To put it technically, by definition fundamental means "serving as a basic supporting existence or determining essential structure or function." To put it simply, fundamentals are the basics. Strip away all the bells and whistles and what makes something pretty and what you're left with is what makes it actually run. You get down to the core. You get down to the fundamentals. The game of basketball can be stripped down to four fundamental skills: dribbling, passing, rebounding and shooting. Forget about all the fancy tricks you see on tv - you need to learn how to do these four things soundly to make it to the top in basketball. Good thing you came to Inside the Key, because every week here in FUNdamentals we'll have all the tips you'll need to become the best dribbler, passer, rebounder and shooter you can be!
BALL HANDLING TIP FROM THE PROS
Garden Glove Dribbling
A great way to increase your ball control while dribbling is to wear a pair of gloves when practicing your ball handling skills.
Do you want to know a secret? Shhh… Becky Hammon uses this technique regularly to improve her skills. So why don't you give it a try?
Knock Away
A coach never wants to see balls flying all over the gym. This drill will help teach players to keep their dribble under control.
Have each of the players start with a basketball in the half court.
* The half court is the “inbounds” area for this drill. The players cannot step out of bounds, if so then they are out.
The players dribble around while at the same time trying to knock the ball out each other’s hands.
* The players must keep their dribble low and under control while knocking the other players' balls away. If the player does not have their dribble under control when knocking another player’s ball away it does not count.
Once out of the game, a player must do five push-ups or a lap around the court to rejoin the game. This will ensure that even the least skilled will continue to get the practice they need.
The winner of this drill is the player who does not get knocked out, or the player who gets knocked out the least amount of times.
Coaches: do this drill switching which hand the player uses to dribble with.
* Start the players using only their right hand. Then with only their left hand. Then with either hand.
Do this drill for 3-4 minutes.
For more advanced players:
Start this drill in the circle at the foul line. Have 4 players dribble around in the circle. The players have to try to knock the balls away from one another.
The players must keep their dribble low and under control.
If the player’s ball is knocked away or they loose control and bounce the ball outside the circle they are out.
The players all must stay inside the boundaries of the circle.
If the players are knocked out or step outside the circle they must stay out until the last player in the circle is declared the winner.
Coaches: do this drill 3-5 times for each group. Make sure that you mix up the groups, so the players go against different opponents each time.
Coaches: you can also set up a team competition with the winner of each group going against each other for a team champion.
In this confined space the players will learn to keep their dribble lower and under control.
READY TO PASS
Having trouble catching the basketball? It might not always be a bad pass, you might have to work on your catching skills. Here is a drill that our post players use to grab the ball before making a move under the basket.
Numbered Ball
This drill will make sure you never miss another pass. It will help you keep your eye on the ball and catch it every time.
Use a marker and place numbers in different sections on a basketball.
Have a teammate pass you the ball. You must look at the ball as it comes into your hands and read the number aloud that appears on the ball.
Do this drill repetitively to get conditioned to looking at the ball coming nto your hands.
For more advanced players:
Have the player catch the ball, read the number, then shoot the ball.
This will combine catching skills with making an offensive move.
Want to practice passing and catching as a team? Here is a great drill for you to incorporate into practice.
Line Drill
Break the team up into two lines facing each other about 15 feet apart.
Start with one ball in front of one line.
Pass the ball to the player in front of you, follow your pass and go to the end of that line (i.e. Player 1 passes to Player 2. Player 1 then goes to the end of Player 2’s line.)
Make sure that you work on all of the passes: bounce, chest and overhead.
Coaches: do this drill for 4-5 minutes.
Coming Next Time: Rebounding drills and some more passing!
