Not all basketball dribbling workouts are created equal. Some will improve your technique but won’t do anything for your conditioning. And you need to work on both, because the competition out there is fierce.

The dribbling workout below is from our killer crossover basketball camp at 4th Quarter Training. It features 60 minutes of non-stop dribbling with two simple rules:

1. You give 100 percent on every drill. If you’re training to be the best, 99 percent is not good enough. By the end of the workout, you should be completely exhausted.
2. You fail often. You should lose the ball 20 percent of the time. Our goal is to train on the edge of your current abilities. That’s the only way to grow.

First Quarter: Stationary Dribbling Drills

30 seconds on/5 seconds off

Single-Ball Stationary Dribbling Drills

• Two Pounds Crossover
• One Pound Crossover
• Continuous Crossover
• Two Pounds Through Legs
• One Pound Through Legs
• Continuous Through Legs
• Two Pounds Behind Back
• One Pound Behind Back
• Continuous Behind Back
• Inside-Out Right
• Inside-Out Left
• Inside-Out Right Crossover
• Inside-Out Left Crossover

2-Ball Stationary Dribbling Drills

• High Pounds – keep the dribble at waist level
• Low Pounds – keep the dribble at ankle level
• One High, One Low – keep one ball at waist level, the other at ankle level
• One High, One low
• Figure 8 Forward
• Figure 8 Backward

Tennis Ball Dribbling Drills

• Left Arm Toss – Toss and catch the tennis ball with your left hand as you dribble the basketball with your right hand.
• Right Arm Toss – Toss and catch the tennis ball with your right hand as you dribble the basketball with your left hand.
• Crossover – Toss the tennis ball from your left hand to your right as you crossover with the basketball.
• Double Crossover – Toss the tennis ball from your left hand to your right as you perform a double crossover.

Notes:

Perform all of these drills stationary. Perform the first drill for 30 seconds, rest for 5 seconds and move to the next drill. A “pound” is a dribble. If the drill says “2 pounds,” dribble hard twice and perform the designated move. We say pound instead of dribble because we want you to get in the habit of pounding the dribble. The harder you dribble the basketball, the faster it comes back to you. The faster it comes back to you, the quicker you can move on the court.

During the Crossover, start the ball on the outside of one knee and end on the outside of the other knee. Whip the ball from one hand to the other.

Second Quarter: One-Step Dribbling Drills

Four minutes of each followed by 20 seconds of rest.

One-Step Crossover Without a Chair

• Start with your feet side-by-side in a shoulder-width stance.
• Pound the dribble twice with your left hand. On the second pound, lift your left foot off the ground.
• As you drive your left foot down, either directly under you or a few inches in front of you, perform a hard Crossover.
• As soon as your left foot touches the ground, make it follow the ball during the Crossover so you finish in a lunge position with your left leg between the ball and the defender.
• Crossover Left
• Crossover Right

One-Step Crossover With a Chair

Perform the drill exactly as described above, but this time use a chair as a defender.

• Place the chair 12 inches in front of you.
• When you cross over, attack the defender’s foot. If you are crossing over from right to left, make your right foot follow the Crossover as quickly as possible and beat the defender’s right foot.
• Once the defender is on your hip, you have a clear path to the basket. During extended Crossovers, move the chair an additional 6 inches away so you can cover as much ground as possible during your Crossover.
• Crossover Left
• Crossover Right
• Extended Crossover Left
• Extended Crossover Right

Third Quarter: Moving Dribbling Drills

Thirty seconds per drill with 5 seconds of rest.

Two-Ball Dribbling Drills (repeat twice)

• Together – Both balls should hit the floor at the same time.
• Alternating – As one ball hits the floor, the other should be coming back up to you.
• Through Legs – Dribble at an angle for 5 feet, plant your outside foot as one ball goes through your leg, and explode in the opposite direction. Continue this zig-zag pattern.
• Behind the Back – Dribble at an angle for 5 feet, plant your outside foot as one ball goes behind your back, and explode in the opposite direction. Continue this zig-zag pattern.

Single-Ball Moving Dribbling Drills (repeat twice)

• Continuous Through Legs
• Continuous Behind Back
• Continuous Crossover

Notes:

All of these drills are performed while moving. Start at one end of the court and dribble toward the other end. Each drill should last 30 seconds. Take 5 seconds to transition to the next drill.

Fourth Quarter: Resistance Dribbling Drills

Sixty seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest.

Partner Band Dribbling Drills

• Hesitation Left
• Hesitation Right
• Crossover Left
• Crossover Right

These drills are performed using a strong elastic band. Loop the band around your waist while your partner holds it from behind. Start 6 feet from a wall. Take two pound dribbles and perform the designated move. Try to touch the wall as your partner provides resistance with the band. Stay low and explode.

Partner Pad Dribbling Drills

• Crossover Left
• Crossover Right
• Inside-Out Crossover Left
• Inside-Out Crossover Right

These drills are performed using a large rectangular pad similar to a kickboxing pad. Stand 2-3 feet in front of your partner who is holding the pad. Take two pound dribbles, then perform the designated move. As you perform the moves, drive your inside shoulder into the defender, creating contact, and explode through him.

Read More:

• How to Dribble Like the Pros
• Developing Quickness and Power to Master the Crossover Dribble
• Kyrie Irving’s Guide to Dribbling
• Improve Your Weak Hand Dribbling Skills