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Dribbling a basketball is the most basic skill in the game. Some players dribble more than others, but the fact remains that every good basketball player knows how to use the dribble to accentuate his or her skill set. Big players use the dribble to set up their post moves on the low block; point guards bring the ball up court and set up pick and rolls to get their teammates open shots; and wing players use the dribble to improve their shooting/passing angle or drive to the rim.

Here are three pieces of advice to think about as you learn how to dribble a basketball.
RELATED: Develop an Unstoppable Crossover Dribble With Just 3 Drills
1. Put Energy into the Ball

The easiest way to control the basketball when you're dribbling is to use your forearm and fingertips to put energy into the ball as you push it toward the floor.
RELATED: Improve Your Ball-Handling with these Basketball Dribbling Drills
When you use a soft dribble, you can lose the ball because it takes longer to come back into your hand. You can also lose control when defenders try to steal the ball and your evasive movements aren't quick enough. One of the most dynamic dribblers in the NBA is Chris Paul. He dribbles the ball with an energy that allows him to keep control of the ball in tight spaces and avoid pesky defenders.

2. Keep Your Eyes Up

The tendency for anyone learning how to dribble a basketball is to focus his or her eyes on the court so they can watch the basketball hit the floor and bounce back to them. This common mistake comes from a lack of comfort with the ball in their hands.

All dribbling drills should be practiced with your eyes up on the court in front of you. This is especially important for two reasons. First,you are able to see the entire court and will more easily spot an open teammate or a scoring opportunity for yourself. Second, you will turn the ball over less often because you'll be able to see defenders coming to double-team you.
VIDEO: How to Dribble Like the Pros
3. Dribble with Your Fingertips

If you can dribble the basketball with the pads of your fingers instead of the palm of your hand, you'll gain much more control of the ball. Dribbling with your palm is slow and clunky, and won't allow you to make necessary adjustments in the midst of a full-speed game. Avoid slapping at the ball and focus instead on using your fingertips to push the ball toward the floor and back into your hand.

Photo Credit: Getty Images // Thinkstock

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Dribbling a basketball is the most basic skill in the game. Some players dribble more than others, but the fact remains that every good basketball player knows how to use the dribble to accentuate his or her skill set.

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Let's face it - rebounding is not very glamorous. It's a thankless job, especially on the defensive end, but many coaches will argue that the battle on the boards has a humongous impact on the outcome of any game.

And while there is some technique to it, most of rebounding comes to two things - heart and desire. And yes, these aren't really things you can teach players, you can create an environment that promotes and rewards players that show those characteristics.

Pound The Board Drill

This is a great warmup drill, getting your players up and down quite a bit, as well as improving hand and forearm strength.

Have a player line up on one side of the rim, and jump up once, twice, and a third time, slamming the ball on the back board each time.

After the third backboard slam, they will jump up and finish the lay-up with their outside hand, and catch the rebound as they slide over, to repeat the drill on the other side of the backboard.

One on One Rebounding

Have two players line up, one on each block, facing the rim, with you at the free throw line with a ball. On your command, they will both run out and touch

the three point line, and then sprint back into the key, fighting for that rebound.

You can have players rotate out after every rebound, or have players fight to be the first player to rhee rebounds, with the loser, running sprints or seventeens.

Four Player Rebounding

Instead of just two players, here we will put four in, with two on the blocks, and another two on the elbows, but instead of running out to the 3 point line, the defenders will begin fighting for position as soon as the ball is thrown up.

You can utilize this as a drill to focus on offensive rebounding, and count the two at the elbows as one team, or leave it as a pure free for all - both will give you high intensity battles in the

paint, and really get your players going.

Coaching Tips

You have to stress the importance of intensity in these drills, as there is no technique or skill that is being improved here - just conditioning and effort. That's why putting up a large penalty; say 5 sprints up and down the court, will make sure to keep everyone's intensity level high.

