How to do good moves in basketball

The 6 best moves you need to know

If you're starting to learn how to play basketball, working on your dribbling, shooting, and passing skills is crucial if you want to become a great player. Dribbling is arguably the most important aspect of the sport. Every player has to start somewhere, so read on to learn some fantastic tricks to elevate your game.

The importance of dribbling

Dribbling is important for both offensive and defensive basketball. On the offense, it's used to free yourself from congested areas and drive the ball up the court. Dribbling in defense can be an effective stalling tactic when you're being pressed. You need to be able to dribble with both hands to enable you to move freely in either direction and make it harder for a defensive player to guard you. In your practice sessions, work on dribbling with your weaker hand.

Red Bull Reign 2019 India Finals

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Mastering these six basketball tricks will help you become a valuable team player and dominate on the court. Any trick you learn can go a long way toward smashing the opposition.

1. Crossover

One of the first dribble moves a player needs to practice when they start learning basketball tricks is the crossover dribble. It's also one of the easiest basketball moves for a player to perform, but don't be fooled by the simplicity — players at all levels use the crossover to blow past an opponent.

The crossover involves bouncing the ball from one hand to the other in front of you. You would mostly use this move when you want to change direction and you're not being closely guarded by a defender who could poke the ball away from you.

2. In-and-out

A great basketball move for players learning the game is the in-and-out dribble. It's a move that's designed to fool a defender into thinking you're going to perform a standard crossover. You can get a defender to switch their weight to the wrong leg, opening up a driving lane to attack.

While bouncing the ball with one hand, you use a fake move of the head and shoulders to make it look like you're going in the other direction. You move the ball inside and then back out by changing the position of your hand on the ball and then move forward in the same direction.

3. Through the legs

The through-the-legs dribble is similar to the crossover in that you bounce the ball from one hand to the other, but you cross it between your legs. As the ball passes through the legs, the front leg makes it difficult for an opponent to reach in. It also keeps the ball further from the defense.

Young players can find this move difficult because of the coordination and timing involved. However, when you learn to stay low and explode out of it, this can be one of the most effective basketball tricks.

4. Behind the back

Like the through-the-legs move, the behind-the-back dribble enables you to cross the basketball from one hand to the other while protecting it from a defender. As you pass the ball behind you, your whole body protects it.

One of the biggest advantages of this basketball move is that you can pass the ball out in front of your opposite hand, allowing for a quick offensive attack. While you're on a fast break and a defender lunges in to take the ball, using the behind-the-back dribble helps you protect the ball and escape from your opponent without breaking your stride.

5. Hesitation dribble

The hesitation dribble is a straight-line move that's often used to explode past a defender, giving you the opportunity to attack the basket or enable a teammate to shoot. The aim of this dribble move is to make your opponent think you're going to stop — and then you burst past them.

As you're dribbling quickly down the court, you slow down for a split second, slightly raise your body, and look at the basket or a teammate as if you're going to shoot or pass the ball. To stay in a good defensive position, the defender will slow down and, as they lose their momentum, you push off on your back foot and explode past them.

6. Spin move

One of the most difficult basketball tricks to learn is the spin move, but it's important for you to have this dribbling skill in your repertoire. When you've put in the work to practice this move, it's a quick and effective weapon to use against your opponents.

For the spin move, you plant your inside foot and reverse-swivel around the defender while taking the ball with you and protecting it with your body. You have to make sure your hand stays on top of the ball, because if your hand goes under, you may get stopped for a carrying violation.

6 Basketball Moves You Need to Beat Any Defender

Many players believe they need complex basketball moves to be a great ball-handler.

Instead of sticking to the basics, they want to learn the "advanced moves".

For example, the "double-crossover-spin-hesi-jumper” or the “triple-spin-back-cross-pullup”.

(yes, I made these up)

But the truth is…

By perfecting 6 fundamental basketball moves, you'll have everything you need to explode past any defender on the court.

They'll allow you to:

a. Get to the rim with ease (to create a shot for yourself or a teammate)

b. Fly past your opponent when you’re quickly bringing the ball up the court.

Below, I’ve broken down what the 6 basketball moves are and how you can use them in a game.

1. Crossover Dribble

The crossover involves bouncing the basketball in front of you from one hand to the other.

It’s most often used when a player wants to change directions and they’re not being tightly guarded by a defender who could poke the ball away.

