It doesn’t really matter how well you can dribble a basketball if you can’t keep your eyes up while doing it. To be a good ball-handler, you need to see the floor so that you can read the defense and make the right play. Partner tennis ball basketball dribbling drills are great for training you to keep your head up and not focus on the basketball when you dribble.
Basketball Drill Overview
Drill Name: 3 Dribble Partner Tennis Ball Toss/Bounce Between the Legs Basketball Drill
Equipment Needed: 2 tennis balls, 2 basketballs, and a partner.
Similar Basketball Drills and Resources
- Partner Tennis Ball Toss/Bounce Between the Legs Basketball Drill
- Between the Legs Toss Tennis Ball Basketball Drill
Goals of the Drill
- Improve your eye-hand coordination as well as your ball handling.
- Be able to dribble a basketball without looking down or having to think about it.
Coaching Points
- Keep your eyes up the whole time.
- Focus on a good toss and a good catch.
- Stay low in an athletic position and don’t raise up.
- Pound the basketball.
Basketball Drill Instructions
- Start facing your partner about 8-10 feet apart. Stand with the basketball in both players’ right hands and the tennis balls in the left hands.
- Get down in an athletic position and dribble the basketball 3 times with your right hand.
- One player will toss the tennis ball, and the other will bounce the tennis ball to the partner’s hand that is dribbling the basketball simultaneously.
- While the tennis balls are in the air, the players will cross the basketball over between their legs to their other hand and then catch the tennis ball.
- Repeat the tennis ball toss/bounce back and forth with 3 dribbles in between each time.
- Every time you toss the ball, you will dribble the basketball between your legs before catching the tennis ball.
- The same players will bounce and pass every time until they decide to switch.
- If the players are having difficulty with the drill, have them count out loud the dribbles before they toss/bounce the tennis ball to each other.
- To make this basketball drill more difficult, the coach can yell out switch, and now the player who was bouncing the ball is not tossing, and the player who was tossing is now bouncing.
- This is great for teaching your players to think while handling the ball.