If you're looking for more drills for your big men, make sure to check out these post offense drills!

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Let's face it - rebounding is not very glamorous. It's a thankless job, especially on the defensive end, but many coaches will argue that the battle on the boards has a humongous impact on the outcome of any game. And while there is some technique to it, most of rebounding comes to two things - ...

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1 v 1 rebounding rebound  rebound  basketball drills

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1 v 1 Rebounding Rebound - Basketball Drills, | Sportplan

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Basketball 1 v 1 Rebounding Rebound 1 offensive player and 1 defensive player. The ball will be thrown up at the basket. The defensive player must go make contact(box out) the offensive player and get the rebound. Once the defensive player has the rebound, they pass back out to the shooter.

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Very few babies come out of the womb with a jump shot like Michael Jordan.

Learning how to shoot a basketball doesn't come naturally to everyone. In most cases, mastering the skill takes advice from coaches and elders, along with hours of practice.

While there are differing opinions when it comes to the correct shooting form, most agree on a few basic guidelines. To remember them, the creators of Excel Basketball Camp created a useful acronym:

B.L.E.S.H.
The creator of the camp, Frank Allocco Sr., was the head coach of the men's basketball team at De La Salle High School in Concord, California, for 18 seasons. He led the school to 17 East Bay Athletic League titles and two state championships.

In 2014, Allocco Sr. was named the associate head coach at the University of San Francisco. He also played football and basketball at the University of Notre Dame in the 1970s. In short, Allocco Sr. knows a thing or two about basketball.

To begin, hold the ball in the palm of your hand with a small amount of space between your skin and the ball. Both your wrist and elbow should be bent at about 90 degrees.

Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart, and the foot of your shooting hand should be slightly ahead of your other foot. If you were to slide your other foot over, the ball of this foot would fit like a puzzle piece with the arch of the foot on your shooting-hand side. Additionally, both feet should be directly facing the basket.

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How to Improve Your Basketball Shooting Form

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Very few babies come out of the womb with a jump shot like Michael Jordan. Learning how to shoot a basketball doesn't come naturally to everyone. In most cases, mastering the skill takes advice from coaches and elders, along with hours of practice.

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Here's a selection of my favorite defensive drills, including techniques for improving individual defense, team defense, and defensive communication. Give 'em a try - and make sure to leave a comment and let me know how they go!

One of the great tragedies of basketball is that the most important jobs in the game often get the least credit. We've all heard that defense wins championships, but scoring sells shoes. And because of this, players who excel in certain areas - your great screeners, the dominant rebounders, and the lockdown defenders - rarely get their due in the media and with the fans.

That's a mistake you can't make as a coach. A lot of the time you'll hear sports commentators talk about how being good at defense is just about effort. And while that's true to a certain extent, it's not just about trying hard. And frankly, saying so is an insult to the great individual defenders who spend all that extra time perfecting their craft.

If you're interested in some more advanced training, make sure you check out the Team Defense Drillbook and Individual Defense Drillbook as well.

More Defensive Basketball Drills

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The Team Defense Drillbook is jam-packed with 26 fun and effective defensive basketball drills to help you lock down your opponents and win more games this season.

You'll learn the best way to teach basic team defense principles, competitive practice ideas to help your kids take pride in their "D" - and advanced in-game strategies to shut down your competition. All explained with simple, step by step instructions and diagrams that any coach can understand.

Best of all, it's delivered in PDF format, so you can get instant digital access... right over your computer screen, smartphone, tablet, or eReader... from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection!

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Here's a selection of my favorite defensive drills, including techniques for improving individual defense, team defense, and defensive communication. Give 'em a

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5 Basketball Defense Drills to Lock Down Any Opponent

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The main goal on defense is to force the opposition into taking the most difficult shot possible. Use these 5 basketball defense drills to do it.

