Amanda Knapp
Being able to use both hands in basketball is an underrated skill that can give you a huge advantage over your opponents. Training your non-dominant hand can make you less predictable to opponents, improve your ball control, and make you a standout athlete. So, how do you go about training your non-dominant hand? Well, it's all about practice. Start with the basics: dribbling, passing, and shooting drills. Do these drills over and over, gradually increasing the difficulty, and you'll start to see improvements in your non-dominant hand.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Importance of training the non-dominant hand | Scouts and coaches look for players who can use both hands, making them less predictable to opponents and improving their overall athleticism |
| Basic exercises | Dribbling, passing, and shooting |
| Drills | Passing drills with a partner, layup drill, dribbling with two basketballs, dribbling against a wall, dribbling with eyes up |
| Tips | Increase the number of reps with the non-dominant hand, use a grip-strengthening tool, immobilize the dominant hand, practice daily tasks with the non-dominant hand |
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What You'll Learn
Dribbling drills
Dribbling with both hands is a fundamental aspect of basketball. It is a must-have skillset if you want to play in high school, college, or professionally. It is important to remember that consistency and patience are key. With dedicated practice, you will be well on your way to becoming a more well-rounded and effective basketball player. Here are some dribbling drills to help you improve your non-dominant hand:
Dribble with Both Hands: When trying to develop your non-dominant hand, dribbling should be the first place to start. Begin by keeping your dominant hand behind your back, forcing yourself to dribble with your weak hand. Once you have mastered that, try adding a second basketball and dribble with each hand at the same time. Remember to keep your elbows behind the ball and force the ball into the ground while keeping your head up.
Speed Dribble: Speed dribble as fast as you can to the opposite baseline. Do this drill full court and back three times with short rests between reps. Make sure to keep your eyes up and look around as you use your non-dominant hand. Work on hard, quick dribbles with your weak hand.
Left Hand (Weak Hand) Ball Rolls: Simply roll the ball on the floor in a circle with your non-dominant hand. Make sure you go both directions. Do three circles clockwise and three circles counterclockwise.
Left Hand Pound Low/High: Pound the ball as low and as hard as you can for 20 seconds, then pound the ball as high and hard as you can for 20 seconds.
Left Hand Kills: Pound the ball high and hard, and then after 5 seconds, try to pound the ball as low as you can (almost killing your dribble) and gradually bring the ball up as high as you can. Repeat for 5 reps.
Everyday Tasks: An unconventional yet effective way to improve your weak-hand dribbling is by using your non-dominant hand for everyday tasks. Brush your teeth, eat, write, text, and perform other everyday activities with your non-dominant hand. This helps develop the muscles and coordination necessary for better dribbling control.
Remember to practice passing with your weak hand as well, as this will help improve your overall ball handling skills.
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Passing drills
Partner Passing Drill
Grab a partner and stand about ten feet apart. Put your dominant hand behind your back and practice passing the ball to each other with your non-dominant hand. Start with a low number of passes per set—for example, each player passes with their non-dominant hand twenty times, equalling one set. Start with four sets and increase the number of passes as you feel more comfortable.
Wall Passing Drill
Stand at different distances from a wall and make yourself a small target to hit on the wall. Practice passing the ball at different distances, working on both chest passes and bounce passes. This will help improve your passing accuracy and control with your non-dominant hand.
Two-Ball Passing Drill
Get two balls and a teammate. Both of you should have a ball in your non-dominant hand and then simultaneously throw the balls to each other's free hand. Start slowly and then take a step back and throw harder. Make it a game—whoever drops a catchable ball has to do a penalty, like push-ups. This drill will improve your passing skills and catching ability with your non-dominant hand.
Off-Court Passing Practice
Incorporate your non-dominant hand into your daily activities off the court. Eat, open doors, brush your teeth, use your phone, and perform other everyday tasks with your non-dominant hand. This will help develop the muscles and coordination necessary for better ball control when passing with your non-dominant hand during a game.
Remember, developing your non-dominant hand in basketball takes consistent practice and patience. These passing drills will help improve your overall athleticism, coordination, and ball control, making it harder for defenders to anticipate your moves.
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Shooting drills
Shooting with your non-dominant hand will feel awkward at first, but it's important to persist as it will improve your overall game and help prevent injury.
Free Throws
Start by practising free throws with your weak hand. Use your dominant hand to support the ball, and shoot with your weak hand. Keep shooting until it starts to feel more comfortable.
