I have coached a few point guards that could benefit from having this ....
(see image).
"This give new meaning to taking air out of the ball."
Regardless of the offensive system you install, you will have a primary ball handler. An at any level, in my opinion, they are priceless! In fact if I ever had a choice (and I never have) between having a good post player or a good point guard ...... sorry big guy, I will take the point guard.
We tried to teach there were three reasons to use the dribble beside the obvious using it to advance the ball up the floor. The three uses we taught were:
1. Use the dribble to get out of trouble. We taught the pull back crossover when you still had the ball and you were being trapped by the defense. Use the dribble to balance the floor or take the ball off the baseline. Unfortunately, some use the dribble to get themselves INTO trouble.
2. Use the dribble to take the ball to the basket. In one on one drills we want the dribbler to go by the defender NOT around the defender. Looking to make straight line penetration drives not banana arched dribble routes.
Don't avoid contact. Initiate contact and learn to finish through contact.
3. Use the dribble to improve a passing angle. This is especially important when attempting to enter the ball to the post either low or high post. Passing angles are about geometry (My long time coaching partner was a math teacher).
Other key teaching points, you as a coach, should consider concerning dribbling:
A. We taught the following dribble moves ..... 1. Speed dribble. 2. Crossover 3.
Fake crossover or in-out move. 4. Between the legs crossover. 5 Behind
the back crossover. All players went through these drills
B. Bend your knees and change speeds.
C. Go somewhere with your dribble ..... Some players will dribble once and
pick it up.
D. Must have space or gap between you and the defender to safely execute
a crossover.
E. The closer your defender is to you the lower your dribble should be.
F. We did not teach nor encourage the reverse pivot dribble move. We felt it
was not fundamentally sound to turn your back on the floor. We also
believed guards who used the reverse pivot dribble move were inviting a
trap.
I will allow my bias to show. We never had a really good team without a quality point/lead guard. High school basketball is about guard play. College basketball is about guard play.
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