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The jump shot is one of a basketball players most useful and necessary skills. Being able to shoot a proper jump shot differentiates the great players from the average players. Shooters like Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Ray Allen mastered this skill and used it to take their teams and themselves to new heights. Learning how to properly shoot a jump shot is key to any aspiring basketball player and like all of the fundamentals, improving your jump shot is a matter of starting with the basics, properly practicing the technique, and then moving on to more advanced techniques. Let's start with the basics.

Step 3: Shooting Form Set-up

Next is bringing the ball into shooting position. Dip the ball to your shooting side waist or thigh. Spread your fingers and hold the ball with your fingertips to get as much control of the ball as possible while positioning your shooting hand (your dominate hand) behind the ball so that the back of this hand faces directly away from the basket.

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Step 5: The Motion of the Shot

Now we get to the actual motion of the jump shot. Bend your knees and jump, push your legs up and launch your body straight up into the air. As you jump you will want to keep the shooting arm in line with the basket, think of the shooting are as a catapult. You want to keep the arm of the catapult in line with its target otherwise it will veer off course and accuracy will be seriously affected. As you are jumping you want to bring the ball up from the shooting side waist or thigh up to in front of the body. When the upper part of the shooting arm is horizontal to the body the elbow and wrist should be at 90 degree angles.

Step 8: Where to Aim

So where should you aim while you shoot your jump shot? Well there are a few different opinions on this matter and really it changes from player to player. If you find that you are over shooting the basket or the ball is going too far you should aim for the front of the rim. Imagine the ball sliding right past the front of the rim. If your shot is falling too short or not going far enough, then aim for the back of the rim. Think of the ball entering the hoop right before it would hit the back of the rim.

Step 9: Practice!

Now comes practice, practice, and more practice. Start off by taking it slow, get your technique and rhythm down for your jump shot. Building the muscle memory for your jump shot to be the proper technique is crucial so that your body will always use the correct technique to shoot a jump shot. Once you've got the muscle memory down and are confident in your shot you can move on to trying more advanced shots like the pump fake then shot, fade away jumper, pull-up jumper, or the turnaround jump shot. Good luck and practice hard!

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How to Shoot a Jump Shot: The jump shot is one of a basketball players most useful and necessary skills. Being able to shoot a proper jump shot differentiates the great players from the average players. Shooters like Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Ray Al...

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If you're a basketball coach or parent I bet you have heard these comments from your players...
"Coach, I can't train at home. I don't have a basketball ring" or "Coach, there's not enough space to train at home".
These are excuses I hear all too often and it's not necessarily the player's fault. As coaches and parents, we need to teach our players that they can work on their game no matter where they are.

That's why I've compiled this list of exactly 50 stationary basketball dribbling drills that your players can use to work on their game anywhere as long as they have a small area to use and a basketball.

Stationary 1 Basketball Dribbling Drills

1. Ball Slaps
Continuously slap the basketball from one hand to the other. This is a great drill to start with to get your hands ready for the workout.

2. Straight Arm Finger Taps
While making sure to keep your elbows locked, tap the basketball quickly back and forth straight out in front of you. When you become good at this drill start moving the ball up and down.

3. Wraps - Around Ankle
Wrap the ball around your lower leg/ankles without letting the basketball touch the ground.

4. Wraps - Around Waist
Wrap the ball in a circle motion around your waist.

5. Wraps - Around Head
Wrap the ball in a circle motion around your head.

6. Wraps - Around the world
Involves combining the wraps around the ankles, waist, and head into one drill. Start by wrapping the ball around your head, then bringing it down and around your waist, and finally around your ankles. Then back up to your waist, then head, then waist again, etc.

7. Wraps - Figure 8 Around Legs
Wrap the ball in a figure 8 motion around your legs.

8. Wraps - Around Right Leg
Starting with your right leg in front and your left leg back, wrap the ball around only your right leg.

9. Wraps - Around Left Leg
Starting with your left leg in front and your right leg back, wrap the ball around only your left leg.

