Believe it or not, the word dribble was first used in 1589 – yes, more than 400 years ago. Granted, it was probably used to talk about a trickle of water of some person (or some thing) drooling. But without a doubt, when you say dribble or dribbling these days, most people think of basketball – and well they should!

In basketball, dribbling is one of the two ways to move the ball around the court. (The other one, passing, is a whole other topic.) The Merriam Webster dictionary provides one definition: to propel by successive slight taps or bounces with hand, foot or stick. The foot is for dribbling in soccer and the stick is what you use to move a hockey puck down the ice, but the first noted – dribbling by hand – that’s all basketball!

The “successive slight taps or bounces” from a hand on a basketball can be hypnotic – and exciting.

So much so that parents and coaches have to instill the proper hand and finger positions for young or new players. Only three parts of the hand should touch the basketball during a dribble:

• fingers
• fingertips
• pads

NO part of the palm should ever touch the ball – and kids have a tendency to slap the ball with the palm of their hands. That disrupts the rhythm of the dribble. And with a good rhythm comes good control.

Proper dribble technique

When executed properly, the ball will roll from the pads to the fingers to the ends of the fingertips. With a snap of the wrist, the ball is driven downward and the player follows the rhythm of the dribble up and down.

The hands (pads – fingers – fingertips) must become part of the ball and both the ball and hand must work rhythmically with one another.

Start dribbling mastery in a stationary position

Concentrate on good dribbling in a stationary position before advancing to dribbling around the court. Combine stationary dribbling practice with a game of H-O-R-S-E on your own home basketball court complete with a Goalrilla Basketball Goal System. With the Goalrilla Basketball Goal, even the youngest players can learn the skill and play the game because the backboard adjusts in height from 7.5 to 10 feet.

Once the dribble is mastered in a stationary position, the durable Goalrilla Goal will be there, ready for hard-charging players driving toward the goal with a moving dribble – and a shot. Score!!

-Pat of the Basketball Goal Store Blog Team