Ball Handling Tips from a College Guard
I’ve been trying to master these since I was a little kid
Every kid who is serious about basketball wants to play in college. Not many people want to put the work in. Unless you are a six foot eight, jump out of the gym, once-in-a-lifetime athlete, you need to be able to handle the ball to play at the collegiate level. (Coming from a guy who has had to rely on skill more than athleticism to be able to play in college) I cannot stress enough how important ball handling is for any player, let alone for a guard.
A few points of emphasis to becoming a good ball handler are:
- Efficiency
- Ball Control
- Change of Speed.
Warning: if you practice these simple drills (a lot), you will be ready to handle the basketball at the next level.
For this drill, you will need to isolate yourself in a small area. The half court circle or the free throw line to top of the key arc are both sufficient. What you want to do is dribble the ball in the small space, focusing on touching all of the areas. Imagine that you are in your yard and you are actually killing the grass with the basketball. You can use a variety of small, sharp moves while doing this. Killing the grass will help you to work on your efficiency with the ball and teach you to navigate through small spaces. Set your timer for a minute and go! Click here to view this drill in the Hustle app.
Start at the baseline and work towards the foul line. Once half way, make a hard move and work on changing speeds. Start real slow and then explode through after your move until you reach the foul line. Spin at the line and go again towards the baseline. Go back and forth ten times, alternating your moves and really working on changing speeds. This drill will help you to learn how to change speeds in a small area and it forces you to be efficient with your dribble. Click here to see this drill in the Hustle app
Last but not least, the spider dribble. This is the stereotypical summer basketball camp dribbling drill that causes everyone to run around the gym after their ball. The spider dribble, two in front and two in back (as seen in the video) works on your control. Control of the basketball is huge for ball handling at any level, especially the college level. Make sure to challenge yourself and really try to speed up the drill. If you get really good, start walking forward while doing the spider. If the ball isn’t squirting away from you, then you are not pushing yourself! Click here to see the drill in the Hustle app.
These three simple drills will improve any player’s ball handling. I have been doing these drills since I was eight years old and now I am playing in college. You do not need to be fancy and have a thousand different cones and different sized balls to become a better ball handler. You need passion, work ethic, and the want to get better. Practice these three drills daily and watch your handle improve.
If you’re looking for more guidance on specific drills to improve any aspect of your game, from shooting, passing and dribbling to rebounding, defending and conditioning, try out the Hustle app — it’s free!
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