When it comes to basketball drills, there are a ton of them that you can do to improve your skills on the court. In this blog post, we will go over some intense and fun drills that will help you dribble and shoot better. Each drill has a specific purpose, and is setup in a way that makes it easy for players of all skill levels to participate. We have also included tips from a coach who has years of experience working with basketball players!
Let us directly jump shot in some basketball dribble drills 🙂
What Are The Best Basketball Dribbling Drills For Balls Handling?
I predict it, offensive player or offensive team will love this guide.
But please remember, drill correctly, everytime! Otherwise these drills are not effectively.
However, the basketball dribble drills that we will be discussing are:
- The Double Ball Drill
- The Spider Dribble
- The Crossover Drill
- The Figure Eight Drill
- The Chair Drill
- The Star Drill
The Double Ball Drill
The Purpose:
This drill focuses on the balls handling skills. The drill helps you improve your coordination and control of the basketball.
The Drill Setup:
For this drill, you will need two balls.
How It Works:
The drill begins by bouncing one ball in front of you, and then dribble the other ball around your body. As you are dribbling the second ball, make sure to keep your eyes up and focused on the basketball in front of you. Once you have made it all the way around your body, switch the basketballs and repeat this competitive drill.
Coach's Tips:
- Try to keep a low center of gravity while you are dribbling the basketballs. This will help you maintain better control of the ball.
- As you become more comfortable with the drill, increase the speed at which you are dribbling.
Spider Dribble
Purpose:
This basketball drill is great for improving your balls handling and dribbling skills.
Drill Setup:
You will need a basketball and a partner.
How it Works:
Start by standing next to your partner, each with a basketball. Dribble the ball around your legs in a figure eight pattern. As you dribble around your legs, your partner will try to steal the ball.
Tips from a Coach:
Try to keep your head up while you are dribbling and be aware of where your partner is at all times.
The Crossover Drill
The Purpose:
This basketball drill is perfect for those who want to improve their crossover move.
Drill Setup:
You will need two cones, or any other type of markers, and a basketball. Place the cones about two feet apart.
How It Works:
Start with the basketball in your right hand, and your left foot slightly ahead of your right foot. Dribble the basketball towards the left cone, and then crossover dribble the basketball towards the right cone. Keep your head up, and your eyes on the basketball. After you crossover dribble around the right cone, go back to the left cone and repeat the drill.
After you complete the desired number of repetitions, switch the basketball to your left hand and repeat the drill going in the opposite direction.
Tips From a Coach:
- As you become more comfortable with the drill, increase your speed.
- Make sure you keep your head up and eyes on the basketball at all times.
- Use your fingers, not your palm, to control the basketball.
The Figure Eight Drill
The Purpose:
This drill is designed to help players with their ball-handling skills and develop better control of the basketball.
The Drill Setup:
You will need two cones, or any other objects that can serve as markers, and a basketball. Place the cones about three feet apart.
How It Works:
Start at one cone and dribble around it in a clockwise direction. As you get to the other side of the cone, make a figure eight around it. Then, dribble around the second cone in a counterclockwise direction and continue making figure eights.
Coach’s Tips:
- As you get better at this drill, try to increase your speed to your full speed. But only if you are ready.
- You can also make the figure eights smaller.
- Another variation of this drill is to dribble between the legs as you go around the cones.
- Practice drills like this for 30 seconds and then take a 30-second break. (fast break)
- Repeat this drill for a total of five minutes.
The Chair Drill
The Purpose:
The chair drill is designed to help players work on their dribbling skills and learn how to change directions quickly.
Drill Setup:
You will need a chair and a basketball. Place the chair on the half court line.
How it Works:
The player will start at one end of the court and dribble to the other end. When they reach the chair, they will pick up the basketball and dribble around the chair. They will then dribble to the other end of the court and repeat the drill.
Coach Calls:
- Make sure that the players are using their fingers to control the basketball and not their palms.
