Adding challenge to practice drills develops skills for players, especially advanced players who have a good grasp of the fundamentals. All of us here at the Basketball Goal Store know that the fundamentals are important, but refining skills is the focus of practice for advanced players.

A good ball handling drill for advanced players that offers some challenge is the Six Chair Garden Gloves Dribbling Drill.

Six folding chairs are set up in two rows. Each row is 10 feet apart and each chair in each of the rows is 10 feet apart. The player will dribble twice between chairs and then pound the ball down over the chair.

A secondary challenge is the use of ordinary garden gloves. The gloves eliminate the usual grip so the player must really concentrate on not letting the basketball slip and maintaining the hand on top of the ball. You don’t want the hand to go under and turn the ball over, which would create a violation in game play.

Starting at one corner, the player pounds the ball over the chair, dribble twice to the next chair, pounds the ball over the chair and repeats a third time, then crosses to the other row of chair and repeats. Each set should include three rotations around all six chairs.

For an added challenge, the chairs can be rotated so the ball must bounce over the back of the chair rather than the seat. The added height requires heightened skills as well.

Ball handling and control as well as dribbling dexterity improves with each practice. The drill may sound simple – and the structure of it is – however the implementation is a challenge – even for the most advanced players.

Points to focus on:

• Staying in the proper stance
• Keeping head level in the slide
• Controlling the dribble
• Keeping the off hand up and in place
• Maintain the hand on top of the ball

Afterwards, you’ll be ready to limber up the shoulders and arms with some shots at the Goalrilla Goal Basketball Hoop at your house. Rotate the neck, take a few shots, practice some free throws and rebounds – then take another set of rotations of the Six Chair Garden Gloves Dribbling Drill!

-Pat of the Basketball Goal Store Blog Team