Ball handling is a hard skill that can take time to master. Starting your ball handling journey can be intimidating and seem never-ending. Luckily, there are a ton of resources at your disposal to get better and use as a guide to improve your ball handling.
There are a lot of different components when it comes to ball-handling. Some of them are the execution of certain moves, ball control, and dribbling against live defenders. With consistent technique practice and exposure and practice against live defenders, your handles will drastically improve over time.
In this guide, we are going to give you 5 simple beginner drills that focus on ball control and manipulation. These drills are designed to increase your confidence with the ball, and help you have that ball on a string. You can either follow along by reading this guide or follow along on our video The 5 Best Basketball Drills For Beginners Let’s dive in and get to work!
- Pocket Pounds
A pocket dribble is the foundation of any good ball-handler. The ability to manipulate your wrist and bring the ball up into your pocket allows you to get into different moves easier and protect the ball from defenders. Your dribble pocket is the space between your shoulder and hip, essentially where the pocket of your shorts are.
In this drill, you are going to start with three pound dribbles, and then rip the ball into your dribble pocket. To do this, bring your elbow back allowing the ball to hang in the air. I like to tell my players to think of starting a lawn mower as they yank the ball. Make sure to keep your hand on top of the ball and allow your elbow to do most of the work to bring the ball back.
Complete 20 reps with each hand and repeat twice. This should take you about 2-4 minutes and can be done every day along with all drills in this guide. This is a great way to improve your handle and allow you to gain control of the ball.
- Over & Back Pounds
We are continuing work on ball manipulation with the Over & Back Pounds. For this drill, you need to find a line, cone, or anything that gives you a marker for ball placement accountability. Similarly to the Pocket Pounds, we are working on wrist manipulation and ball control as we are pounding the ball back and forth over the line.
To complete this drill, you need to pound the ball over and back your accountability marker (line/cone/water bottle). Focus on keeping your hand over the ball and letting your wrist bring the ball over and back. Do not be scared to really pound that ball! It may take a while to get the hang of the pounds – but do not soften the dribble (it makes the exercise way harder!)
Complete 20 reps with each hand and repeat twice. This should take you 2-3 minutes and can be done every day along with all drills in this guide. This drill will allow you to progress and strengthen your technique with moves like the Push Cross!
- Stationary Wraps
Stationary wraps are one of my favorite ways to warm up my handle and really work on my ball control. Throughout my whole playing career, I used stationary wraps to keep my handle tight and feeling good. While completing this wrap series, be sure to cup the ball and exaggerate your wrist movement pushing the ball in and out.
Back to Front Wraps
The first wrap we are doing is the Back to Front Wrap. To complete this wrap you have to bounce the ball from the back of your body to the front of your body. The goal is to continuously wrap the ball back to front around your leg. Complete 10 continuous wraps twice.
Front to Back Wraps
The second wrap we are doing is the Front to Back Wraps. To complete this wrap you have to bounce the ball from the front of your body to the back of your body. The goal is to continuously wrap the ball front to back around your leg. Complete 10 continuous wraps twice.
Modified Version
This drill can be complicated at first for beginners – so we added a couple of modifications you can use until you can progress into continuous wraps.
- Wrap With 1 Dribble in Between
- This modification allows you to dribble in between each wrap. Lessening the load on the wrist and allowing you to reset with a dribble.
- Wrap With Catch in Between
- This modification allows you to catch in between each wrap. Every catch will allow you to reset between the wraps.
- Wraps on the Move
We are now moving from our stationary portion of this ball handling guide and going on the move. For this drill, we are combining the back and front wraps while moving forward and backward between the baseline and the free throw line (about 4 feet if you don’t have access to a court).
To complete this drill, you will wrap the ball back to front to move forward. Use short choppy steps to build that rhythm and flow. With every step incorporate a wrap. If this is hard you can modify and add a bounce in between! Once you reach the free throw line, you will wrap the ball from front to back. Use the same short choppy steps to maintain rhythm. Use modifications as necessary. Do this 4 times down and back.
To get a good visual and breakdown of the next drills checkout our YouTube Video! You will get a comprehensive Basketball Drills Tutorial to all the drills mentioned throughout this post.
- Float Dribbles
To be a good ball handler, you must have float dribbles in your bag. A float dribble is when you let the ball hang in the air while continuing your movement. Float dribbles are great to change pace and set up a change of direction or speed. A key to mastering the float dribble is the ability to turn your wrist out and control the ball. The drills previously mentioned will help you work up to being a pro at Float Dribbles!
To complete this drill start at either elbow – you will take two float dribbles across the free throw line. Finish with a jump stop or speed stop pickup. Repeat this 10 times each hand. Alternate hands each time.
Incorporating these five essential drills into your basketball training regimen will undoubtedly enhance your ball handling skills and elevate your performance on the court.