Joe Haefner: Hey, this is coach Joe Haefner and we have a really important video for you if you're serious about taking your dribble moves to the next level. And don't let the title fool you, you'll see advanced players like Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving use these same moves at the NBA level. They are simple moves but it takes a lot of practice to perfect these moves and use them against elite level defenders. These moves are great for any skill level or age level, and breakthrough camps instructor Jim Huber will take you through the moves next, and he even teaches you counters to each one of these moves.
Jim Huber: Now we are going to go over three dribble moves that simply work and they're easy to do. I see too many individuals game at basketball is they're making too many change direction moves and going nowhere. One of the most simple things you can do to create space in the game of basketball is just change speeds. Slow up, speed up, slow, speed up, every time you slow your speed up, you gain an advantage. The defender doesn't know when you are going to slow the speed up. It's like running a race. If I'm able to say go against someone I run it against, I'm going to gain the advantage. So, we are going to work on just simply changing speeds and give you three different moves and some counters to them.
Jim Huber: The first one we are going to get into it is what we call just a hesitation. We call it slow to go. So, what we are going to do is have RJ in a second do a hesitation. He's going to go up and attack a person that's guarding him, and as he's going full speed at him, he's just going to slow up. As he slows up, he's going to relax on a slow up, he's going to sell his head, eyes and shoulders. He might rise up a tiny bit, to sound like he is going up into a shot to get the defender rising up, staying low enough compacted he can step and explode by him that he doesn't come back down. We want to come all the way up and then back down. Stepping by the defender, explode and go, go. It's really a good move. Slow up, speed up, just changing speeds. We are going to watch RJ right now attack an imaginary defender going at him, just doing hesitation dribble.
Jim Huber: And notice how he did it, when he made the move. He was low, sell head, eyes and showing it, getting the defender rising up and then beating him. He's going to do it again. Back up, and he'll show it again, attacking. And come on back, RJ.
Jim Huber: Now, we are going to show you, he's doing his right hand, his outside, you can also come down so you have the ball in your inside hand. He's going to do another hesitation with his left hand. He's going to go slow up, speed up, attack. Right. He can go up and dunk it, he could go use the opposite side of the rim, whatever he decides to do on that type of move. So that's a hesitation.
Jim Huber: Now realize this, everything you do in a dribble move, you always have counters. And you want to know if I'm going to hesitate somebody, and say RJ came out and he hesitated, and he started to attack, and I take it away, he's going to counter me. If I'm chest to chest with RJ, that's a signal for him, he's got to change directions on a counter. If he was sitting there beating me, and I'm shoulder to chest, he's going to go straight line drive.
Jim Huber: So now he's going to act like he's going to make the move, he's going to hesitate, explode attack to the basket, defender takes away and goes chest to chest, he's going to change direction, it can be cross or between legs behind the back, and now he's going to come on his opposite side and you're going to finish and get your strong hand. All right? Here we go, let's go. So he hesitates, takes away, dribble change, goes up and finishes, right. So again, attack and then we'll show it one more time. Hesitate, stay low, head, eyes and shoulders, right? Like he's rising up in his shot. Change direction, attack.
Jim Huber: OK. Now, the second move we are going to get into is what we call jab and go. Right. On an inside out move, a lot of times an inside out, let me see that RJ. I'm coming a defender, we'll bring the ball to inside, sounded like we are coming to this side. We are going to jab with our inside foot. On this one we are going to make it real simple for individuals. We are going to come at them hard, and you're just going to jab that inside foot. Jab that inside foot, and sell with your head and eyes, that you are going here to the middle and then as you do that you're going to step with this sideline outside foot, and step, explode to the basket and go beat the defender.
Jim Huber: So RJ's going to do this, and he is really going to try to get that defender leaning to the inside. Hard violent jab, shoulder head and eyes, explode, attack, and finish. Do it again. Again, you got to be violent. Violent with your fakes. Violent with your fakes. Setting them up, attack, finishing.
Jim Huber: So again, we are going to show him that he can do the same thing. Dribble in his inside hand. So he's attacking the defender, he's coming up, he's got the ball on inside, now he's going to jab hard at him, like he's going to his right coming here, he's going to come back left, and I want you to go dunk it RJ or do something to the opposite side finish, all right? Ready, go, here we go, let's go.
Jim Huber: Good now, he's coming back. Now, we just saw him do it with the right hand, left hand. Now we talked about there's always a counter. He's going to jab, he's going to jab hard, and go, they take him away, and now he's going to counter because the individual gets chest to chest with you, right. Attacks him up, he's going to jab and go. Change direction, attack.
Jim Huber: So he went with his inside hand, left hand, now he's going to dribble with his outside hand, right hand. Go at him hard. Jab and go hard, and then he's going to change directions, seeing the defender come chest to chest. And that's the second move. So the first move is the hesitation, slow to go. The second one is the jab and go.
