you protect the ball, evade pressure, beat your man, and get to the basket. Expert dribblers have 360 degree handles across several dimensions, meaning they can dribble with either hand, in multiple directions, angles, heights, and speeds.
Vanilla dribblers don’t have a backup plan when they are pressured—they either back dribble or pick up their dribble—both are wins for the defense. Developing versatile dribbles that you can rely on is crucial, builds confidence, and can unlock your game.
1st RULE OF 3 FOR DRIBBLING
Develop variety with your dribble by mixing up:
Let’s borrow one of Coach Christian’s ball handling maneuvers to illustrate the importance of variety, V dribble + crossover. All Select players know what that move is and that it’s important to pound the ball. But what height should the ball be dribbled at? V dribble + cross at waist height is actually quite different from V dribble + cross at knee height. And what about the width? Is that inside the shoes or outside the shoes? V dribble + cross done tightly between the shoes is a different move than when it’s done with straight arms outside the shoes.
V Dribble + Cross:
So that’s one simple ball handling maneuver broken down to four different ways to execute. These repetitive moves are much easier to master when you develop a rhythm and can almost count along in your head as you dribble. The problem with that is that you are only learning that move at one rhythm, one speed, which we know is too predictable for the defender. So even though you may have a move down, you need to be able to execute it at different rhythms and speeds. Repeating the sequence above but at two different speeds combines for EIGHT different ways to execute V dribble + cross.
It would be meticulous and unrealistic to expect players to execute each dribbling maneuver eight different ways with ideal precision, awareness, and variety—but that’s not the point. The point is to bring awareness to the deeper layers of dribbling, so that next time you practice dribbling, you will know there’s much more to it than just memorizing a pattern of dribbles while staring at the ball and not making mistakes.
Remember the first rule of 3 when practicing dribbling.
Develop variety with your dribble by mixing up:
Working towards the first rule of 3 is a long term commitment. It won’t just happen overnight and certainly not just because you want it to. It will require attention to detail with specific and mindful purpose.
The second rule of 3 is more of a guide to help you with the first rules of 3. If you commit to both rules of 3, you will gradually explore and expand the range of your handles vertically and horizontally, while also increasing speed.
2nd RULE OF 3 FOR DRIBBLING:
Develop a balanced, progressive relationship between:
Good ball handlers maintain a constant harmony between control, speed, and keeping their eyes up. A deficiency or absence of ANY of those three leaves a ball handler exposed. Control is paramount, but it’s harmless without movement or speed. Speed and style are irrelevant if you are a turnover machine. Even if you are crazy fast with the ball and control it well—that skill is useless unless your eyes are up scanning the floor for defense and open teammates.
When practicing a new move, do you try to go as fast as you can, with eyes up, and expect to maintain perfect control? If so, that sounds like a frustrating dribbling exercise. No matter which dribbling maneuver, control must come first. That will require sacrificing speed and sometimes eyes, as you will need to go slow and occasionally look at the ball until you have a maneuver down.
As soon as you can complete the maneuver with consistent control, it is time to increase the other areas. Many players make the mistake of skipping eyes and going straight to speed, because it’s tempting to just keep adding speed and control because it feels good to dribble so fast and it feels like you’re getting better.
It doesn’t matter how fancy a move is or how fast you can dribble if you still have to stare at the ball to maintain control. Many players spend hours mastering an impressive dribble, but it all falls apart when they pull their eyes away from the ball, have to track a defender, or look for teammates. Your handles will improve quicker by adding speed LAST, once you have established a strong foundation of control and vision.
Improving your handles is a constant balance between control, speed, and eyes. You have to check in regularly with each facet to make sure you aren’t forgetting one—because the one you leave behind will come back to haunt you in a game.
The frequency of your mistakes is a useful guide as to when it’s time to add a step or go back a step. Learn to embrace mistakes in moderation. Too few mistakes and you’re not challenging yourself enough, perhaps you need to add speed or pull your eyes away. Too many mistakes and you need to slow down until control improves.
We just covered a lot of complex detail within ball handling. Dribbling can and should be simplified based on skill level. Simple, stationary, loud dribbles with both hands and eyes up is a good place to start. Only when you have that foundation built should you look to add variety and dimensions while you dribble.
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