Video Credits: The athlete in this video is the awesome Martina Rica. Follow Martina on Instagram: @MartinaBasketball
Coaching Objective
Skill Level: Intermediate, Skill Development: Handles. This drill is an excellent warm up drill to be done as part of your practice. It is a fun drill to challenge young players. It will help develop your hand and eye co-ordination teaching your hands and brain to do 3 things at once; 1. drop the ball, 2. catch the ball & 3. pass the ball over from one hand to the other hand. You will have mastered this drill when you can juggle starting with your right or left hands and you can continuously increase the number of bounces in 60 seconds. Handles are a form of exercise which stimulates your body to release ‘feel good’ hormones, or endorphins. These natural mood lifters will keep stress at bay and improve your mindfulness.
Drill Instruction
Starting with your left hand
- Hold a ball in each hand
- At the same time, drop the ball with your left hand and pass over the ball from your right hand to your left hand
- Catch the dropped ball off the bounce with your right hand and repeat step 2 above.
- Juggle continuously
Starting with your right hand
- Hold a ball in each hand
- At the same time, drop the ball with your right hand and pass over the ball from your left hand to your right hand
- Catch the dropped ball off the bounce with your left hand and repeat step 2 above.
- Juggle continuously
Coaching Message
- For beginners trying this drill for the first time, start with one ball and drop the ball and pick it up with the opposite hand, cross again and repeat. Then introduce the second ball and the pass over. Complete it in steps rather than a juggle. When you get the steps right, then try the juggle.
- CHALLENGE YOURSELF: increase the speed of your juggle.
- CHALLENGE YOURSELF: count the number of bounces and try and improve the number of bounces in a set timeframe. Try 10 seconds, 30 seconds or 60 seconds.
- Go for speed and Be Awesome!
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