One-ball dribbling drills

Two hand between legs bounce

Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Hold the ball in both hands in front of you around waist height. Slam the ball with both hands so that it bounces in between your legs and bounces up so you can catch it behind you. As you soon you bounce the ball move hands behind you so that you can catch the ball. Holding the ball behind you with both hands bounce the ball between your legs so it bounces up back in front of you.

Kills

Stand with feet should width apart. Begin dribbling the ball in your right hand a little higher than normal. Quickly move hand towards the ground forcing yourself to dribble the ball at an increasing speed. Variation: Repeat using left hand

High-Low dribble

Stand with feet should width apart. Begin dribbling the ball in your right hand at a normal height. Dribble the ball progressively harder so the ball bounces higher and higher until the bounce is above your head. Then begin to dribble the ball lower and lower until you are dribbling as low as you can. Repeat moving up and down. Variation: Repeat using left hand

One knee popcorn drill

With one knee on the ground and one foot on the ground (w/knee bent at 90 degrees). Alternate tapping the ball with one hand then the other. Do this as quickly as possible. Variation: Use top of hand, use side of hand, use fist

Stationary Inside-Out

Peform a normal inside-out dribble with the right hand repeatedly as fast possible. Variation: Use left hand

Between legs back and forth

Kneel on one knee with other foot out in front of you so that knees is at a 90 degree angle. Dribble the ball underneath the outstretched leg back and forth as quickly as possible. Concentrate on keeping your dribble low and quick. Variation: Repeat with other leg in front of you.

Around leg – both legs, both hands

Dribble one basketball around one leg with one hand. There should be 4 different variations performed. 1) Dribble right hand around right leg clockwise 2) Dribble right hand around right leg counter counterclockwise 3) Dribble left hand around left leg clockwise 4) Dribble left hand around left leg counter clockwise.

 

Around both feet

Stand with feet close together (one slightly more behind you than the other), bend at the waist and knees. Begin dribbling one ball in each right hand low to the ground. Begin dribbling the ball around your body (you will have to switch hands when you go behind your body/to the front of your body Variation: Dribble in both directions (clockwise/counterclockwise)

 

Figure 8 – both directions

Dribble one basketball around in a figure 8 pattern through legs. Stand with a wide stance (wider than shoulder width). start with the right hand dribbling the ball in front and then dribble through your legs with your right hand, switch to your left hand and dribble from the back, around your left side to the front and back through you legs… then switch to your right hand behind the body and around the right side. Keep your dribble as low as possible and move as fast as possible without losing control. Focus should be to continually improve hand speed. Variation: Go in the opposite direction

Front V Dribble

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend slightly at the waist and knees. Dribble the ball in front of you just below waist height. Swing it toward the middle, then allow your hand to roll over the top of the ball to the inside and push the dribble back outside. You should basically be sliding your hand over the top of the ball between dribbles. You should pound the ball hard and consistently, making sure you have complete control of the ball. Variation: Do with both right and left hand.

 

Side V Dribble

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend slightly at the waist and knees. Dribble the ball beside you, just below waist height. With your hand in front and on top of the ball, bounce it backward. Roll your wrist over and catch the ball behind you, then bounce it back forward. Rotate your wrist back over and catch the ball in front. You should pound the ball hard and consistently, making sure you have complete control of the ball. Variation: Do with both right and left hand.

Behind back – back and forth

Stand almost straight up with feet slightly less than shoulder width apart. Dribble the ball behind your back, back and forth between right and left hand. The ball should be bouncing just behind your feet each time.

Behind the back – squatting

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend slightly at the waist and knees. Dribble the ball behind your back, back and forth between right and left hand. The ball should be bouncing just below your rear, behind your feet each time. Variation: Stand almost straight up with feet slightly less than shoulder width apart.

