At Home Handles – Ball Handling Work

Ok… you’ve warmed up, worked on your body and now you’re ready to get to work specifically on your handles.

Now, we’ve gone outside for noise purposes but these same drills can be done wherever is most convenient to you- in your garage, in your backyard, in the driveway, on the sidewalk… Wherever works best for you!

These drills are carefully in order, and each is meant to be done at full game speed and intensity until you burn out. We are working the game specific ball handling actions and muscles to their absolute max.

Here are the progressions for this workout:

1. Strength
2. Coordination
3. Speed
4. Game-speed Reps of Moves

Strength:

Now that we’ve worked on our core and lower body, it’s time to work on that upper body and your ball handling functional strength.

IF you have heavy basketballs, use them for all of these drills! If you don’t, push yourself at max intensity and build up to heavy/weighted basketballs.

We’re going to push those ball handling muscles like your forearms, triceps, your wrist area and even your fingers… Then we’ll work on your specific skills. Let’s build.

1. Fingertip and Wrist Strength

Keep those eyes up and work on the low fingertip dribbles at your absolute max speed.

2. Pound + In & Out Cross

Keep those eyes up and push as hard as you can here. Make mistakes. Game speed!

3. Pound Crosses

We’re back at it with that functional strength and ball control. This should be done at max intensity! Don’t worry about messing up… Push yourself.

4. Behind the Back Pounds

Let’s work on that functional strength again with the behind the back pounds at absolute max speed and power! You’re going to lose the ball here a ton- don’t sweat it. Pick it back up and keep pushing.

5. Basketball Pushups

Two quick things:

a) This can make your basketballs lopsided over time, so we recommend using other, less important/expensive balls for this one if you have more.

b) This is an advanced strength exercise, so if you can’t do this yet, don’t sweat it. Just start with regular pushups (butt up, back straight, all the way down!). Do 3 sets until collapse/burnout.

Let’s work on that strength and power so you can have a tighter, stronger handle and nobody can steal that basketball.

6. Upper Body Strength – Dips

We’re going to finish our strength work with some dips! These will help with our triceps and translate to much stronger, more powerful handles.

Coordination:

These drills will improve your hand-eye coordination with the basketball. This is very important for your ability to make moves quickly and react to the defense, without losing the basketball. Coordinated players like Chris Paul can react to defenses and make moves in a split second without having to look for the ball.

Let’s get it.

1. Wall Crosses

2. Wall Betweens

3. Wall Behinds

4. Wall Wraps

5. Beneath The Legs

Speed:

Now we’re stronger, we’re coordinated… Let’s work on that speed. Knock out these drills below, and then we’ll finish off with some game speed full reps of the moves we’ve worked on!

1. Wall Dribbles

Start working on that speed and control on a wall, on a tree, on a fence… Wherever works.

2. Fast Low Cross + Floor Taps

Ok… Now we’re working on our coordination and especially, our fast hands! Get those fingertips stronger and work on protecting that basketball with your off hand! Eyes up. Let’s get it.

3. Fast Fingertip Crosses

Similar to what you did earlier, with this drill, we’re pushing as fast as we can. All fingertips. Let’s push.

4. Fast In & Out Crosses

Time to push as fast as possible while staying low on these in & out crossovers! We’re working on your strength, rhythm and speed. Keep that handle as tight as possible while pushing yourself to be as fast as possible.

Game-Speed Reps of Moves:

We’re going to finish up with some full speed reps of moves, including the full fakes and rhythm.

These drills are meant to be done at your fastest possible speed- don’t be afraid to lose the basketball! Let’s push ourselves and work on incorporating that fake and that rhythm.

Get right into the next move if you can!

Bonus: if you have a mirror, do these in front of your mirror or on your camera, so you can make sure you’re selling your fakes and moving at game speed…

You did it! Stay tuned for more advanced ball handling exercises being added over the next couple weeks.

Go Back To Intro + Warmups.

Go To Bonuses, where you can take advantage of more move breakdowns in our Playmaker Training Fam membership, as well as AJ’s tips for becoming a better basketball player.

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