50 Ball Handling Drills Every Basketball Player Should Do

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

Two Balls Same Tempo

• While facing the wall in athletic stance, dribble basketball in each hand off wall

• Dribble balls slightly higher than eye level

• Maintain same tempo with each hand so balls bounce off wall simultaneously

• Move laterally while dribbling

Coaching Points: Keep elbows bent at 90-degree angle
Sets/Duration: 4×30-45 seconds

Two Balls Alternating Tempo

• While facing wall in athletic stance, dribble basketball in each hand off wall in alternating fashion

• Dribble balls slightly higher than eye level

• As one ball bounces off wall, dribble other ball

• Move laterally while dribbling

Coaching Points: Keep elbows bent at 90-degree angles
Sets/Duration: 4×30-45 seconds

One on the Wall, One on the Floor

• Stand with wall to side

• Dribble basketball off floor with one hand while dribbling another ball off wall slightly higher than eye level

• Dribble ball off wall faster than you dribble ball on floor

• Move laterally with short, quick steps while dribbling

Coaching Points: Start by dribbling one ball off wall 

Sets/Duration: 4×30-45 seconds

Stationary One 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 Two 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.