The reason that you add 3 stationary dribbles to a tennis ball drill or any of the other ball handling drills is to make it a little bit easier for the player to do. Being able to dribble the basketball 3 times in between the move allows the player to regain their handle before they execute the move.
For this partner tennis ball basketball dribbling drill, the players will take 3 dribbles in between each move. However, this is still a challenging drill because the players have to remember who is tossing/bouncing and what move they are on. It is a great basketball drill for communication and also thinking while dribbling the basketball.
Basketball Drill Overview
Drill Name: 3 Dribble Partner Tennis Ball Toss/Bounce Rhythm Basketball Drill
Equipment Needed: 2 basketballs, 2 tennis balls, and a partner.
Similar Basketball Drills and Resources
- 3 Dribble Partner Tennis Ball Toss/Bounce Between the Legs Basketball Drill
- Partner Tennis Ball Toss Between the Legs Basketball Drill
Goals of the Drill
- Develop your ball handling, communication, and hand-eye coordination.
Coaching Points
- Count the 3 dribbles out loud with your partner and say toss/bounce whenever you are tossing/bouncing the tennis balls to each other.
- Stay low on the dribble, and don’t be afraid to mess up.
Basketball Drill Instructions
- There will be four different dribbling moves that the players are going to do for this drill and in this order; crossover, between the legs, behind the back, and reverse between the legs.
- Have both players face each other with a basketball in their right hand and a tennis ball in their other hand.
- They are both going to dribble the basketball 3 times and then toss/bounce the tennis balls to each other (decide before the drill starts which player is going to do what).
- While the tennis ball is in the air, they will do the first move and then catch the tennis ball with the hand that just had the basketball.
- Do each move twice (one with each hand) and continue to go through the rhythm series for the desired amount of time.
- You can switch halfway through which player bounces/tosses the tennis ball, or you can have a coach call out switch randomly throughout the drill, and the players have to switch between bouncing and tossing them.
