Ball Handling Tips From Shereka Wright

What are some of the visible traits of a good shooter?

Wright: One of the main traits a good ball handler should possess is the ability to see all of the court while dribbling the ball. Good ball handlers don’t need to look down at the ball while dribbling, thus giving them an opportunity to survey the entire court. Also, you can tell if someone is a good ball handler by watching if they can dribble well with either hand and can perform dribbling tricks like making a behind the back pass, a crossover dribble or dribbling between their legs.

Why is it important to have good ball handling skills?

Wright: It’s important to have good ball handling skills because it allows you to do more things on the court. You can create room to get off a pass or a shot even if room isn’t available, making you not guardable at times. Good ball handlers can break down defenses and maintain possession of the ball in the crunch time when defenses are most alert.

What are some of things you did to improve your ball handling skills as a young kid learning the game of basketball?

Wright: There are some things you can do to help become a better ball handler but the main things are to just practice and play basketball as much as possible. It takes time, but as long as you continue to just play basketball, ball handling will become natural. Being right handed, I was always weaker with my left hand, so to help get my left hand stronger I would do simple dribbling drills like going up the court dribbling with my right and coming back down the court dribbling with my left. I would practice these drills every day until one day it just became comfortable for me.

What advice do you have for kids looking to improve their ball handling skills?

Wright: The best way for kids to improve their ball handling skills is to practice. As I said earlier, it’s going to take time at first, but as long as you’re constantly practicing the skills will come. Remember, you have to always work hard and practice hard to become better.

How can bad ball handling effect a team?

Wright: If your team doesn’t have good ball handlers, teams will constantly pressure your offense trying to make you turn the ball over. Maintaining possession of the ball is crucial to your team’s success, especially late in the game when every possession counts.

How can good ball handling effect a team?

Wright: Good ball handling can positively help a team when they’re going against pressure defenses because they can break down and navigate through defenses, giving the team more scoring options. It also helps if there are multiple players on the team that can handle the ball well. Good ball handling helps in a positive way because it can help teams create shots, making them more versatile. The more versatile a team is, the more scoring options there are.