It is now basketball season. And, just as the seasons change from fall to winter and beyond; from football to basketball and beyond, a great basketball player knows how to change his level in order to succeed.
Imagine a player, standing on the court in an athletic stance, dribbling a basketball. In general terms, a coach's preferable instructions are to dribble a basketball at waist height or below, close to the body, at a driving, aggressive tempo. Makes sense, yes? At a younger age, this makes perfect sense. At all ages, during certain drills in practice, and even during some scenarios in a game when the defensive pressure is relaxed and passive, this makes absolute sense. However, during the chaos of game conditions, especially when the defender is nearby and aggressive, this preferable instruction may become predictable and thus detrimental. What's the alternative - should a player, with deliberate aforethought, dribble the ball at different levels, speeds and directions, even if it countermands common sense and great practice habits?
The answer is a resounding "yes." During any situation in which a dribbler is defended at close range, he must aspire to confuse and bewilder his defender. A great way to do that is to, with deliberation and precise control, dribble the ball at different heights and in different directions. For example, even if the variation is a matter of mere inches, dribble the ball higher than waist height on one dribble then at lower than knee height on the next. Then, as an example, dribble chest height to your left, then waist height to the left, then shin height to the right. Watch your defender buckle at the waist and lose his ability to react, as a result.
When you dribble, change! Change levels of the dribble. Change the speed of the dribble. Change the direction of the dribble. Confuse, obfuscate, and be unpredictable. Change, in order to become great.
Imagine a player, standing on the court in an athletic stance, dribbling a basketball. In general terms, a coach's preferable instructions are to dribble a basketball at waist height or below, close to the body, at a driving, aggressive tempo. Makes sense, yes? At a younger age, this makes perfect sense. At all ages, during certain drills in practice, and even during some scenarios in a game when the defensive pressure is relaxed and passive, this makes absolute sense. However, during the chaos of game conditions, especially when the defender is nearby and aggressive, this preferable instruction may become predictable and thus detrimental. What's the alternative - should a player, with deliberate aforethought, dribble the ball at different levels, speeds and directions, even if it countermands common sense and great practice habits?
The answer is a resounding "yes." During any situation in which a dribbler is defended at close range, he must aspire to confuse and bewilder his defender. A great way to do that is to, with deliberation and precise control, dribble the ball at different heights and in different directions. For example, even if the variation is a matter of mere inches, dribble the ball higher than waist height on one dribble then at lower than knee height on the next. Then, as an example, dribble chest height to your left, then waist height to the left, then shin height to the right. Watch your defender buckle at the waist and lose his ability to react, as a result.
When you dribble, change! Change levels of the dribble. Change the speed of the dribble. Change the direction of the dribble. Confuse, obfuscate, and be unpredictable. Change, in order to become great.
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