How To Dribble A Basketball 15 Steps With Pictures

Not only will your fingertips give you more control than your palms - you’ll also be able to dribble faster. Oklahoma City’s player Paul George strongly recommends against palm-to-ball contact, as it “slows down the whole dribbling process. “[2] X Research source

Don’t bend at the waist (as if you were bending over to pick something up). Besides being bad for your back, this stance is fairly unbalanced, meaning it’s easier to accidentally stumble forward, which, depending on the in-game situation, can be a big mistake.

When you’re practicing dribbling for the very first time, it’s O. K. to keep your eyes on the ball as you dribble until you get the hang of things. However, you should switch to dribbling without looking at the ball as soon as you can. It’s expected that you’ll be able to do this at nearly all levels of play.

Another reason to focus on keeping your hand over the ball at all times while dribbling is that momentarily “catching” the ball on its underside at any point results in a penalty called a carrying violation. To avoid this, keep your palm over the ball and facing the floor as you dribble.

You shouldn’t need to bend to the side to dribble in a low stance. If so, you’re probably dribbling too low. Remember that, in your low stance, the highest point of your bounce can be up to your hip while still keeping most of the defensive benefits of a low dribble.

Serious practice is the only way to get truly confident in your dribbling ability. When you play basketball, you can’t waste time focusing on the minutiae of your dribbling technique. Dribbling has to be second nature - you need to be able to “trust” that the ball will return to your hand without watching it.

You can use the hand that isn’t dribbling as an arm bar. Raise your non-dribbling arm and make a fist, presenting the side of your forearm to your opponent. Be careful when using arm bars. Don’t push the defender, strike the defender with your fist, or drive through the defender using your arm bar as a wedge. Instead, use an arm bar defensively (like you might hold a shield)[8] X Research source to keep space between yourself and the defensive player.

If you stop dribbling, your options are to pass the ball, to shoot the ball, or to have the ball stolen from you. If you’re planning to do one of the first two, stop dribbling and then do that thing immediately - otherwise, the defense will react and you may have the third option happen whether you like it or not!

Traveling: Moving with the ball without dribbling. Traveling includes: Taking an extra step, skip, hop, or shuffling your feet Carrying the ball while you walk or run Moving or changing your pivot foot (set foot) when stationary Double dribble: This penalty refers to two separate violations: Dribbling with both hands simultaneously Dribbling, stopping your dribble (catching or holding the ball), and then starting to dribble again Carrying: Catching the ball with one hand and then continuing to dribble (without stopping the dribbling motion). In a carry, your hand makes contact with the bottom of the ball, then flips the ball over in the act of dribbling.

Taking an extra step, skip, hop, or shuffling your feet Carrying the ball while you walk or run Moving or changing your pivot foot (set foot) when stationary

Dribbling with both hands simultaneously Dribbling, stopping your dribble (catching or holding the ball), and then starting to dribble again

The triple threat keeps the ball close to the body with the strong hand grasping it on top and the weak hand grasping it on the bottom. The player assumes a low stance and keeps his or her elbows back, bent at ninety degree angles. S/he leans forward over the ball slightly. From this stance, it’s very difficult for a defender to steal the ball.