 

Extra wide crossover/behind the back

With your legs spread wide, crossover or dribble behind the back, but make the movement as long, and as fast, as possible. Your arms should fully extend so they are parallel to the ground on each side. Variation: Cross in front or behind the back

Dribble Lunge

Begin standing straight up, feet shoulder width apart, dribbling ball on right side of body. Take long forward step (simulating a first step) with your left leg. You should be in a full lunge position at this point still dribbling the ball to the right of the left leg (dribble should be low and out near the foot). Make sure you maintain full control of the ball and stay low when you step out into the lunge. After a brief pause in the bottom of the lunge, maintain your dribble and step back to the starting stance. Variation: Do the same thing with the left hand (step with right leg)

Thru legs + cross (killer crossover)

Start in a partial squat bent at the knees and slightly at the hips with ball in right hand, dribble through the legs right to left, then as soon as left hand touches the ball do an explosive crossover in front of the body left to right. Variation: Start with left to right through the legs, ending with crossover right to left in front.

Windmill

Start by standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, bend at knees and waist. Hold the ball in your right hand. Move the ball behind you and dribble the ball from behind you, bouncing it through your legs so that it bounces up in front of you. Catch the ball in front of you again with your right hand, swing the ball around your back and dribble it again behind you through your legs. Variation: Repeat with your left hand

Spider dribble

Start by standing with feet wider than shoulder width, bend at knees and waist. Have the ball directly between your legs right underneath you. There are four dribbles that take place in this drill. First, the right hand dribbles in front of the leg, followed by the left hand in the front, followed by the right hand behind the leg, followed by the left hand behind the leg. You can learn how to do this easily by placing the ball on the ground and just touching it in the rotation of the 4 dribbles.

Scissors dribble

Begin standing straight up, feet shoulder width apart. Jump slightly, moving left leg forward and the right backward. Dribble the ball through the legs from your right hand to the left hand. Jump immediately again, moving right leg forward and left backward, dribble ball through the legs from left hand to right hand. Continue repeating only dribbling the ball when you are dribbling between your legs Variation: Repeat dribbling the ball through legs from left to right hand when left leg is forward and right is backward (and right to left when right leg is forward and left is back)

Kill + Crossover

Stand with feet should width apart with knees/hips bent slightly. Begin dribbling the ball in your right hand a little higher than normal. Quickly move hand towards the ground forcing you to dribble the ball once VERY low to the ground. After that 1 dribble, dribble once more to crossover low to the ground (right to left). Then dribble once low with the left hand, followed by a high dribble with the left hand. After the high dribble with the left repeat the same low to the ground crossover.

Continuous crosses (crossover + behind the back)

Starting with the ball in the right hand, complete a crossover right to left in front of the body. Once the ball gets to the left hand, keep the dribble moving by moving right into a left to right behind the back dribble. Once the ball gets to the right hand, you will move back into the first step (completing a crossover right to left in front of the body). Perform this continuously. Variation: Perform in other direction (left to right crossover, right to left behind the back). Perform with wider crossovers and wider behind the back dribbles. Dribble ball harder.

Around head crossover

Start with legs spread wide, bent at knees. Additionally, lean forward so your torso and head are out in front of your feet. Start with ball in right hand and cross over in front of you, right to left. As you catch the ball in your left hand lift the ball over your head and pass it to your right hand, then repeat the crossover. Variation: Go in the opposite direction

Alternating dribble figure 8

Complete the normal figure eight dribbling drill with one ball, but make sure every dribble alternates right hand/left hand. Variation: Do figure 8 in each direction

Double crossover, double behind the back

Complete a crossover dribble right to left, then left to right, behind the back dribble right to left, then left to right….complete these as fast and hard as possible.

Balance, around 1 leg

Stand on 1 leg with the other leg up in the air behind you (almost parallel to the ground). Dribble around one leg with one hand while keeping the other leg up in the air. Variations: Different leg/hand combinations, complete with eyes closed

One hand plank dribbling

Hold a plank with one hand. In the other hand dribble the basketball with arm fully extended, starting so your arm is perpendicular to your body, then slowly rotate so you are dribbling with arm outstretched in front of you, then reach across your body to the other side. Rotate slowly back to original position. Variation: Perform with hands switched.