Jim Huber: The third one is kind of a combination of the hesitation but now we are going to add what we call, kind of, individuals like to make the spin move. They come here and they spin move on somebody. Especially I like the spin move coming in the lane. Making contact, spin off a contact with somebody. So what we are going to do is, we are going to set our defender up, by coming at him hard. We are going to go slow to go, and then we're going make like we are making a fake spin. And for the fake spin to work, there's a couple of different ways. One is first of all, you have to dribble and then go smash, and then you turn. You can't go dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble and then go it's too slow. When you really get good at it all so you can almost go, dribble, turn, smash, and go. Right. And the idea is we are staying low, selling with head and eyes as we turn. Head and eyes as we are going, to really get the defender coming to this side.
Jim Huber: Now as I make the half spin and I go and I attack, they can take it away chest to chest and I can counter. Again if it's a shoulder chest, you are going to work on it, it's going to be a straight line drive. So we are going to do right here, a half spin, dribble with our outside hand, attacking it, some type of finish at the rim or dunk it or whatever you want. Sell it and go. Good.
Jim Huber: So he comes back. We are going to go in our inside hand. Left hand he's going to sell it. So he's going to make a half spin will go the opposite side finish off a half spin. Boom turn, attack, go. Good.
Jim Huber: Now, we are now going to do a counter. So we talked about the half spin. So we are going to act like now RJ's going to make the half spin, the defender again takes it away from him, he explodes, boom change direction, attack, and finish. Do whatever finish that you kind of want. Have your imagination. Boom, attack, good, go finish.
Jim Huber: Now we are going to do it where he has the ball in his inside hand. He's left hand doing the same thing. Going into a half fake spin. Fake spin, selling it, take it away, do it again. Let's do it away. Let's say they take that fake spin away. Now you are going to counter, change direction on it. OK. So it would be like this, if he came at me, he's going here, he's fakes that he's coming, I'm coming here, he's going to change direction, attack and finish.
Jim Huber: And again, those are three simple moves. Change pace. Slow up, speed up, use your head, eyes and shoulders to fake, you can use that jab, that foot also to hard violent jab. Set your defender up to create space, and then go attack the basket to finish. They take it away if it's chest to chest, you know make a counter move. If it's shoulder to chest, straight line drive of attack at the rim and go finish your contact.
Joe Haefner: Hey, we hope you enjoyed the video. Now if you're serious about becoming a better basketball player, we wanted to let you know about our breakthrough basketball camps. There are hundreds of locations across North America and there are camps for youth players to overnight camps for high school players. You can find everything from ball handling, shooting, guard play, post play, and more. Last year over twelve thousand players attended breakthrough basketball camps, and over a hundred and twenty camps sold out. If you would like to learn more, go to breakthroughcamps.com or click on the link below or in the description.
As noted in the video, while these three moves are simple, they are VERY IMPORTANT if you're serious about taking your dribble moves to the next level. And they're great for any age level!
While they are extremely simple, you see players like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Kyrie Irving constantly using these moves to blow by their defenders.
These are the moves that they use 95% of the time. The highlight stuff happens maybe once a game. That's not the stuff they spend a lot of time practicing. They only can do that because they became so skilled at the foundational skills...
So you want to pick one or two moves... then PERFECT it!
After that, you add a counter move if the defense stops your initial move. In the video, Jim Huber demonstrated:
It takes a lot of work to perfect these moves and become unstoppable.
The approach of perfecting just ONE SIMPLE MOVE and a counter helped me develop into an All Conference guard.
And this was despite me lacking the physical traits that most good basketball players have.
You pretty much take the prototype of your perfect basketball player body... then do everything the opposite and you get me... 5'10, alligator arms, short legs, and long torso. Then add in that I can't dunk and I'm not the quickest player on the team.
And I all did was perfect the simple move... hesitation jab and go. And even if you knew it was coming, it was still really hard to stop. (Note, I did waste a bunch of time trying to practice a ton of different
combo moves. I never really became good at any of them.)
Then when the defender stopped the move, I countered with a behind the back move when I was a little further from the basket. If I was closer to the basket, sometimes I countered with a spin move. That's all I did.
And I only did it with my right hand! My brother Jeff who is also the co-founder of Breakthrough Basketball used to ask me if my left hand even worked.
Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't work on moves to your left. I had a left hand. I just never used it with my attack moves for some reason during games.
But the point is... when you become really, really good at just one or two simple moves, it can be very difficult to stop, even when the defense knows it's coming.
If you'd like to learn little tips like this and more that will help take your game to the next level, be sure to check out:
There are also limited spots at each camp and many camps sell out. Our record time for selling out a camp is 24 hours! So if you're interested, take a look.
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