The
Stop and Go.
For this
move - the key is simply a change of pace. You jog slowly with the ball,
usually when a defender is along side of you, and then burst past the defender.
Again, you jog nonchalantly along with the ball, then stop for a second, and
then burst past the defender.
You can
also put the sole of your foot on top of the ball for a second when you stop the
ball, and then push it forward with your instep when you break off on the
dribble again to escape the defender.
The Cut
Back.
With the
inside of the foot you cut the ball back behind your body. Using your right
foot to cut the ball back you plant your left foot to the side of the ball and
then bring your right foot up to cut the ball back. The reverse if you are
cutting the ball back with your left foot.
You can
often tie this in with a fake shot. Dribbling away from a defender into space
you fake a pass or shot and then chop the ball back with the inside of the foot
you used to fake the pass or the shot - then dribble in the other direction.
The
Fake Shot.
Simply
bringing the leg back like you are going to shoot can buy you time. Bring the
leg back as though you are going to make a pass or take a shot and then stop the
ball just in front of the ball - then move the ball to the left or right to set
yourself up for your next play.
The
Step over.
You take
your right foot over the ball and dribble away with your left. Also often
called the scissors.
Inside
Outside.
You kind
of fake like your going inside and then rush to the outside. With the inside of
your foot on the ball you carry the ball a little bit to the inside a few steps
(leaning to the inside) and then when you think the defender is off balance or
not ready, you push the ball to the outside (with the outside of your foot) and
you then have more space to cross the ball, or make a pass, or shoot.
Outside
Inside.
This time
use the outside of your feet, this is usually more difficult because you don't
have as much control with the outside of your feet, in terms of surface area, so
make the dragging of the ball to the outside a little shorter in distance. Same
as above but starting with the outside of your foot.
Dropping Your Shoulder.
Dribbling
slowly at a defender you feint with the shoulder, ducking or leaning your
shoulder down a little bit one way and take off the other way.
Sole of
the foot turn.
Pull the
ball back with the bottom of your shoe and burst away with a change of speed.
Scoop.
Life the
ball over the defender's foot. This is usually done while feinting one
way and then scooping the ball the other way just over the defender's planted
foot.
After you lift the ball over the defenders foot make sure to take off with a
burst of speed. Often, you want to scoop or lift the ball over the defenders
foot and to your other foot so your body will be between you and the defender
after you make the move. So you are dribbling with your right foot and scoop
the ball over the defenders foot and to your left foot or the other way around.
Also, this move is also usually done when you are in an almost standing position
and the defender is rushing at you or you’re suckering the defender in and then
lifting the ball over their foot as they came in towards you to fast and you
then slip away.
The
Lean.
Leaning to
one side kind of carrying the ball with you, as if you are going to dart off
with the ball, and when the defender doesn't expect it, take off in the opposite direction.
Sucker
them.
Entice the
defender to try to go for the ball, exposing the ball as if the defender can
steal it and when he or she makes a move to go for the ball you cut the ball
away and take off. Again, change of pace is the key when beating a defender on
the dribble.
This is
why, when training, you touch the ball each time you dribble, so you can gain
greater control of the ball and make those sharp cuts to the side or back, and
entice and elude and frustrate and really annoy defenders. See more on this
below.
Developing Skills
As a kid,
I would act like the weeds were defenders and dribble in out and in, cutting
back and forth as I dribbled, trying to avoid hitting the weeds with the ball,
make believing they were defenders.
Every
Step.
Try to
touch the ball with each step you take with the ball. In very quick succession
touch the ball a little bit ahead of you. This will create both good control and
increase your dribbling speed with the ball. With this kind of control you can
elude defenders when they try to reach in and steal the ball, you can just cut
the ball away since it is always so close to you, this will give you overall
greater control when your dribbling. It is almost like you are trying to get as
many touches in as you dribble forward with the ball.
Change
of Pace.
Here it is
again, sorry for the repetition, in a few weeks you will see a more complete and
concise website. Change of pace is the key to going by a player on the dribble.
You don't necessarily need to be extremely fast to go by someone. You just need
to kind of lull the defender to sleep for a second and then break past the
opponent with a burst of speed.
Improving Your Left Foot.
The best
advice is just to use it. Continue to strike the ball against a wall with your
bad foot, slowly but steadily you will see improvement, have patience. There is
always exceptions, if you look at one of the best players in the world 'Rivaldo',
he only uses his left foot, simply because his left foot is so incredible and he
positions his body so well to protect the ball. He is a player that is so
experienced and so skilled with his left that he can get a away it.
Drills.
A great
drill is simply weaving in and out of a set of cones, and you can of course get
creative, as I was saying before I used to dribble in and out of a field of
weeds, you can make variations in the drill and put rules on yourself to make it
more difficult.
Put about
8 to 10 cones in a line about three yards apart and dribble in and out of the
row of cones without touching or knocking over the cones. Also, try not to touch
the ball to far away from the line of cones, keep the ball close to you and
don't dribble out away from the row of the cones.
When you
have this down you can then vary the way that you dribble through the cones,
just with the right foot and then just with the left foot, and then alternating
feet, where you touch the ball to the left and then to the right as you weave
through the cones, just with the inside of the feet, and so on, you can make up
restrictions to put on yourself to try to improve a specific part of your
dribbling technique.