Both of the last 2 years, I played an 8 man rotation on my varsity team. Two years, 6 of those 8 players were able to effectively drive both ways. We went 17-6.

Last year, 1 of those 8 players was able to do so. We were 9-14. While it would be a gross oversimplification to attribute the difference in record to just one factor (we were much less experienced in year 2), it was a significant factor.

Throughout the season, we did countless drills to encourage players to use their weak hand. We constrained drills so that weak hand drives were worth extra points. It was a big point of emphasis.

And yet, too many of our players only played on half the court. This made them so much easier to guard!

If your defender knows you won’t go 1 direction, they can load up and prepare to stop a drive to your strong hand.

However, when you are able to attack going either way, you become unpredictable, opening up a world of possibilities!

There was one drill we started to use later in the season. Looking back, I wish I’d used it sooner. It was the most effective drill I found in getting players to use their weak hand.

I actually found it because I was doing the Ballhandling and Footwork Workouts with my daughters, who were in grades 3 & 6 at the time.

At the end of some of the workouts was a 1v1 weak hand only drill.

What I loved about the drill was that it forced them to use their weak hand in a competitive setting. Too many players will use their weak hand in drills but not in live settings. If the drills don’t translate to games, what’s the point?!?!

(What I didn’t like about the drill was that I was all-time defense! At this point of my life, that’s not so much fun!)

After seeing their confidence grow as a result of this drill, I started using it with my players.

And while I started too late, it did work. Players soon realized they could succeed going to their weak hand. They had no choice!

Going forward, I will use this drill at whatever level I coach. It forces offensive players to get comfortable using their weak hand. 

They learn how to beat a defender using single hand moves like:

• Hesitation

• Stop & go

• In & out

• Pullback and reattack 

In that regard, it’s an application of the moves they work on in the other dribbling drills within the app.

As they see themselves improving, their confidence will grow, and they’ll feel emboldened to attack both directions.

In fact, they’ll be exposed to a whole new world - the left side of the court (for most). And once that happens, they’ll start exposing their defender!

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