Is it best to dribble the ball hard?

I know as a player that dribbling the ball low when a defender is closely guarding you gives you a huge advantage, but does dribbling the ball harder with control is necessary? And does it have any benefits?

Absolutely. Dribbling hard does several things. One it increases the velocity to the floor and bakc to the hand making it harder for the defense to get at. It also allows the player more opportunity for the ball to stay in their hand until the release of the next dribble. This is critical for control and so that a move in another direction can be made spontaniously. Such as a crossover.

By the way the best way to teach that is by emphasizing that the player extend the elbow and snap their wrist at the floor in the same motion that we shoot the basketball. I use the phrase "extend and snap" after I have explained what it means and the players catch on to it quickly.

Great reply Coach Springer!