Best of The Drill: Ballhandling

An assistant with the Seattle Storm and Lakeside, Chris Bown has made his mark with individual player development. His latest column on drills is about ballhandling moves.

Ballhandling

Requirements: Two balls per player, one coach.

The player starts at the baseline with both balls. She dribbles both balls down the court, stops and executes a series of moves at the near free throw line, midcourt line, opposite free throw line and the end line. The player will execute the move with one ball going down the floor and the other ball on the way back (while still dribbling the other ball).

The series of moves are as follows (not in any particular order):

• Onside (inside-out)
• Stutter step
• Spin dribble
• Dribble around one leg

Once the player has done the above, she completes the same series with one ball only. She will switch hands at each line. In addition to the above moves, the player will execute a between-the-legs move, around the back move, and crossover dribble, two retreat dribbles and a crossover (for use against the pressure)

After that is complete, she does the same drills in combination. For example a stutter step/crossover, inside-out/crossover, inside out/between the legs, inside out/around the back.

Key points: The player should try and get her shoulders down (lower than the defender's) as she passes her defender to avoid having the ball stolen or tapped away.

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Chris Bown is an assistant coach with the Lakeside girls varsity basketball team and a coach of the Northwest HoopGurlz select girls team. He recently was an assistant coach in charge of player development for the WNBA Seattle Storm. Chris also does individual training and can be reached at 206-794-9046 or . A graduate of the University of Washington, he has been the head coach for girls varsity basketball teams at Holy Names Academy, Seattle Academy and American Indian Heritage School. This is his second stint at Lakeside as an assistant to Sandy Schneider. Chris also has been a math and physical education instructor at St. Paul School and Seattle Academy.

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More Chris Bown Columns:

1-2 Follow-Thru
Tap-Pitch-Touch-Dive-Score
Penetrate & Kick
Multi-Shot
Banana Run
Ballhandling
Oiler Screen Series
Medicine Ball Passing
Oiler Three-Point
Running the W
Oiler Shooting
Basic Four
Mikan Plus
Defensive Combo
Half-Circle