Some of these ball handling drills are easy and some are much more difficult based on your experience. Don't get discouraged if you struggle on some of them, keep working on them and you will be amazed as to how easy they become in time.
Ball Handling Videos
The following stationary ball handling drills we teach at our HOOPZONE camps. These drills have been around for years and used in camps from youth up through the pro level. Even our youngest Lil' Dribblers (ages 4 thru 1st grade) do some of these! If you are having a hard time understanding the text in drills below click the Ball Handling Video link above.
Learning to become a good ball-handler takes lots of practice and time with the ball so it becomes as if an extention of your hand. Being able to make the ball do what you want is very important in becoming a great player.
First and most important is to hold the ball correctly. Here is how to practice holding the ball:
 Hold the ball with your fingertips. The palms of
your hands
should not touch the ball.
Make sure your fingers are spred apart.
Hold the ball as much as possible at home while
watching
TV or listening to the radio or music.
Do each one about 30 to 40 seconds and then move to the next one. With all of these drills, try to keep your eyes forward (looking up), without looking at the ball.
1) Slaps:
Pound or slap the ball hard from hand to hand
2) Tap Drill:
Extend your hands over your head and tap the ball quickly between your fingertips. Work your way down to the floor and then back up over your head.
3) Circle Waist:
Move the ball as quickly as you can around your waist, reverse.
4) Circle 2 Legs:
Stand with legs together and while bent down circle the ball around your ankles, reverse.
5) Candy Cane:
Combine the 2 previous ball handling drills with one more. Stand with your legs together. Start at your ankles and work the ball around your ankles, then circle your waist, then circle your neck and then back down to your ankles again. Work on gaining a quick, fluid motion up and down. Reverse direction.
6) Circle 1 Leg:
Move the ball around your right knee as you stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then do the same around your left knee. You can also do this ball handling drill with your feet positioned close together and moving the ball around both legs.
7) Figure Eight:
Stand with your knees about shoulder-width apart and bend over slightly. With the ball in your right hand, pass it between your legs in a figure eight motion to your left hand. Swing the ball to the front and then pass it from your left hand back to your right hand through your legs. As with all ball handling drills, start slowly and increase your speed as you get more comfortable.
8) Toss Up and Catch Behind:
Here's a fun drill the players like. Toss the ball up over your head. Reverse pivot and catch the ball behind your back.
9) Crab Walk:
Walk, bent over up the floor and put the ball between the legs, back and forth as you go. The ball is brought over the front of the thigh, then through the legs and then behind the opposite thigh and around and over the thigh.
10) Wall Shot:
Hold the ball above your head with both hands standing about three feet from a wall. Bounce the ball off the wall 10 times with your right hand and then 10 times with your left hand using the top, padded areas of your fingers. This may be a bit difficult when you first try, but it will help you develop the proper feel for the ball.
11) Run in Place:
Bend over while running in place. Move the ball behind your right leg with the right hand and then behind your left leg with the left hand. Keep doing this while being sure to keep your feet in a straight line.
12) Drop and Catch:
Hold ball between your legs with right hand in front of your body, left hand behind. Drop the ball and exchange you hand position and re-catch the ball before it hits the ground.
Sample Ball Handling Workouts
Stage 1: Beginner Workout:
Slaps, Tap Drill, Circle Waist, Circle 2 Legs, Candy Cane, Circle 1 Leg, Figure Eight
Stage 2: Intermediate Workout:
Same as the beginners workout, except you add;
Toss Up and Catch Behind, Crab Walk, Wall Shot, Run in Place, Drop and Catch
Don't give up keep working at these until they feel natural!
Coach O
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