Techniques

Get Better At Dribbling Instantly By Reading These Tips

Basketball is one of the world’s most popular and widely viewed sports and dribbling is essential to it.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition. The game has many individual techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking, and rebounding. 

Dribbling consists of manoeuvring of a ball by a single player while moving in a given direction, avoiding the defenders attempt to intercept the ball. It is the legal method of advancing by oneself without passing it to another player or shooting for the basket. It consists of bouncing the ball continuously with one hand while running or walking down the basketball court.

The dribble allows for much faster advancement and thus more opportunities for scoring. It also provides an opportunity for a crafty player on the opposing team to “steal” the ball mid-bounce.

Types of dribble:

  • High dribble
    • A normal dribble, usually when there are no nearby defenders to steal the ball.
  • Low dribble
    • Keeping the ball low to the floor, thus decreasing the area between the hand and the floor, making it more difficult to steal.

Here are some tips to improve your dribbling:

  • Keep your head up at all times: Concentrate on a spot on the wall in front of you. Try your best to not look down.
  • Two ball dribble: Practicing dribbling with two balls at once helps you learn to be more in control of the ball.

  • Dribble the ball hard: You have more control over the ball when it is in your hand. The harder you dribble, the faster the ball is back in your hand.
  • Work on lengthening your dribble: Strive to accomplish your goal with the least amount of dribbles. Use dribbling to separate yourself from the defence.
  • Use your fingertips to control the ball: Avoid using your palm to control the ball.
  • Try to move in straight lines: Always follow an east-west move with a north-south move as soon as possible
  • Use your imagination: Visualize your dribbling and how you’re going to reach the goal.
  • Experiment: Get out of your comfort zone and try new things.
  • There are many youtube videos that show different dribbling drills. These drills are both challenging and effective. Practice these drills religiously and you will see results indefinitely.
  • Last but not the least, Always practice. You will not get good overnight, So never give up and continue practising and improving yourself.

Dribbling should be done with finger pads and the fingers should be relaxed and spread, The wrist should be pushing the basketball, and the forearm should be moving up and down. Skilled ball handlers bounce the ball low to the ground, reducing the risk of a defender reaching in to steal the ball. Adept dribblers can dribble behind their backs, between their legs and change the speed of the dribble, making the player difficult to defend, and opening up options to pass, shoot or drive with the ball

Conclusion:

Dribbling is an essential element in the game of Basketball. Mastering the art of dribbling is not easy but can help your game immensely. Use these tips to improve your dribbling. Challenge yourself and constantly practice, It will do wonders for your game.

Tags: Basketball
Sunita Sylvia