How To Become An Elite Basketball Dribbler – 5 Drills To Help You Master Two-Ball Dribbling

For years many basketball experts have taught drills that only use 1 ball. Ball circles, figure eight dribbling, ball slaps are just a few of the 1 ball drills that make their way onto basketball training videos. More recently 2-Ball Dribbling has become the staple drill to increase your ball handling skills. You get twice the improvement in half the time! It also has the added benefit of catapulting your weaker hand to catch up with your strong hand.

Here are 5 drills that will help you master the art of 2 Ball Dribbling;

1. Stationary 2 Ball Dribbling – Stand low and balanced with both feet shoulder width apart. Be sure to keep your knees bent, butt down and head up. Try to stare at the rim or objects in the gym. Be sure to not focus your eyes down towards the basketballs. If you are just starting our try to get 10 simultaneous dribbles in a row. If that is too easy pound the basketballs into the ground as hard as you can for 50 dribbles and don’t let the balls come above waist high. You did the drill correct if your shoulders feel a little burn. Dribbling soft will make you a soft dribbler.
2. 2 Ball 5 Hi 5 Lo – Dribble 5 simultaneous dribbles waist high followed by 5 simultaneous dribbles below your knees. Emphasize a strong dribble form with bent knees and eyes up. Repeat this until you get to about 100 total dribbles.
3. 2 Ball V-Dribbling – Start off with regular stationary 2 ball dribbling. As you get into a good rhythm start to make 2 V’s with the basketballs. Begin with very skinny V’s and as you improve increase the width of the V’s. You will notice that as you improve you with begin to have better range of motion with the basketballs. The first part of this drill will be done with both basketballs making V’s in front of your body. Then do the second part of the drill with both balls creating V’s on your sides. Once you get a good feel with these drills you can combine 2 ball 5 Hi 5 Lo with 2 Ball V-Dribbling. Keep making V’s but make 5 Capital V’s followed by 5 lower cased V’s. Repeat this for about 100 dribbles.
4. 2 Ball 1 Hi 1 Lo – This one is tricky and will take awhile to master. Always start with good rhythm in Stationary 2 Ball Dribbling with eyes up and knees bent. Begin to dribble 1 ball to below your knee level while keeping the other ball bouncing waist high. Dribble the waste high ball 5 times and then reverse it to the other side. Be sure to keep both balls bouncing during the transition. Repeat this for about 100 dribbles.
5. 2 Ball Box Drill – Start at the block with both balls waist high. You will face the same direction for the entire drill. Dribble to the elbow directly in front of you. Proceed to the other elbow while facing the same direction. Then Dribble backwards to the other block and then dribble back to the original block. At that point you will have completed 1 box. Repeat this 5 times in each direction. Start out by going 50% speed and increase to going as fast as you can while still being under control. This drill really emphasizes pushing the ball out in front of you move laterally.

Master these drills and the basketball will start to become feel like part of you when you dribble. It’s a great feeling to navigate the basketball court with complete control of the basketball. It will help you become a better passer and teammate by being able to see the floor with greater court vision. Spending 5 to 10 minutes a day on these drills will go a long way. Repetition with intensity is the key.