Basketball Dribbling Warm Up: 7 Pregame Drills for Game-Ready Handles

Most players walk into a game with cold hands. A few layups, a couple jumpers, and then the ball goes up. Your handle never really got warmed up.

This is a pregame dribbling warm up Coach Meech walks through in seven drills. The first three keep your feet still so it's all hands and arms. The last four get you moving, changing levels, changing speeds, getting your body ready to go.

You don't need much. A ball, and whatever floor space you've got. Sideline to sideline works. So does baseline to half court.

Not sure ball handling is your biggest need right now? Find your training strategy with our free training quiz.

Drill 1: High pounds into a low V dribble

You're just getting started, so the goal is to get your hands and arms warm.

Get nice and low with your feet wide, outside your hips. Your first two dribbles are high, up by your shoulder. Pound it as hard as you can, both times, keeping your hand on top of the ball.

After that second pound, drop low fast and get right into a V dribble. Swing the ball across your body and bring it back. Now you're working on cupping the ball and manipulating it.

That V should be right by your knees. Below them, actually. And quick. Coach Meech doesn't want it high and slow. Pound it fast, so you're sneaking in a little change of speed too.

Five to 10 times on each side.

Drill 2: The 1-3-5 crossover series

Still stationary. Low, wide base.

Start with a quick setup dribble inside your frame, then a crossover in front. Another setup dribble, then between the legs. Setup dribble again, then behind the back. That's round one.

Then you add two to everything. Three setup dribbles, three crossovers. Three setup dribbles, between the legs three times. Same with behind the back. Then five.

So one, then three, then five. You go through it one time and you're done.

A couple details matter here. Those setup dribbles (he also calls them pound dribbles) should sit right between your knee and your hip. Not super high. Not so low you're just tapping it. Dribble as hard as you can so the ball comes back up with speed.

And keep your feet still. Stick them in the ground. You're not trying to move your feet all over the place to get the ball across. This one's about your hands.

Drill 3: Double crossover series

Last stationary drill, and it's still mostly hands and arms.

Get low and take one pound dribble. Then the doubles:

• Between the legs into a crossover in front.

• Front and back, where the ball goes between and then comes back through the legs.

• Between into behind the back.

After all three, set back up with a pound dribble. Then you do each one twice. Reset. Then three times each. Then switch hands and go the other side.

The pause is the part people skip. After that first pound, let the ball kind of hang in your hand for a second. That's your pace. Then drop fast into between, cross, front back, between behind.

Go all the way up to three times, starting with the ball in both hands.

Coach Meech also points out that most players already have a solid foundational handle. You can control the ball and do the basic stuff well. But he says that's just one of four handle types.

Drill 4: Turn dribble and skip combo

Now the moving part starts, and this is where your body actually gets ready.

Start low with a turn dribble. Your hand starts on the side of the ball, rolls over the top, and pushes it out. It doesn't come all the way across your body. Stay tight, then push.

Ball in your right hand? Turn and push to the right, and skip to the right at the same time. A small lift. You start low on that turn and push, then rise up nice and tall on the skip.

When you land, drop fast into between the legs. Alternate sides, and switch your feet each time. Between, switch. Between, switch. Then behind the back so your feet come back to normal. Now the ball's in your left, so you do it going the other way.

The skip is a little slower. The landing is all fast. High to low, and slow to fast. He wants you working your legs here too, getting ready to drop and get past a defender.

Six total. Three each side.

Drill 5: Moving turn dribble into a crossover

This one goes up the floor. Use whatever distance you have.

Start tall, feet still wide. Turn dribble again, but this time take a step forward as you turn. Remember it's not a full in and out. The ball doesn't come all the way across, and you're not stepping the other way. Just turn your hand over and push it out.

As you push it out, drop low. Let the ball hit the floor first, then take that step. You're loading that leg, getting ready to stop quick and change direction, trying to get a defender to shift.

Then cross over to switch hands, keep walking, and do it again. Maybe take one dribble to set yourself up first.

Coach Meech says there's a huge focus here on three things: level, height, and speed. Your normal dribble is slow and tall. The push out is low and fast. That's what gets you shifty.

Go up the floor and come back.

If you want to keep building moves off this, our post on dribble moves to beat a defender is a good next stop.

Drill 6: Three high, three low

Walk forward, same distance. Three crossovers high and slow, freestyle, whatever you want. Then drop low and hit three quick ones.

He does want you thinking about your feet once you get low. Don't just walk normally through those three. Step outside your frame. Raise up and hit a quick spin. Switch up the footwork or the speed.

One rule, and he's clear about it: don't do the same crossover three times in a row. Throw in at least one other move.

Up and back. Baseline to half court, then half court back to baseline, or whatever you've got.

Drill 7: Freestyle crossover combos

Last one. Freestyle combos, up and back.

"I don't want you guys getting too crazy," he says. No rolling across the floor with a bunch of spin moves. But still push your handle. Go behind the back. Hit a quick stop, stand tall, then drop quick and low again. Mix up your crossovers, your level, and how fast you're dribbling.

That's it. Whatever combination you come up with.

Why it's built this way

Stationary first, then moving. Hands and arms, then legs and body.

And almost every drill has the same two ideas baked in. Change your level. Change your speed. High pounds into a low V. Slow skip into a fast landing. Tall and slow into low and fast. That's what your handle has to do in a game, so that's what you warm up.

Want more work for your off hand before the season? Try our weak hand basketball drills. Newer player? Start with basketball drills for beginners.

And if you're not sure what to train next, find your training strategy. It's a free training quiz.

FAQ

What's a good dribbling warm up before a game?

Coach Meech uses seven drills. Three stationary: high pounds to a low V, the 1-3-5 crossover series, and the double crossover series. Then four moving: turn dribble and skip, moving turn dribble to crossover, three high three low, and freestyle combos.

How high should my dribbles be in a warm up?

It depends on the drill. The first pounds are up by your shoulder. The V dribble is below your knees. Setup dribbles in the 1-3-5 series go between your knee and your hip.

Should my feet move during stationary dribbling drills?

No. In the 1-3-5 series he wants your feet stuck in the ground so all the work is in your hands and arms.

What is a turn dribble?

Your hand starts on the side of the ball, rolls over the top, and pushes it out. It's not a full in and out. The ball doesn't come all the way across your body.

How many reps should I do?

The high pounds into the V go five to 10 times each side. The 1-3-5 series is once through. Doubles build up to three of each, both hands. The turn and skip is three each side. The moving drills go up and back over whatever distance you have.

How much space do I need?

Not a lot. Sideline to sideline, or baseline to half court or the three point line. Whatever you've got works.

Can I do the same move on the three high, three low drill?

He has one rule there. Don't do the same crossover three times in a row.

What should I work on after warming up my handle?

Depends on your game. Take the free training quiz and find your training strategy.