This is the easiest basketball move for players to perform, and is the first move a player will start practicing when they first start learning how to dribble.

But don’t let the simplicity fool you…

The crossover is used by players at all levels to blow past an opponent.

Crossover Dribble Video:

2. Through the Legs Dribble

The through-the-legs basketball move involves crossing the basketball over from one hand to the other, but putting the ball between your legs.

A small difference from a regular crossover, but an important one.

When the ball is passed between the legs, the front leg offers protection from a defender reaching in and also ensures the ball is further away from the defense.

The timing and coordination needed for this move can make it difficult for young players, but it’s effective when players learn how to stay low and explode out of it.

Through the Legs Dribble Video:

3. Behind the Back Dribble

Similar to through the legs, the behind the back dribble allows players to switch the ball from one hand to the other while protecting the basketball.

With this move, the entire body protects the ball as a player wraps the ball behind them.

One of the biggest benefits of going behind the back is the ball can be passed out in front of your opposite hand which allows an offensive player to attack quickly.

So if a defender lunges in to steal the basketball while on the fast break, a quick behind the back dribble can help you protect the ball and evade the defender without breaking stride.

Behind the Back Dribble Video:

4. Hesitation Dribble

The hesitation dribble involves dribbling with speed, slowing down for a split-second, and then exploding past your defender.

It’s a straight-line basketball move often used in transition to beat a defender and attack the rim or create a shot for a teammate.

The goal with the hesitation dribble is to trick the defender into thinking you’re about to stop. This can be achieved by slightly raising your body, looking up to the rim like you’re about to shoot, looking up at a teammate, or a combination.

When a defender notices you slowing down, they’ll do the same in order to stay in good defensive position...

With the defender losing their momentum, you’ll be able to explode past them to the rim.

Hesitation Dribble Video:

5. In-and-Out Dribble

The in-and-out dribble move is designed to trick the defender into thinking you’re about to perform a regular crossover.

This is a great basketball move for players first learning the game of basketball.

Keeping the basketball in one hand, the offensive player uses a head and shoulders fake while moving the ball inside and then back out by switching the position of their hand on the ball.

It’s most commonly used in transition to get a defender to shift their weight from one direction to another which opens up a driving lane to attack.

In-and-Out Video Dribble:

6. Spin Move

The spin move is one of the most difficult basketball moves to learn, but it’s an important weapon for players to have in their dribbling repertoire.

It involves planting your inside foot and reverse-pivoting around a defender while dragging the basketball with you.

This can be a difficult move for young players to execute, but it’s quick and effective when a player has put in the work practicing it.

It’s important that players ensure their hand stays on top of the basketball. If the hand slips under, referees will whistle the dribbler for a carrying violation.

Spin Move Video:

Conclusion

A quick warning...

Don't try to overcomplicate it.

The players who try to do "too much" are the same players who will pump fake four times, dribble six times through their legs, and then dribble twice behind their back without ever making their defender move and inch.

Instead, you want to keep your basketball moves simple and effective.

Mastering the fundamentals is key.

Moving, stopping and turning | Basic Techniques

Basketball technique, except for ball possession (catching, passing, dribbling and throwing into the ring), includes the player's movement on the court. A basketball player must be able to run at different paces, stop quickly, change direction, make unexpected turns, good jumps and a whole range of distracting movements that disorientate the opponent and help the player's freedom of action on the field.

The movements of a basketball player must be varied, based on jerks in different directions. A basketball player during the game should always be at the start before the maximum exertion of forces, all the time he should be ready either for a rapid breakthrough or for an abrupt stop.

Especially important is the ability to move with and without the ball at a variable pace. It is not difficult for a defender to "hold" an attacker who is constantly moving at the same pace and in the same direction. Having adapted to this pace, he easily copes with this task. Another thing is if the attacking player often and abruptly changes the pace and direction of the run. A sudden stop after a dash and a new dash in the other direction completely disorients the defender and allows the attacker to break free of his control even for a moment. This time is enough to receive the ball and shoot the basket.

Skillful movement of the player on the field helps him to increase his maneuverability in difficult conditions of the game, i. e. the ability to act actively. The player's maneuverability depends on his ability to maintain the balance of his body in any position. Balance depends on the location of the body weight, which should be distributed on both legs as much as possible at all times. Loss of balance most often occurs if the player acts on straight legs. Legs bent at the knees allow the player to always maintain balance and move equally well in any direction, stop abruptly and change direction.

