A kid can’t dribble down the court until they can control a ball bouncing in place. This drill is just that. Low ball, low stance, eyes wherever they want right now.
What you need: 8-foot basket. Youth ball. One ball per kid. Flat court.
Setup: Each kid stands in their own space about 3 feet from a wall or baseline.
How to run it:
- Show them: low stance, knees bent, ball in front of you waist-high.
- Push the ball down hard. Don’t slap it. Let it bounce back up to your chest.
- They pound 20 times. Count out loud. Then rest.
- Do 3 rounds of 20.
- Second round, they go down deeper into their legs and push harder.
What to watch: Are they using one hand to control the bounce, or two? One hand only. The other hand is for balance.
If they’re struggling: Use a softer ball. Have them bounce standing against the wall for support. Do 10 bounces instead of 20.
If they’ve got it: Have them close their eyes for 5 bounces. Then open. This trains feel instead of sight.