Every basketball player wants the ball in their hands. Possessing the ball is fun and empowering.

How do you earn those opportunities? By being able to handle the ball. No matter the level, players who can handle the ball with skill and confidence tend to dominate the game.

I’ve seen it at the youth level with my daughters’ teams. Each team generally has 1-2 girls who possess the ball 50-70% of the time. 

I’ve seen it in my 16 years of varsity boys experience. Players who handle the ball well find a way on the court.

It doesn’t matter the level, developing great handles puts you on the fasttrack to more playing time and more playing time with the ball in your hands.

One surefire way to improve your handles is with our Ballhandling and Footwork Workouts.

Why A Tight Handle Unlocks Every Other Part Of Your Game

What are some common problems in youth basketball?

• Missed layups
• Passing too late
• Turnovers

What do all 3 of those issues have in common? They often occur because the player with the ball can’t dribble with their head up. When you dribble with your head down, you don’t get your head to the rim in time to make layups.

When you dribble with your head down, you have to stop dribbling before you can look to see who’s open, causing you to miss open teammates.

When you dribble with your head down (or can’t dribble with both hands), you can’t see and evade defenders trying to steal the ball.

All those problems can be rectified by improving your handles.

At the middle school and high school level, players who can handle the ball get more respect from defenses. This respect generally translates into the defense giving them more space, for fear of getting beat off the dribble

This extra space creates more shots for you and helps you shoot at a higher percentage since you aren’t as tightly guarded.. It also opens up more passing lanes to set up teammates. And finally there’s less pressure on the ball, decreasing the chances of turning the ball over.

Essentially, becoming a better dribbler also makes you

• a better finisher
• a better shooter 
• and a better passer

That’s a pretty good ROI (return on investment)!

Become A Dominant Dribbler In Less Time Than It Takes To Eat Lunch

Speaking of ROI, is 8-14 minutes a day a reasonable amount of time to put in to transform your game? I’d say so.

That’s the idea behind our Ballhandling and Footwork Workouts. These 8-14 minute workouts are progressive in nature, maintaining an appropriate level of challenge that keeps players motivated and having fun.

These workouts are appropriate for players ages 5 through high school ages.

I’ve been using them with my daughters for three years. In that time, I’ve seen their dribbling and confidence improve tremendously.

One area we’ve been working on is their inside out move. I love it because it’s a fast move that doesn't require a change of hands. After doing workouts like this one a couple times, they started using it in games. . . and getting results!

That’s the best part - it translates. I’ve coached players who looked great in dribbling drills but couldn’t handle the ball under pressure in games. That’s not the case with these workouts.

I’ve seen my daughters’ confidence grow as they’ve advanced through the workouts. It’s not only made them better players, but it’s made the game more fun for them…which has motivated them to work even harder! 

I’m confident these workouts can do the same for you!

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