Dribbling is the one basic fundamental that separates kids into groups of bad, average and good. Bad players will struggle to dribble the ball without turning it over. Average players will be able to dribble the ball just well enough to keep from turning it over. And good players will use their dribbling skills well enough to create scoring chances for themselves and their teammates.
Dribbling is the biggest skill needed to be good, so players need drills to help them improve. Some players will work on getting better at dribbling but they focus mainly on their good hand and forget to improve their weak hand. This leaves a lot of players able to dribble with their right hand but unable to dribble with their left hand or vice versa. With these players, a normal one ball drill will have them constantly working the ball back to their better hand. The weak hand does not get any better.
One of the drills I have used to make sure the players are using and working on both hands is a two ball ball-handling drill. By having two basketballs both hands are having to be used at all times. This guarantees the players are going to improve both hands. The players are not able to keep deferring to their strong hand because of the two basketballs. This ensures the weak hand is being worked on at all times.
This drill can be done one of two ways. I like to mix it up between the two to keep the drill from being repetitive and the players losing interest. The 1st way is having the players dribbling either the length or width of the court, turning around and returning back to the start. The 2nd way is to have the players dribble forward to half court and then walk backwards back to the starting point while keeping their dribble going.
The drill is just a sequence of different dribbles using two basketballs. Depending on the amount of time I want to use in practice will determine how many of the following types of dribbles I have the players perform. Sometimes I will only use a few of these dribbles and other times I will use all of them or at least most of them. So, here is a list of the types of dribbles and a quick explanation of how to perform the dribble.
Same Bounce- High, Middle and Low Bounces
The same bounce dribble is having both basketballs hit the floor at the same time. The balls are hitting the floor together and being caught with the hands at the same time. To add variety to the dribble, I will have the players catch the balls low at the knees for each dribble. Then I will have them let the balls travel to the waist area for each dribble. And the high bounce will have each ball traveling to head height for each dribble. This gives the same bounce dribble 3 different variations to be used.
Alternate Bounce- High, Middle and Low Bounce
The alternate bounce dribble is having one ball hitting the floor while the other ball is in the hand. So, one ball is traveling up while the other is traveling down. And just like the same bounce dribble, the alternate dribble can be down with a low bounce at the knees, a middle bounce at waist height and finally a high bounce with the balls traveling to head height.
Bounce One, Roll One
This dribble has one hand dribbling the ball while the other hand is rolling the ball. The key is the hand rolling the ball does not lose contact with the ball.
For example, the right hand will dribble its ball while the left hand has its ball on the ground and rolls as the player moves. The player will then switch the hands and repeat. The player will do another trip but now the left hand is dribbling while the right hand is rolling its ball.
High Bounce/ Low Bounce
This dribble has one hand dribbling the ball high. The ball should travel to head height with each bounce. The other hand bounces its ball low at knee height. This has the low dribble bouncing two or three times for each bounce of the high dribble.
For example, the right hand dribbles with the bounce traveling up around the head. The left hand dribbles low with the bounce staying at knee level. The players have to focus on dribbling with two different rhythms. The players make one trip and then switch hands. The second trip will have the right hand using a low dribble with the left hand dribbling high.
Double Crossover
This dribble will be done either at predetermined locations or every 3 or 4 dribbles. The players will simply do a crossover dribble with each hand and ball. The right hand will dribble ball A while the left hand dribbles ball B. Each hand will do a crossover dribble. The two basketballs will cross on the bounce of the crossover dribble. The right hand will then catch ball B and the left hand will catch ball A. The player will continue taking a few more steps and dribbles and then repeat the double crossover.
Crossover; Behind the Back
This dribble will be done either at predetermined locations or every 3 or 4 dribbles. One hand is doing a crossover dribble while the other hand is doing a behind the back dribble. The dribbles are done together so one ball is crossing in front while the other is moving behind the back of the player.
For example, the right hand is doing a crossover and the left hand is doing a behind the back dribble. The right hand is dribbling ball A and does a crossover dribble with ball A traveling in front of the player. At the same time, the left hand is doing a behind the back dribble with the ball traveling behind the player. As ball A crosses in front of the player it will be caught by the left hand. And ball B is going behind the back of the player and is being caught by the right hand.
Crossover; Between the Legs
This dribble will be done either at predetermined locations or every 3 or 4 dribbles. Just like the crossover with the behind the back dribble but now the dribble is going between the legs. The right hand does a crossover dribble and catches the between the legs dribble. The left hand does a between the legs dribble and catches the crossover dribble. One ball travels in front and the other travels between the legs of the player.
Conclusion
Dribbling is so vital for every player. Players need to be constantly working on the skill. As coaches, we need to be challenging the players as they grow and improve. Two ball ball handling is a great drill to improve both hands. It forces the players out of their comfort zone by making them use both hands to dribble at the same time. This is a great drill for players that struggle using one hand to dribble.
It is a drill that can be done right at the beginning of practice or even before practice to get players warmed up and ready to go. It gets the players moving and gets them touching the ball with both hands to begin practice. It also does not need to take up a lot of time. This can be done in 5-10 minutes. Doing this drill once or twice a week will improve each player’s ball handling.
