In basketball, ball handling is incredibly important for retaining possession and moving the ball around the court. Learning the basics of ball handling is fairly easy, but mastering these skills can take some time and effort. When good ball handling is added to your repertoire of moving, passing and shooting, you will become a real asset to the team.

1. The Figure Eight

Start by spreading your legs apart and then bend your body at the waist. Put the basketball through both your legs, then move it around one leg and back through both of your legs and then repeat this procedure using the opposite leg. Effectively, you are using the ball to create a figure of eight through each of your legs in turn. At first, you will have to look down and pay close attention to how you are moving the ball. Later, with more practice, you will be able to speed up and have time to look around for your teammates.

2. The Dribbling Figure Eight

Following on from about, now you will start to move and dribble using the figure eight. Keep the ball down very low and bend at the waist to get the best results. Start out by dribbling with the right hand out front and then through your legs and then switch over to the left hand and repeat. This basketball drill is hard at first, but look down and go slow to start before you try to speed things up.

3. Go "Around the World"

This is a staple of ball handling drills; you take the ball on a journey around your head, waist, and legs. Keep your legs together, go round your legs at the bottom with the ball. Then spread your legs and take the ball around each leg individually. Put your legs back together again and repeat until you get faster and more precise.

4. The Suicide Drill

This drill received its unfortunate name because it can be very painful, but fun at the same time. Spread your legs shoulder width apart, take the ball with both hands, bounce it between your legs and catch it on the other side. Invariably, the ball doesn’t go through, and the ball can hit you in the unmentionables, hence the suicide name. Bending your legs can help to ease the passage of the ball, but this is very tricky to pull off. This drill may seem pointless, but it will help the student to understand how a ball can bounce at speed to improve concentration and awareness.

If they are looking for summer basketball camps, Victoria based parents and educators should get in touch with us here at Tomorrow’s Stars. Our holiday basketball camps are available for a wide variety of ages and skills levels. We aim to provide an easy way into the game for beginners and improve the skills of intermediate to advanced players. Basketball is a fun team game that promotes fitness, confidence, and teamwork. Our professional coaches teach the fundamentals of the game and teach the students how to use those skills as part of a team. Our team is here to discuss your needs in greater detail, and they will be happy to address any remaining questions that you may have.