Ball Handling Drills for Basketball: Advanced

Advanced ball handling drills mainly have one purpose, and that is to set one apart from his competition and allow him to dominate defenders. Advanced drills are designed to be difficult but once mastered they will develop your ball handling into something serious. There are quick tips and tricks to improve your ball handling instantly, but the most effective way to develop elite ball handling ability is to master the drills.
A great drill to focus on is the Two-Ball Sprint. You start at the baseline and speed dribble with two basketballs to the opposite baseline. Then repeat the process three times. You want to focus on going as fast you can while still having control over both basketballs. A quick tip would be to slightly palm the ball when dribbling. This will give you extra control over the basketball.
Another effective drill is the Magic Dribble. In this drill you start off by standing with two basketballs in your hand. Use your left hand to hold one of the basketballs behind your back. Use your right hand to perform a cross-over dribble in front of your body. You will then receive the basketball with your left hand while your right hand swiftly reaches behind your back to catch the other ball. The concept is to do a cross-over dribble while moving the basketball from one hand to the other behind your back at the same time. You will repeat this process for 45 seconds. Do this as fast as possible while keeping your head up.
Now this drill is somewhat not a drill, but it just depends on your point of view. This is called One on One Make it Take it. This is a one on one game up to 16 by ones and twos and the person that scores gets the ball again. You will need someone to play against. In this one on one game you want to focus on trying to use moves based on your defender. You want to practice handling the ball and making the right decisions under pressure. Push yourself to try moves you wouldn't normally use just to see what you need to work on. Make moves based on your defenders stance and try get past your defender for a lay-up rather than shooting contested jump shots.
Now that you have these advanced drills to master, here are a few tips. When playing one on one, try not to over dribble. Make your moves quick and effective, over dribbling is just a waste of time and energy. When handling the ball keep your knees bent with your weight on the balls of your feet. And when handling the basketball, keep your dribble wide in order to prevent easy steals.
Once you master these drills and tips, you will notice a significant increase in your ball handling ability. You may want to master some more drills to increase ball handling ability even further. I've found a complete program that has many drills to master for all levels starting from beginner to advanced.

Travon Morgan is a basketball enthusiast and blogger to learn more about ball handling drills and a step by step ball handling program that will improve your game dramatically Click Here

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Basketball History

The father of basketball, Dr. James Naismith came up with the game in 1892 and the first game was played in Beaver Falls Pennsylvania on April 8 1893 between the New Brighton YMCA and the Geneva College.
The game was very popular and by 1914 as many as 360 colleges boasted basketball teams. In 1939, the first NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship tournament was held which was won by the University of Oregon.
The formation of Pro basketball in 1896 came about from a dispute between YMCA team members and officials and ended in the members forming a professional team that played for money. In 1898, the NBL (National Basketball League) was formed and produced the first basketball stars - Ed Wachter and Barney Sedran.
The first two professional basketball teams to achieve success were the Buffalo Germans and the Celtics but during the 1930's favorites included the New York Renaissance and the Harlem Globetrotters. During this time, womens basketball was also popular and produced great players such as Babe Didrikson and Alline Banks Sprouse.
In 1940, the first college basketball game was shown on TV. This game was played between Pittsburgh and Fordham at Madison Square Garden, and catapulted basketball into a national sensation. Since then basketball has been one of the most watched sports and in fact the March Madness, when almost 350 American colleges compete for the NCAA basketball crown is the most watched event in the United States.
In Pro basketball during the 1940's and 50's the Minneapolis Lakers were a huge favorite of many winning 5 NBA championship titles and producing starts like Bob Cousy and Bob Pettit. But during the late 1950's up until 1969, the Celtics had the court winning 11 NBA titles (8 f them right in a row). During this era favorite players included Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin of the Philadelphia Warriors.
During 1963 to 1975 The University of California, Los Angeles was in the spotlight winning 10 national championships, including seven in a row. Some of the great players of this UCLA team include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich and Marques Johnson.
In 1967 the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed and many will remember one of the satart players Julius Erving as well as their red white and blue basketballs. The ABA only lasted until 1976 when it broke up and many of the teams joined the NBA.
In the 1960's, womens basketball introduced the 5 player full court format and made dribbling fully legal but it wasn't until 1985 that the Basketball Hall of Fame began inducting woman coaches and players. Some of the first women to get this honor include Carol Blazejowski, Ann Meyers, Cheryl Miller; Nancy Lieberman-Cline and Anne Donovan.
In the late 1970's start players like Larry Bird of Indiana State University and Michigan State Universities Magic Johnson emerged and the late 1980s saw such major players as Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. But perhaps the most beloved player of all is Michael Jordan

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