The front V-dribble moves the ball side to side in front of your body with one hand, so the bounces trace a 'V'. Instead of letting the other hand take it, you roll your dribbling hand over the top of the ball and bring it back. That same feel is what the in-and-out fake move is built on, so this is a ball-handling drill rather than something the camera grades.
Set up
Bend your knees and sit into a slightly crouched stance, head up and eyes forward.
Low, eyes up.
Hold the ball in your right hand with your fingers spread and relaxed, so your fingertips steer it, not your palm.
Loose, spread fingers.
Dribble
Bounce the ball once on your right side.
Push the next bounce across in front of your body toward your left, as if you were starting a crossover.
Sell the cross.
Don't catch it with your left hand. Roll your right hand over the top of the ball as it comes up and push it back to your right side.
Hand rolls over, ball comes back.
Push every bounce into the floor with your forearm and wrist, extending the elbow and snapping the wrist, and keep the ball below your waist.
Push, don't slap.
Let your upper body move with the rhythm of the ball while your eyes stay up.
Sway with it.
Switch to your left hand and repeat, giving it the same time as your right.
Both hands, equal reps.
Feel it
The ball should snap side to side low in front of you while one hand does all the work. On the way back you feel your hand ride over the top of the ball, not under it. Your hands stay loose, every bounce is a hard push, your upper body sways a little with the rhythm, and your eyes stay on the floor ahead, not on the ball.
Fix-its
- The other hand takes the ball (it turns into a crossover) Keep the free hand out of it. Roll the dribbling hand over the top of the ball and bring it back to the same side.
- Slapping at the ball or soft, floaty bounces Relax and spread your fingers, then push the ball down hard with your forearm and wrist.
- The ball bounces above your waist and gets away Shrink the V and keep it below your waist. The closer the ball is to the floor, the easier it is to control.
- Looking down at the ball Pick a spot on a wall in front of you and keep your eyes on it for the whole set.
- Standing up tall Bend your knees and stay crouched. A low stance keeps the ball protected and lets you move when a defender reaches.
Drill
- Front V, right hand, in place, 15–60 seconds (shorter for young players), eyes on a spot on the wall.
- Front V, left hand, same time as the right.
- Side V (the 'push-pull'): dribble forward and back beside your body in a V, one hand at a time, 15–60 seconds each.
- Repeat the front V each hand as hard and fast as you can while keeping the ball under control.
- Front V into the in-and-out: take one bounce toward the middle as if crossing, roll your hand over the top and bring it sharply back out to the same side.
Sources
- Coach's Clipboard — 1-Ball Dribbling Drills
- Basketball For Coaches — 50 Basketball Dribbling Drills
- US Sports Camps (Nike Basketball Camps, drills by TJ Jones) — 5 Drills to Help You Become a Better Dribbler
- Basketball For Coaches — How to Dribble a Basketball (7-Step Guide + Drills)
- Coach's Clipboard — Dribbling and Dribble Moves
- Jr. NBA — How to Dribble a Basketball
Last checked 2026-10-26.