Dribbling

• Fundamentals
  • Speed, rhythm, pocket, punch dribble
  • Dribble release, Throw-down
  • Protect the ball
• Primary moves
  • Inside-out, Push-out, Hesitation, Closed-stance
• Secondary moves
  • Crossover, Iverson cross, Between, Behind, Reverse, Spin, Other combo moves
• Dribble-jab moves
  • Dribble-jab, Dribble-jab cross, Cross-jab, Cross-jab-cross

See Dribbling - 3-cone crossover, Fundamentals - Dribbling series.

Fundamentals

• Starting a dribble
  • from triple threat or a stop
  • catching on the move
• Shift speeds
• Turn the corner, cut off your defender, attack in a straight line
• Speed dribble
  • dominant hand, weak hand
  • alternating hands
• Rhythm dribble
  • ball and inside foot hit at the same time (a dribble step), protect the ball
• Pocket dribble
  • pull the ball back outside the hip
  • time up a rhythm dribble
• Punch dribble
  • step with the outside foot, dribble at the same time
• Dribble release
  • on a pass to one side of your body (e.g. inside hand), put the ball down with that hand instead of first ripping it thru to the other side
  • see Blog post - Stampede Catch & Dribble Release
• Throw-down dribble
  • dribble release from triple threat, use a cross-body throw-down dribble (or same-side turn-out) to avoid traveling on a same-hand same-foot drive
  • can be combined with a jab to sell opposite
• Protect the ball
  • closed stance
  • arm bar - shield the ball
  • control dribble (crab)
    • defender on shoulder
  • back-down dribble
    • defender on hip
  • retreat (escape) dribble
    • pullback dribble - slide
      • drop-step crossover (or between) to square up
      • hip swivel, attack or cross
    • bounce-out
      • closed stance, pound dribble, jump back to square up with space
      • can use a lateral bound for more separation
    • drag pullback for space
      • crossover pullback
      • punch drag, open up, retreat dribble
    • lateral dribble

Primary moves

• Inside-out series
  • inside-out
    • fake throw crossover
    • jab step and dribble at the same time (dribble step)
    • use to move laterally, e.g. extended stepback
    • set-up move, e.g. inside-out wrap (3s, stepbacks)
    • variation - two bounces (in-and-out v-dribble)
  • inside-out cross (counter)
    • add a hesi - inside-out,
      • hesi cross
      • hesi pull-up
    • between, behind
  • inside-out pull-up
    • freeze footwork (quicker)
• Push out series (turn-out, down and out)
  • turn dribble - mini inside-out dribble forward or laterally
  • push-out - same-time turn dribble and angled dribble-foot step
    • downhill, step thru the legs, step into a shot
    • cross, fake cross (stunt - jab opposite)
    • behind or wrap
• Hesitation moves
  • Stop and go
    • inside-outside 1-2 stop
      • or outside-inside freeze footwork
    • can show shot by bringing the off-hand towards the ball (fake pickup, hand shadow), eyes to the rim, use an inside-out dribble to avoid a carry.
  • Slow and go
    • pause and lift on the inside foot (heavy foot or heavy step)
      • hip swivel (or hip crank) - open up to sell a change of direction, go, or step thru the legs if cut off
  • Stutter
    • chop the feet, e.g. 3 steps, 4 steps, inside foot last
    • stutter and go, cross, pull-up, stepback
  • Skip
    • skip off the inside foot, drop it back and land (in a drop stance), push off
    • use on ballscreens  to survey the floor
    • skip out move for lateral separation
  • Glide (lift)
    • float laterally with the ball using shuffle footwork (side step) or a lateral bound (skip off the lead foot, land in a split stance, back foot first)
    • shoot (freeze footwork), attack, cross
    • set up move - turn dribble, between the legs, cross, behind
• Closed-stance
  • Isaiah Thomas - pound and crossover step (get an angle), hesitate, attack

