Newsletter #222

Today's Theme:  Full-Court Dribbling Moves Drills

Use this full-court dribbling drill to practice specific dribbling moves. Use two lines, and start out using the right-handed dribble (diagram A).

On each end of the floor, place a chair, cone or an assistant at the arc as a token defender.  Each player has a ball.  The first player in each line starts at the half-court sideline, dribbles to the token defender, and executes a prescribed dribble move.  This could be a crossover dribble, an in-and-out move, a hesitation (rocker) move, a behind the back move, a through the legs move, or other combination moves.  See Dribbling or video clips that demonstrate these moves.

After making the move, the player dribbles around and shoots the lay-up (or a jump stop and short jumper on the crossover move to the lane). He/she gets the rebound, dribbles to the opposite corner, pivots and dribbles up the sideline.  Have two chairs (or cones) along the sideline where they make another dribble move on each chair and then get into the line going the other way.

Pointer: when dribbling around the defender (or chair) to the hoop, we want players to get all the way to the hoop with just a one-bounce dribble, if possible.  Push the ball forward when getting around the defense.

Then have the lines face the opposite direction, move the chairs (or cones) and repeat all these moves with the left-hand (diagram B).

Note that the upper part of each diagram shows the crossover move to the lane, while each lower court shows the non-crossover move - this is just for illustration. Have all players do the same move on both ends of the floor. For variety, we may have them shoot a lay-up on one end and a pull-up jumper at the other end.

For two more drills (Full-Court Dribble-Moves/Lay-up Drill #2 and Finish Lay-ups Against Pressure), see "Full-Court Dribbling Moves Drills".