It’s the off-season for most basketball leagues in the country right now but that doesn’t mean the process of developing and becoming a better player stops there. Growth is a constant process and you won’t get anywhere if you don’t train. That’s why we believe that ballers who truly love the game do what they can to be better, put the work in, and HUSTLE HARD.
In this article, we’ll be highlighting some ball handling drills you can do to improve your dribble speed, ball control, and ball security.
POUND DRIBBLE SERIES
Ankle Height
Squat down with your feet shoulder-width apart to be in a triple threat stance. Put the ball in front of your right leg and start dribbling the basketball a couple of inches off the ground with your right hand.
Dribble the basketball low and hard for 30 seconds and keep going even when you lose control of the basketball. Once you’re done with your right hand, do the drill with your left hand and repeat the same process.
Waist Height
Squat down with your feet shoulder-width apart and be in a triple threat stance. Once you’ve established a strong stance, start pounding the basketball as hard as you can into the ground at waist height with only your right hand. Start dribbling the basketball hard for 30 seconds and keep at it even if you lose the basketball.
Once you’re done with the right hand, switch the ball over to your left hand and start dribbling the basketball as hard as you can into the ground at waist height. Continue pounding the basketball for 30 seconds and push through with the drill even if you lose control the basketball.
Shoulder Height
Squat down with your feet shoulder-width apart to be in a triple threat stance. Once you’ve established a strong stance, start pounding the basketball as hard as you can into the ground at waist shoulder with only your right hand. Dribble the basketball hard for 30 seconds and make sure you keep going even after you lose the basketball.
After you’re done with your right hand, put the ball on your left hand and start doing the drill again. Continue pounding the basketball for 30 seconds and, as always, keep going even when you lose the basketball.
These ball handling drills are designed to push you out of your comfort zone. By pounding the ball hard at different heights, these drills help develop the muscles your hands and forearms that are utilized when you dribble the basketball. As your skills develop and you get used to dribbling the basketball hard, the faster your dribbles get. And the faster your dribbles get, the harder it is for defenders to poke the ball out of your hands. Doing these drills regularly will improve your muscle memory and develop your overall ball control and will keep defenders from reaching in and going for steals.
Make sure you stay tuned for more ball handling drills we’ll dishing out because we’ll surely be upping the ante in the coming blog posts.
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