Figure 8 Dribble
Stand in the triple threat position (feet roughly shoulder width apart, one foot ahead of the other, knees bent). Using your right hand, dribble the ball around your right foot from front to back. Once the ball reaches between your legs, switch to your left hand and dribble the ball around your left foot. Each time the ball comes back to the center, switch hands and dribble around the other foot, keeping the ball just a few inches off the ground with the dribble.

As you get better, speed up the drill. Also, be sure to keep your head up while you dribble (don't look down at the ball). Do this drill for a full minute, resting 30 seconds, then repeat.

Scissor Dribble
Stand in the triple threat position and dribble the ball with your right hand, sending it between your legs and to the left side of your body. Move the ball to the front, and with your left hand, make a hard dribble through your legs and to the right (rear) side of your body. Continue this motion until you develop a good rythm. Speed the dribble up as you get better.

Remember to keep your head up so you can see the court. Don't look down at the ball as you dribble. Keep the ball on your fingertips at all times and really get used to making a good, strong dribble. Do this drill for a full minute, resting 30 seconds, then repeat.

Repeat this drill for 5 full court lengths. Keep the ball on your fingertips. Stay low, and keep your head and eyes up so you can see the court at all times.

Full Court Speed Dribble
Standing on the baseline, dribble at full speed up the court. Stay under control but push the ball up the floor as quickly as possible while still maintaining complete control of the dribble. When you reach the opposite free throw line, come to a strong and on-balance two-foot jump stop. Repeat the drill 5 times, each time stopping at the opposite free throw line with a two-foot jump stop.

Next, do an up and back drill where you take 4 or 5 steps forward dribbling both balls, then take 2 or 3 steps back, continuing the full length of the court.

Wall Dribble
The wall dribble drill is a great way to improve your finger, wrist, and arm strength. Standing next to the gym wall, dribble the basketball at shoulder height against the wall. Dribble the ball a half inch or inch from the wall, really pounding the ball hard against the wall, moving it up and down and left to right. Do this for 20-30 seconds at a time with one hand, then switching to the other hand. Rest for one minute, then repeat with the right and left hand.

Reaction Ball Drills
One drill a lot of people use to work on their ball handling is using reaction balls. If you've never seen reaction balls, they're about the size of a tennis ball, but they have odd projections coming out of them, so they bounce in different and unpredictable directions when they hit the ground.

By using reaction balls, you build your quickness and reaction. It forces you to concentrate, and really react with split-second quickness, since the ball bounces off in different directions. Most reaction balls come with drills you can use, but basically, you'll bounce the ball down on the ground, and reach out and catch it before it hits the ground.

Another drill you can use is to drop the ball behind your back, then quickly turn and catch the ball before it hits the ground. You can also have a teammate or coach throw the reaction ball to you so it bounces just in front of you. Your job is to catch it before it bounces again. These are really great tools at building quickness, reaction time, and concentration, which are all key components of great ball handlers.

Stutter-Step Dribbling Drills
One key element of good offensive players is changing directions. If you always dribble in one direction, or always make your offensive moves in one direction, you make things easy on the defense. So, you've always got to mix things up by changing direction, making fakes in one direction then going in the other, and keeping the D guessing which way you'll move.

Stutter-steps are a great way to keep the defense guessing. Typically, when a player with the ball is about to change direction, they'll slow up a bit, or use a stutter-step to make the directional change. So by practicing a good stutter-step, you'll be able to use it to change direction, or use it to fake that you're changing direction. Either way, you'll keep the defense guessing as to which way you're about to go, and that gives you an advantage.

Here's a great (and simple) drill to work on stutter-steps. Start on the baseline and take 2 or 3 hard dribbles toward the free throw line. Sutter-step like you're about to change direction, and continue forward with a straight dribble. Now, take 2 or 3 hard dribbles towards the half-court line, stutter-step and this time change direction. Continue on to the opposite baseline using stutter-steps, sometimes changing directions with the step, sometimes not. Dribble up and back the full length of the court at least 5 times practicing this stutter-step drill.

More to come...check back soon.