Unleash Your Inner Baller: How to Get Better Handles!

The NBA has showcased some of the best ball handlers in history. From Kyrie Irving to Allen Iverson, these players have proven how important it is to have exceptional handling skills. You may aspire to be like them but wonder where and how you could unlock your inner baller.

Worry no more because we gotchu! In this post, we will take a closer look at what “handles” are, why they are important in basketball, and ultimately give you tips on how you can improve your dribbling game.

The Basics

Before diving into the nitty-gritty details about improving handles, let’s go over the basics first.

What Are Handles?

Handles refer to a player’s ability to control the ball while dribbling within one’s personal space (i.e., not coming into contact with another player).

Why Do I Need Them?

Good handles allow better maneuverability and make it easier for players to get around defenders. It also helps increase confidence when bringing up the court or executing plays.

The drills

Want solid handles? Here are five great exercises that will help level-up your dribble game:

1. Figure 8s

This classic drill involves drawing two circles with cones then moving around them while maintaining a figure eight pattern with the basketball between your legs. Sounds easy enough? Not so fast there was buster brown! Try doing this without looking down – now that’s a challenge!

2. Pound Dribbles

Involves pounding/forcing/dominating- whatever word sounds scary enough onto a stationary challenger/basketball pads as many times as possible within an allotted time frame (usually done for one minute).

Pro-tip: Try adding variations by powering through mini hurdles/poles laid out horizontally along your path – take note of knee high positions allowed only- speed up as you go along.

3. Cone Drills

This drill involves placing several cones at random points, dribbling between them- and completing a task each time you stop in front of one i.e jump shot layup etc be creative with the challenges presented to amp up the difficulty!

Pro-tip: Insert some intense cardio workout activities (e.g burpees or jumping jacks) into these cone drills – this will help elevate your conditioning capabilities and get that heart pumping right from warm-up!

4. Partner Work

Find a partner who’s committed to helping out; To keep it simple just face another person while both parties do stationary pounding on the ball alternatively before advancing to more complex patterns per each turn:

The “John Wall” Pound: Dribble two balls constantly then throw one over (as high as possible) so that partner can catch it without taking a step

Pound-and-Kick: Alternate indecisive moves every time you bounce ball off another’s feet during dribbling runs

Double-Downs : Two people alternate between fast paced bouncing followed by holding their grip against opponents force push back..

5. ZigZag Dribbling

Set out several cones/ mock defenders along longer paths, fake head fakes or crossover exchange prowess like an NBA all-star pro would! Try hitting targets on endpoints for added entertainment value (keep tallies else modify point system based on individual preferences).

Attention-to-detail tip: Make sure to practice going around both sides of every cone/basket pylon served up or face penalties.. muahaha!.

The Tricks

Now that we’ve gone through some basic exercises let’s talk about different kinds of dribbles/tricks which can complement your new skills;

  1. Crossover – acts as a great decoy move when switching direction
  2. Behind-the-back – enables enhanced vision
  3. Hesitation – adding a sudden brake allows you to take advantage of the defender’s confusion.
  4. In-and-Out – helps cancel out defenders false moves and easily disrupt their defense tactic.
  5. Shamgod – which, if executed correctly will leave your opponent feeling like they need a therapist.

Feel free to add those into your routine drills- just make sure to practise forms in front of a mirror or with lighter balls first whilst building muscle memory!

## Taking It To The Next Level

We all know practice makes perfect, but so does imagination! Here are some other unconventional practices we recommend implementing;

1.Vision Training

Improve peripheral vision by picking up tennis balls dropped around you while keeping an eye on the ball/basket/pylon allocated as target zone only.

“The catch is”- literally actually, because when envisioned properly it can build up your timing accuracy substantially!

Attention-to-detail tip: flip eyes alternatively open/closed during structured sets where engaging multiple senses can count towards better processing true-life events under game-time pressure/scenarios.

2.Visualisation Techniques

Try closing eyes meditating prior to each commercial break after imagining oneself completing various scenarios that could occur within the context of actual gameplay (e.g buzzer-beaters/go games).
Building self-confidence through positive affirmations goes hand-in-hand alongside these imaging techniques.

3.Nutrition Is Key

Let’s be honest here: healthy eating habits do play a significant role not just in real life basketball gaming but also in one’s mindset. Figuring out what nutritional intake works best for you may directly affect brain functionality- adds alertness specially important for endurance testing situations .So drink more water & eat healthier snacks.

Final thoughts

Basketball handling skills seem pretty straightforward at face value- dribble then score point.. rinse repeat..right? WRONG. No amount of power coming from upper body strength alone will get respectfully acknowledged by opposing players or spectators alike without showcasing slick and creative handling skills that will keep others guessing at what moves are coming next!

Follow these slow but sure exercises, add your own spin with most up-to-date tricks in the game; and who knows.. maybe just maybe.. by then you could even try to step on an NBA court someday. (just leave some of the limelight for us though okay?)

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