Basketball players utilize the crossover dribble, one of the more basic ball-handling skills a youth player can learn, to create space from defenders. To perform a crossover dribble, you switch your hand from one hand to the other. If you crossover from your right to left hand, step with your right foot simultaneously while crossing over to make your crossover more effective.
To master a basic crossover, utilize these few key fundamental tips
1. Keep the ball low. When performing a crossover, make sure the ball stays below your knees. The higher the ball gets when performing a crossover dribble, the higher probability the defensive player will steal the ball.
2. Follow through on your crossover. I commonly observe youth basketball players not following through on their crossover dribble, losing the ball pretty often. To follow through is to make sure the hand that the ball was in initially to swing past the center of your body when switching from one hand to another. You should think of a swinging pendulum as an analogy, where your arms swing back and forth. Make sure to emphasize following through with your arms especially during stationary crossover drills.
3. Once you attempt to drive towards the basket after performing a crossover, swing your outside leg around towards the opposite side of the body. This will help you shield off your body from the defensive player when driving towards the basket.
At SoCal-Elite’s Weekly Basketball Training Academy and basketball camps, you will not only learn basic crossover dribbles, but also learn other new dribbling moves that will help you become an improved ball-handler. Make sure to sign up for our Weekly Basketball Academy here at https://socalelite.org/academy/.
