Young players tend to want to shoot whenever they get the ball, but it’s important for you to work with them on basketball dribble tips as well. This is a skill they will need more often than the ability to shoot.
The first drill is called the one-hand pound. It’s a challenging drill for all levels of players. But most players adapt to it fairly quickly, as long as you watch and make sure they are using the proper technique. This drill helps confidence, hand strength, passing and dribbling.
Players should be paired, and they need to stand about eight feet apart. Give one player the ball. That player needs to put one hand behind his back.
On your command, “Pound”, player 1 must dribble the ball just one time, as high as he can. Then he needs to catch the ball in the same hand he bounced it with. Have him repeat it several times, so he gets comfortable with it. Then let the other player try the drill the same way. If you work with them while they do this exercise, you can make these solid basketball dribble tips.
After both players have done the drill once, have them try it with the other hand behind their back. Then, give the ball back to player 1. On the command “Pound”, player 1 dribbles one time, hard. Then, on the second command which is “Pass”, player 1 needs to pass the ball to player 2, with the same hand he dribbled it with. Do the same with player 2. (Your players can practice this skill at home, with a wall to bounce the ball off.)
As the drill goes along, you can give the players multiple “Pound” commands before you tell them to “Pass”. Use different speeds, so that the drill isn’t too easy for them.
Another drill is the two up, two back drill. This is another chance you have to coach your players and give them valuable basketball dribble tips. It also helps with ball-handling. This drill can be done with multiple players, or alone.
Set a cone or a chair about 21 feet away from the basket. Have player 1 take two hard dribbling steps toward the chair, then two backward dribbles away from the chair. Then have player 1 do a cross over dribble or an inside out dribble and push forward for a lay-up or a pull-up jumper. Repeat with your other players.
The two hard dribbles should be very hard dribbles, as though the player is attacking a defense. Anytime he can use a dribble like this to drive a defender backwards, he is at an advantage. Make sure each player protects the ball when he does the backup dribbles. Don’t let him dribble too far in front of his body, where the ball could be snatched by an alert defensive player.
Another drill you can run, while giving your young players basketball dribble tips, is the back-up dribble drill. The purpose of this drill is to avoid turnovers, and improve dribbling in traffic.
Have player 1 dribble up to player 2, who is playing defense. When player 1 realizes he must dribble around or stop, have him dribble while moving backwards, all the while protecting the ball. When the defender moves toward him, dribble or pass around him, advancing the ball up the court.
As each player goes through this drill, they will learn that they have options rather than pulling up and getting stuck or turning the ball over. The players need to understand that they can throw a pass over the defender, but not with a soft pass – with a hard pass.
Make sure your young players understand that if they back-dribble, they need to explode and cover a lot of court, or the defender will be able to recover. Make sure, too, that they protect the ball at all times, regardless of the direction their body is moving.
All these drills will help your students dribble without thinking, and then they’ll be more receptive to basketball dribble tips you may impart to them.