Layups
Once you've mastered the shooting motion, you can move on to layups with your weak hand. This will be challenging, but it will help you develop your overall shooting ability with your non-dominant hand.
Dribble and Shoot
To really test your skills, try dribbling with your weak hand and then shooting a layup. This will help you develop coordination and ball handling with your non-dominant hand.
Basic Drills
Go back to the basics and perform the same drills you did when you first started playing basketball, but this time, use your non-dominant hand. Your brain knows what to do, but your body will need to adjust. This is a great way to improve your muscle memory and overall coordination.
Passing Drills
Grab a partner and stand about ten feet apart. Keep your dominant hand behind your back and practice passing with your non-dominant hand. This will help you develop your passing skills and overall ball control.
By incorporating these shooting drills into your practice routine, you'll be well on your way to improving your non-dominant hand in basketball. Remember, it takes time and dedication, but the benefits will be well worth it.
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Ball-handling skills
Developing your non-dominant hand in basketball can improve your overall athleticism and make you less predictable to your opponents. Here are some tips to improve your ball-handling skills with your non-dominant hand:
Dribbling Drills
Dribbling is a fundamental skill in basketball, and it should be the first thing you work on with your non-dominant hand. Start by keeping your dominant hand behind your back and practice dribbling with your weak hand. As you get comfortable, add a second basketball and dribble with each hand simultaneously. Keep your elbows behind the ball, and force the ball into the ground while keeping your head up. This will improve your coordination and ball-handling skills.
Passing Drills
Passing drills are another effective way to develop your non-dominant hand. Grab a partner and stand about ten feet apart. With one ball, practice passing and receiving with only your weak hand. Start with slower passes and gradually increase the speed as you get more comfortable. Each player should pass with their non-dominant hand twenty times, equalling one set. Start with four sets and increase the number as you improve.
Off-Court Tips
Improving your non-dominant hand also involves developing habits off the court. Try doing everyday activities with your non-dominant hand, such as eating, opening doors, brushing your teeth, or using your phone. While these tasks may feel foreign at first, consistency will make them feel more routine, and it will help improve your coordination.
Additional Drills
You can also practice dribbling a tennis ball with your non-dominant hand while walking or watching TV. This simple drill can help improve your ball-handling skills over time. Additionally, you can practice throwing the ball against a wall and changing the distance to work on your chest and bounce passes.
Remember, developing your non-dominant hand takes time and dedication. Be patient and consistent with your practice, and you will see improvements in your ball-handling skills and overall basketball performance.
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Practise daily tasks with your non-dominant hand
Practising daily tasks with your non-dominant hand is a great way to improve your overall ambidexterity, which will have a positive impact on your basketball skills.
The ability to use both hands effectively in basketball makes you less predictable to your opponents. It makes it harder for a defender to guess your next move, and this adaptability allows you to adjust your game and respond to defenders more effectively.
To start improving your non-dominant hand, you can begin practising basic daily tasks with that hand. This includes tasks such as eating and cutting your food, opening doors, drawers and packages, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, and using your phone. These tasks will initially feel foreign, but with consistency, they will become a routine.
You can also incorporate your non-dominant hand into your basketball drills. For example, you can start with dribbling drills, where you keep your dominant hand behind your back and force yourself to dribble with your weak hand. As you get more comfortable, you can add a second basketball and dribble with each hand simultaneously, improving your coordination and ball-handling skills.
Passing drills are another effective way to develop your non-dominant hand. Stand about ten feet away from a partner, and with one ball, pass and receive solely with your weak hand. As you progress, you can increase the speed and challenge yourself and your partner.
By practising these daily tasks and incorporating them into your basketball drills, you will improve your non-dominant hand, enhancing your overall basketball performance and making you a more versatile player.
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Frequently asked questions
Training your non-dominant hand can improve your overall athleticism and basketball skills. It can make you a more versatile and unpredictable player, improving your ball control and making it harder for defenders to guard you. Additionally, relying solely on your dominant hand can lead to overuse injuries, so developing your non-dominant hand can help prevent this.
Start with basic dribbling drills using only your non-dominant hand. Once you're comfortable, add a second ball and dribble with both hands simultaneously. You can also do passing drills with a partner, standing ten feet apart and passing/receiving with only your non-dominant hand. For shooting practice, begin with free throws, using your non-dominant hand to shoot and your dominant hand to support the ball.
Consistency is key. Try to dedicate at least 10 minutes of your workout routine to only using your non-dominant hand. You can also take advantage of opportunities to dribble throughout your day, such as dribbling on your way to school or between classes.