10. Wraps - Double Leg, Single Leg
Start with your legs together. Step your right leg forward and circle your right leg with the basketball. Then immediately step back with your right leg so that your feet are together and circle both legs. Then step out with your left leg and circle it before stepping back together and wrapping the ball around them both. Continue this process.

11. Drops
Start in a squat position with both hands and the basketball in front of you. The aim is to drop the ball between your legs (only a few inches off the ground), let it bounce once, then take both hands behind your legs before catching it. Then dropping the ball again from behind and taking both hands back to the front and catch it. Repeat.

12. Straddle Flip
Similar to drops but instead start with one hand in front and one hand behind while holding the ball between your legs. The aim is to quickly flip the ball up and inch or two, swap hand positions from front to back, and catch the ball before it hits the ground.

13. Machine Gun
Kneel down onto the ground and alternate both hands to keep the ball as low as possible to the ground. The ball should stay in the same spot.

14. Spider Dribble
Start with your knees shoulder width apart and bent. The ball should stay underneath you the entire time of the drill. Dribble the ball with your right hand, then your left hand, then reach your right hand around behind your knee for a dribble, and then your left hand behind your knee for a dribble, and then back to your right hand in front. Continue this.

15. Pound Dribble - Ankle Height - Right Hand
Dribbling the basketball a couple of inches off the ground with your right hand.

16. Pound Dribble - Ankle Height - Left Hand
Dribbling the basketball a couple of inches off the ground with your left hand.

17. Pound Dribble - Waist High - Right Hand
Making sure to be in stance, pound the ball as hard as you can into the ground at around waist hight with only your right hand.

18. Pound Dribble - Waist High - Left Hand
Making sure to be in stance, pound the ball as hard as you can into the ground at around waist hight with only your left hand.

19. Pound Dribble - Shoulder Height - Right Hand
This is used to get the player out of their comfort zone. Pound the ball as hard as you can while dribbling at around shoulder height with only your right hand.

20. Pound Dribble - Shoulder Height - Left Hand
This is used to get the player out of their comfort zone. Pound the ball as hard as you can while dribbling at around shoulder height with only your left hand.

21. Dribble around Right Leg - Right Hand
Start in a wide stance. Keeping the ball low to the ground, dribble the ball in a circle around your right leg with only your right hand.

22. Dribble around Left Leg - Left Hand
Start in a wide stance. Keeping the ball low to the ground, dribble the ball in a circle around your left leg with only your left hand.

23. Dribble Figure Eight
Again starting in a wide stance. Dribble the ball in a figure 8 motion around both legs using both hands.

24. Kills - Right Hand
This drill involves dribbling from ankle to shoulder height. Start by dribbling the ball at your ankles and gradually dribbling the ball higher on each bounce. When you get to as high as you can 'kill' the basketball by stopping it a few inches off the ground and dribbling back up to your shoulder.

25. Kills - Left Hand
This drill involves dribbling from ankle to shoulder height. Start by dribbling the ball at your ankles and gradually dribbling the ball higher on each bounce. When you get to as high as you can 'kill' the basketball by stopping it a few inches off the ground and dribbling back up to your shoulder.

26. Crossover Dribble
Cross the ball continuously in front of your body. Make sure you're crossing over wide.

27. Behind the Back Dribble
Cross the ball continuously in behind your body. Make sure you're crossing over wide.

28. Scissors - Alternating Between the Legs
Start with your right foot forward and left foot back. Cross the ball between your legs and jump to switch the positioning of your feet so you can immediately cross the ball back to the other side. Every time you go through the legs you should be switching feet.

29. 3-Dribble Crossover.
Pound the ball 3 times before crossing it over in front of your body. Then pound the ball 3 times before crossing it back. Repeat this process making sure that you're pounding the ball hard.

30. 3-Dribble Through the Legs.
Pound the ball 3 times before crossing it over through your legs. Then pound the ball 3 times before crossing it back. Repeat this process making sure that you're pounding the ball hard.