Secondary moves

• Crossover moves
  • Switch hands (drop crossover)
  • Basic cross
    • drive and step forward, cross the ball, step with the other foot
  • Pound cross
    • pound and step out, cross it over (see push-out stunt)
    • can float and run with the ball on a crossover (motion steps)
  • Push or roll crossover
    • don't have to slow down, protects the ball with body and leg
    • attack with space
    • veer to cut off your defender
    • split a ballscreen
    • from an inverted drop
• Iverson cross
  • low and wide split stance (drop position)
  • "big" crossover, ball and foot cross over, usually set up by a skip hesitation
  • other set-up moves
    • between hesi, between and back under, inside-out hesi
  • counters
    • inside-out
    • inside-out cross
    • cross between
      • cross, quick between
      • cross, float and run with the ball, between
    • cross stepback
      • no extra dribble
      • cross, float and run, stepback dribble
    • double cross
      • Iverson cross to quick cross (big cross, small cross)
      • two Iverson crosses (big-big, Kevin Durant)
• Between the legs
  • skip thru (split thru) - skip off the inside foot, scissor the feet, jump stop in a split stance (lunge position), go between the legs
  • anchored thru (step thru) - anchor the outside foot, step with the inside foot, go thru
  • split-thru step-thru
  • 8 between the legs moves
    • between the legs
    • between hesi (see below)
    • stop on a dime - jump stop ("hockey" stop)
    • inverted drag
    • between stepback
    • jab between (push step and turn dribble, step-thru)
    • Iverson (skip) between
    • under drag
  • between and back under (double take)
  • Hardaway between cross
    • counter to between the legs
    • motion steps (without a dribble)
  • between hesi series
    • go
    • freeze pull-up
    • cross
    • cross stepback
• Behind the back
  • halfcourt behind the back - jump stop, sit on the ball (a vee)
  • wrap around the back (stride stop, or hop or glide)
  • wrap cross double move
  • cross between wrap triple move
  • inside-out wrap series
    • 3s, stepbacks, inverted drag
  • extended behind the back (lateral separation)
    • shuffle (kick step) or bound
    • glide to a behind the back snatch
  • behind the back shift
  • drag pullback
  • speed stop exchange (stop separation)
    • speed stop to behind the back
      • into a hesi drop move
      • drop the inside foot, drag under
  • Jamal Crawford double move
    • behind (or between or crossover), wrap
    • see Crawford shake and bake finish
• Reverse dribble
  • drop step, change hands (protect the ball early), spin on the back foot
  • fake reverse - baseline drive, reverse, reverse again, attack the basket
    • see video
  • spin seal - instead of a drop step, scissor both feet to an inverted drop, spin on the back foot (see Jordan spin move)
• Spin dribble
  • spin when cut off
  • pound dribble, jump stop, drop step, pull the ball, set it back to the other hand
    • skip and land on two, or dribble step, drop step and spin off
  • half spin - fake a spin dribble
  • combo moves
    • stutter spin, cross spin, inside-out spin, between spin
    • behind spin
  • see Skills Checklists - Finishing (Spin)
• Other combo moves
  • e.g., behind-behind (Steve Nash)
  • primary-secondary moves, e.g. inside-out cross, hesi between

Dribble-jab moves

• see blog post Dribble-Jab moves
• Dribble-jab (Steve Nash)
  • jab with the inside foot as the ball is coming up, blow by
• Dribble-jab cross
  • dribble-jab counter
  • jab inside, jab outside, cross
  • counter - dribble-jab inside-out (Drew Hanlen)
• Cross jab
  • drop cross, jab back the other way
  • used by many NBA players, e.g. Kevin Durant, Ja Morant
• Cross jab cross (or between)
  • cross jab counter
  • cross jab behind or wrap, under drag
• see Layups - Euro-step, Relph cross-jab series, Shooting - Guard workout (Point-guard finishing)