If a basketball player has lost his balance, then, if necessary, to change the direction of movement, he must first expend time and energy to restore balance and only then change direction. Unskillful movement requires an extra expenditure of energy, time and causes many errors.

A player of the attacking team, using his movement skills (good start, sudden stop), seeks to break away from the defender and go to an empty place to receive the ball or go with the ball to the backboard.

Running . The player's run on the court must be very fast and varied. A basketball player must be able to run forward, backward, sideways, etc. Due to the small size of the court, he rarely has to run more than 12–15 m, more often 5–7 m. It is known that in basketball it is quite enough to break away from the opponent by 60-90 cm to receive the ball or even throw it into the basket. This requires a sharp start and speed of the first steps. For these one or two steps you can always get an advantage of 30-40 cm; this is enough to be inaccessible to the enemy. The effectiveness of a jump start is increased by its unexpectedness.

The beginning of the movement depends only on the attacking player, and this gives him a great opportunity to take the initiative. The start can be taken from a place and on the move - a change in pace with a jerk. A sharp decrease in pace or a sudden stop can also help to break away (behind) from the opponent. A sharp start, a fast run and a different pace of running (acceleration and deceleration) are necessary for every basketball player.

Player stop . A basketball player in a game, moving along the court with or without the ball, if necessary, must be able to stop abruptly at any speed without making a run so as not to lose the ball. The art of a good stop can be mastered only through long and hard work. The faster the movement, the harder it is to stop. The stop mainly depends on the work of the legs (their strength and ability to place the soles of the feet correctly) and the work of the torso.

When moving slowly, a stop can be made with a large step of one (either) foot forward to stop.

Harder to stop when running fast or very fast. To stop while running fast, the player takes one longer step and puts the main emphasis on the foot that first touches the ground after this step. The second leg, landing later, consolidates the stop and, together with the back tilt of the body, eliminates the danger of further movement by inertia (jogging or falling).

When running very fast, the stop must be carried out by jumping with simultaneous landing on both half-bent legs and turning the body by 90 °. The player, in addition to turning, must deflect the body in the direction opposite to the movement. This is necessary to overcome the inertia of the body obtained during fast running. After the jump, the legs should be shoulder-width apart and land simultaneously on full feet with the desire to switch to gliding. Stopping after any pace of progress, the basketball player must strive to maintain the balance of the body on both legs at all times.

Jumping . The game uses a wide variety of jumps. With the help of a jump, you can intercept a high-flying ball sent by a partner or opponent, take possession of the ball after rebounding from the shield in the fight against the enemy. The jump allows the player to free himself from the opponent in order to shoot the basket or pass the ball to a partner. The ability to jump high gives an advantage in the fight against the enemy during the initial rally of the ball or during a controversial throw.

Jumping can be done with one or two feet, with or without hands. Jumps are made from a place and from a run. All types of jumps are equally important and are used equally often in the game. The small size of the court, the large crowding of players in small areas often require it from a basketball player using running jumps to take off only up without moving forward. The inability to jump only up can cause collisions and, consequently, personal errors. Stubborn struggle for the ball sometimes requires athletes to perform several jumps in a row from a place.

The complexity and variety of applications of jumping in the game require intensive work on increasing jumping ability.

Turns . In basketball, a player can only take one or two steps with the ball, after which he must pass the ball to a partner, throw it into the basket or dribble. Opponent resistance often deprives the player of this opportunity. In this case, in order to free himself from the opponent, protect the ball or throw it into the basket, the attacker uses a turn. The turn is made as follows: the basketball player leans on one leg, on which the weight of the body is located, and, without moving it from its place, with the other foot, with a push, makes a turn in any direction.

Turns can be performed to the right and left depending on the movement of the pushing leg (fig. 1 and 2).

Fig. 1. Right turn

2. Turn to the left side

The main purpose of the turn is to get rid of the enemy and get away from him as far as possible. This can be achieved if the turn is made on half-bent legs and the pushing leg reproduces the movements of the compass (without rising high from the floor, it describes an arc). If the turn is made on straight legs, then the step of the "compass" will be so small that it will not ensure the fulfillment of the task - avoiding the enemy.

The combination of various turns (without taking off the supporting leg) allows the player to use some of them as false turns in the fight against the enemy to disorient the enemy and move on to active actions.

The best trick in basketball

Nikita Yamshchikov, founder of Ball In