- Players should keep their heads up while dribbling and avoid looking at the basketball.
- Encourage players to change directions quickly and be light on their feet.
The Star Drill
The Purpose:
This basketball dribbling drill is suitable for players who want to improve their balls handling skills and ability to change directions quickly while dribbling.
Drill Setup:
You will need two cones placed about five feet apart. Place a basketball at the starting cone.
How It Works:
Player starts at one cone, dribbles around it, weaves through the two cones, and then passes the ball to the coach at the other end. The coach then passes the ball back to the player, who dribbles around the second cone and weaves back through the cones to the starting position.
The player then repeats the drill going the other direction.
Coaching Tips:
- Push yourself to go as fast as you can while still maintaining control of the ball.
- Use your body and your non-dribbling arm to shield the ball from defenders.
- Keep your head up so you can see the court and your teammates.
What Are The Best Basketball Shoot Drills?
I predict it, the three point shooter or defensive player are going to love these drills.
Now that you’ve read the basketball dribble drills above, you are now ready for the basketball shoot drills!
The basketball shoot drills that we will be discussing are:
- The One-Hand Shoot Drill
- The Two-Ball Shoot Drill
- The Three-Point Shoot Drill
The One-Hand Shooting Drill
The purpose of this basketball shooting drill is to help you work on your one-handed shooting.
Drill Setup:
You will need two cones and a basketball. Place the cones about 15 feet apart.
How It Works:
Start at one cone with the basketball. Dribble the basketball around the outside of the cone and then shoot. Repeat this process going around the other cone. Make sure to alternate your shooting hand each time.
Tips From a Coach:
- It is important to keep your form consistent when shooting.
- Make sure to follow through with your shot.
- Practice shooting from different spots on the court.
The Two-Ball Shoot Drill
Purpose:
This basketball drill is great for improving your shooting skills and building up your arm muscles.
Setup:
You will need two basketballs and two basketball hoops.
How it Works:
Start by shooting the first basketball from anywhere on the court. While the first ball is in the air, shoot the second ball. Keep shooting the balls as quickly as possible until you make ten baskets with each ball.
Coaching Tips:
- Make sure to practice your shooting form and follow through on each shot.
- Try to increase the speed of your shots as you get more comfortable with the drill.
The Three-Point Shoot Drill
Purpose:
This basketball drill is great for players who want to work on their three-point shooting skills
Setup (you can also shoot from the free throw line):
For this drill, you will need three basketballs and two players. Player one will start with the ball on the right wing, and player two will start in the corner on the same side.
How It Works:
First person will pass the ball to player two (next player in line), who will then shoot a three-pointer from the three point line (or a free throw shot). Player one will defensive rebound the ball and pass it back to player two, who will then shoot another three-pointer. This drill continues until player two makes five three-pointers. Then, player two will become the passer and player one will become the shooter.
Coaching Tips:
- Make sure that you are using proper players form when shooting the basketball.
- Focus on your shooting mechanics and not on making your own shot.
- Don’t rush your shots, take your time and be patient. And if you did a missed shot, move on.
- Stay relaxed when shooting the basketball, and don’t tense up.
- Don’t ever intentionally miss, play seriously.
- Have a friend or coach rebound the basketball for you so that you can get more shots up.
- Visualize yourself making the shot before you shoot the basketball.
Final Words
There it is, basketball dribbling lovers! A good list of the best basketball drills to improve your skill development for every players skills. I feel like a basketball coach that teach players dribble, haha 🙂 Remember, if your friends don’t with you, you can also do it with imaginary defender.
So what are you waiting for? Get yourself the best outdoor basketballs and the best outdoor basketball shoes and improve your basketball drills! Soon we are also going to talk about defensive drills, rebounding drills and passing drills (including bounce pass…) for all defensive players, so stay excited!
Let us know in the comments below, what your favorite basketball drills are and if your dribble moves are smoother!
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