Ball Handling

It's the first thing I pick up in the morning. I put in time before breakfast, after breakfast, most of the morning until it wears out. Same thing in the afternoon, then on into the night. It's the last thing I put down before I go to bed, exhausted! I spend nearly every waking moment with it, and I often dream about it! Spaulding? Wilson? Nike???? NO!!! It's my new baby, Jackson. I love this baby, but he absolutely takes all my time and energy. If you're even day-dreaming about having a baby before you finish school and get married, STOP!! Babies are serious stuff even under ideal conditions (married to the man of your dreams, living in a nice house, all the bills paid). If you want something to love you no matter what --- get a dog!

Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about ball handling. Other than getting the rock in the hole, ball handling is the most important skill. I think that coaches do tall kids of both sexes a disservice when they don't let them dribble or pass much. When you think about it, that boy who's 6' 5" and plays center, and the girl who's over 5" 11" and plays forward or center, is shorter than most guards in the NBA. Leslie and Lobo are both shorter than Jordan, Penny and Magic. Why can't (don't) they handle the ball with the same kind of skill? My philosophy is to get everyone interested in dribbling and passing. The tallest girl in high school could be the shortest girl in college. She will have to handle the ball.

Where to start on such a difficult skill? Begin with the basics - get your hands familiar with the ball. Pass it from hand to hand in front of yourself, slap it hard from hand to hand. Circle the ball around your waist, ten times clockwise, ten times counterclockwise; then circle the ball around your head ten times each way, and around your legs (together). Next, put all three together and perform a corkscrew - start the ball circling at your waist, move up to your head, back to the waist, down around your legs and back to the waist again. Perform this drill at least ten times in each direction. You should also circle each leg individually, both clockwise and counterclockwise. Finally, circle the ball around both legs(spread apart) in a figure eight pattern. Start with the ball in front of your knees. Move the ball around the front of your right knee, behind the right knee and between your legs to the front of the left knee, around the left knee, behind the left knee, through your legs and back to the front. Continue the figure eight pattern for at least ten repetitions, then reverse the pattern and repeat ten times.

So far, this stuff isn't nearly as exciting as a cross-over, spin move and behind the back dribble to leave your defender in the dust. But !!! you have to start at the beginning!! Time out for a brief story - There once was a girl who wanted to be the greatest martial artist in the country. She found the best sensei (teacher) in the land. The sensei asked why she wanted to study with him. "I want to be the best karateka (karate fighter) in the country" she replied. "it will take tens years of daily practice" the sensei told her. "Ten Years is too long! What if I practice twice as much as anyone else?" the girl asked. "Then it will take you twenty years" was the answer. "What if I practice night and day as hard as I can?" "Then it will take you thirty years." The girl was not happy. "Why do you tell me that the harder I practice, the longer it will take to become the best?" The sensei replied "It is because you are more interested in being the best than in learning the art. When you have your eye on the finish, it is much harder to reach the goal than if you begin with the first step and then focus on the next." The lesson to be learned is that it is the process (the learning, the doing, the work) that is more important than the product ( the killer crossover drive to the hole). Take your time, put in the work with your eye on becoming an expert each step of the way, instead of looking to being the best in the land. In this way you will be the best at ball circles before you are the best at dribbling.

And about that dribbling... legend has it that Pete Maravich dribbled everywhere he went, on a bike, in the movie theater (huh??), on railroad tracks, everywhere!! This may be extreme, but he is still known as the best ballhandler of all time, and still holds the NCAA season scoring record. Pete also had many specific drills dreamed up by his father or himself. One of these drills is called the "Richocet". Start with the ball in front of your waist. Spread your legs a little wider than shoulder width. Bounce the ball with both hands through your legs and catch it with both hands behind your back. Return the ball to the front and repeat. Now, this is a skill you will never use in a game, but when that ball is loose somewhere on the court, you are training your hands to find the ball without even seeing it, and getting control. A reverse ricochet starts with the ball behind you in both hands. Bounce the ball between your legs and catch it in the front. Next, combine both moves and bounce the ball from front to back, and then back to front without stopping.

Practice these drills, get to be the best at these simple things, and the greater things will follow. Remember... process, not product!! Next month - Stationary dribbling skills

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