How to Dribble a Basketball in 10 Simple Steps

Dribbling in basketball is like your wheels on the court. Dribbling allows you to get around and advance the ball into scoring positions.

Here's how to dribble a basketball in 10 simple steps:

1. When you dribble the ball, first you should keep your fingers loosely spread. Also, try not to control the ball with the palms of your hands. Don't palm the ball.

2. The ball should be under control with your finger tips.

3. You want to dribble the ball in a downward motion.

4. Use your wrist and arm pressure to drive the ball towards the floor.

5. As the ball comes back up to your hand, the fingers and wrist should give slightly before pressing down again. Almost like a yo-yo action. The better your ball handling skills become, the better you'll be at feeling for the basketball and knowing where it should come. The ball almost becomes a part of your body.

6. You want to push the ball down. You want to receive the ball back up.

7. You want your knees to be slightly bent and the trunk of your body inclined forward at the waist.

8. Your head is always up looking forward. For beginners it is hard to dribble without looking at it. But with practice it's not hard to master dribbling without looking at the ball. There are also dribbling visors that make it harder for you to see the ball. It's a good idea for beginner to use these dribbling aids when just getting started.

9. You want your opposite hand to protect the basketball when a defender is nearby.

10. You should always have your head up so you can see where you're going on the court. You can see teammates who may be open in areas to score or to break loose from defensive pressure.

Dribbling is easy once you have the proper techniques. It may be tough for beginners but with practice it gets much easier. In my opinion it's the easiest skill to master in the game. All it takes is practice and getting more comfortable with the ball.

Don't get me wrong, it does take a certain amount of skill to be good at dribbling. But like anything the more you do it the more accustomed you get to doing it. And it is also important to practice the right way to improve.

The idea is that you want to get good with the ball and you want to improve your weak hand as well. There are a number of excellent drills you can do for this. The main thing you'll want to keep in mind is that your weak hand may require harder work to help improve it. When I say work harder I mean give your weak hand more attention so it can catch up with your strong hand.

So those are the 10 steps on how to dribble a basketball. Remember to practice consistently and you'll get better at it.

I have figured out more on how to dribble a basketball, how to become a better ball handler, and how to handle the ball like a yo-yo on a string. Visit my site for the Free mini-course at http://DribblingSecrets.com now.