31. 3-Dribble Behind the Back
Pound the ball 3 times before crossing it behind your back. Then pound the ball 3 times before crossing it back. Repeat this process making sure that you're pounding the ball hard.

32. Triples - Crossover, Through the Legs, Behind the Back
The drill must be performed in this sequence: crossover, between the legs, behind the back, through the legs. Continue this sequence.

33. Front V-Dribble - Right Hand
Using only your right hand, dribble the ball from side to side in the shape of a 'v' in front of your body.

34. Front V-Dribble - Left Hand
Using only your left hand, dribble the ball from side to side in the shape of a 'v' in front of your body.

35. Side V-Dribble - Right Hand
Using only your right hand, dribble the ball backwards and forwards beside your body in the shape of a 'v'.

36. Side V-Dribble - Left Hand
Using only your left hand, dribble the ball backwards and forwards beside your body in the shape of a 'v'.

37. Freestyle
Using all the moves in your arsenal, while staying in a stationary position, combine as many moves together as you can. Be creative and work on your handle!

Stationary 2 Basketball Dribbling Drills

38. Double Pound at Ankle Height
Dribble both basketballs as hard as you can at ankle height.

39. Double Pound at Waist Height
Dribble both basketballs as hard as you can at waist height.

40. Double Pound at Shoulders Height
Dribble both basketballs as hard as you can at shoulder height.

41. Double Pound Alternating
With the balls at a comfortable height, alternate the dribbling of each basketball.

42. One High/ One Low
Dribble one of the the basketballs at ankle height and one of them at shoulder height.

43. Double Wall Dribbling
Dribble both basketballs against the wall simultaneously at shoulder height.

44. 3 Dribble Double Crossover
Pound dribble both basketballs 3 times and then cross the balls over at the same time. Then perform another 3 dribbles before crossing over again.

45. 3 Dribble Through the Legs/Crossover
Pound dribble both basketballs 3 times and then cross one ball over in front of you and one ball through your legs at the same time.

46. 3 Dribble Behind the Back/Crossover
Pound dribble both basketballs 3 times and then cross one ball over in front of you and one ball behind your back at the same time.

47. Two Ball Figure Eight.
Keeping the ball close to the ground, use your right hand to dribble one ball around your right leg and use your left hand to dribble the other ball around your left leg.

48. Double V-Dribble in Front
Dribble both basketballs side to side in front of you simultaneously.

49. Double V-Dribble on Side
Dribble both basketballs from back to front beside you simultaneously.

50. Kills
Pound both basketballs higher and higher starting from ankle height. When you reach the shoulders 'kill' both balls stopping them a few inches from the ground before dribbling both balls back up.

5 Quick Basketball Dribbling Tips

Keep your eyes up when dribbling the basketball.

Dribble the ball as hard as you can.

Don't be discouraged if you mess up. It means you're pushing yourself!

Make sure you change which way you're wrapping the ball.

Perform every drill as fast as you can.

Looking for Team Basketball Drills?

Check out my complete collection on this link.

Conclusion

These are all fantastic basketball dribbling drills to develop your ball-handling skills.

Print these drills off or share these with your players. Depending on the age of players I'm coaching, I like to pick out a few of these drills and set them as their 'basketball homework'. They're great because any player can do them as long as they own a basketball.

If you don't understand what any of the drills are, make sure you YouTube the name or ask in the comments. I'm more than happy to answer any questions on any of the drills.

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50 Basketball Dribbling Drills (Develop an Amazing Handle)

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If you're a basketball coach or parent I bet you have heard these comments from your players... "Coach, I can't train at home. I don't have a basketball ring" or "Coach, there's not enough space to train at home". These are excuses I hear all too often and it's not necessarily the player's fault.

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The free throw is an important part of basketball. An individual skill, free throws are very important for team success. The free throw line is from the basket and is an uncontested shot. Some players shoot remarkably high free throw...