Ballhandling

Basketball on the Edge – Dodgeball To Improve Your Skills?

Check out this video of Markelle Fultz, #1 draft pick in the NBA, working on his basketball skillset by playing a game we’re all familiar with, Dodgeball!

Leave us a comment about this post headstartbasketball@usa.net

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Basketball on the Edge – The Daily Dozen Ballhandling Drills

After an almost two year run creating video skills training content for Head Start Edge, our online training website, Coach Steve DeBlock and I have decided to make the videos that we’ve produced available to everyone that reads our blog, Basketball on the Edge. I’m very excited to share these videos because I believe they will help your child improve their basketball skill set. This is one more way we hope to provide value to you as a loyal follower of Head Start Basketball.

We’re going to start by presenting a series of videos that demonstrates “The Daily Dozen” ballhandling drills.  All of these drills have been around a long time.  I practiced them every day when I was a kid and I believe they still have tremendous value, especially for young players that are trying to develop their ballhandling skills.  Plus, they’re fun to do!  For the rest of the summer do each drill for a minute, go hard and you’ll be a better ballhandler next fall when your season starts.

Here is an introductory video about the “The Daily Dozen”.

Here is Drill #1 in the Daily Dozen – Drop Behind Your Back

Drill #2 in the Daily Dozen – Flip-Ups

Drill #3 in the Daily Dozen – Figure 8, No Dribble

Drill #4 in the Daily Dozen – Figure 8, One Dribble

Drill #5 in the Daily Dozen – Figure 8, Multi-Dribble

Drill #6 in the Daily Dozen – Football Snap

Drill #7 in the Daily Dozen – One Hand Front, One Hand Behind

Drill #8 in the Daily Dozen – Circles

Drill #9 in the Daily Dozen – One Hand Around One Leg

Drill #10 in the Daily Dozen – Both Hands Around Both Legs

Drill # 11 in the Daily Dozen – V Dribbles

Drill #12 in the Daily Dozen – V Dribble Between The Legs

Leave us a comment about this post headstartbasketball@usa.net

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Basketball on the Edge – 5 Unorthodox Tips to Improve Dribbling Skills

1. Dribble the ball on the carpet.

There is no better place to practice dribbling hard than on the carpet. If you don’t dribble the ball hard it won’t come back up to you. This is a great way to vary your dribbling routine and do something different to get out of your comfort zone. Make sure you get permission from your mom before you start! When I was a kid I did ball handling drills while watching tv in the family room. In order to keep my dribble alive I had to pound the basketball. This leads me to my next tip…

2. Watch tv while dribbling the ball.

What better way to make sure you are keeping your head up and not looking at the ball. Your brain is forced to attend to multiple stimuli at the same time just like it will during game situations. There is an added bonus that the workout will seem to go faster because your mind is engaged in what you are watching. Just make sure that you are concentrating on giving your max effort to the dribbling and not just going through the motions!

3. Wear a blindfold while dribbling the ball.

This is another great way to improve your feel for the ball. Obviously you want to do this in a stationary position or in an empty gym where you have plenty of space to maneuver without crashing into anything. Don’t do it in the living room right next to the coffee table with the antique vase!

4. Wear gloves while dribbling the ball.

Borrow a pair of gardening gloves from your parents. The idea behind wearing the gardening gloves is to create a challenge that gets you out of your comfort zone. When you wear the gloves, your natural sense of touch is taken away so you really have to focus on maintaining control of the ball when you have less grip.

5. Dribble a basketball covered with a plastic bag.

The Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving used this technique to improve his dribbling. The plastic bag creates an unpredictable feel for the ball during dribbling. The bag takes the bounce out of the ball and makes you dribble harder. The smooth, plastic surface also reduces the feel you have for the ball, so that you have to focus more on the controlling the ball when you have less grip.

These 5 unorthodox dribbling tips can help you become a better dribbler. Don’t be afraid to look silly and make mistakes. If you practice some of these methods in the gym, you may get funny looks or have people asking you questions. Remember, the only way to get better is to get out of your comfort zone and force your body to adapt as you work to develop new skills.

One last bonus tip – Take your basketball with you and dribble it everywhere you go. A basketball player should never have to ask the question, “Has anyone seen my ball?” Just like it says on the Nike T-shirt “Basketball Never Stops!”

Basketball on the Edge – Three Ballhandling Drills Your Young Player Can Practice Starting Today!

I was recently hanging out with a friend of mine who was talking to my third grade son about his basketball team. My friend asked, “What do you like best about basketball?” Of course, my son responded with “Shooting!” Who doesn’t love to shoot? Then my friend gave a surprising response. He said, “I remember when your dad was in elementary school. All he did was dribble down the court between defenders and shoot lay-ups. You need to work on your ball handling so you can do that.” I’m not sure how much impact that statement had on my son, but it summed up my philosophy about teaching kids the right way to play basketball. If your child can handle the ball they can get where they want to go on the court and shoot lay-ups.

How did I develop those ball handling skills? I did the “Daily Dozen” in my basement, on the driveway, or in the living room watching television. I started at around 7 years old but your child can start at any age. Each drill for one minute at maximum effort every day. If your young player does that for one month they will improve their ball handling and be a better player. If they keep practicing every day at maximum effort they will be able to dribble the ball under pressure in any situation on the court.

 

Here are the first three drills from the “Daily Dozen”

1. Drop Behind the Back – The player holds the ball with two hands behind the back of their neck. The player then releases the ball and quickly moves both hands to catch the ball behind the back. Next, the ball is bounced through the legs and caught with two hands in front of the waist.

2. Flip ups – Ball moves in the opposite direction from the Drop Behind the Back. Player holds the ball with both hands at the waist and bounces the ball through the legs catching it with two hands behind the back. The ball is then flipped up behind the head and caught with both hands behind the head/neck.

3. Figure 8 no dribble – The ball is held in one hand at a time and moved in a figure 8 pattern around one leg and then the other. The ball is not dribbled at all during this drill. After thirty seconds reverse the figure 8 and change the direction the ball is moving through the legs.

Addicted to Getting Better - On and Off the Court