Basketball Drills: The V-Drill

The path to the basket is never an easy one. As defenders get in your way, you’ll need the right skills to maneuver around them. Basketball camp director and college coach Donnie Arey is ready to help you master this lesson one step at a time with the V Drill.

To begin, place a cone in front of your body and move toward one side before coming to a hard “hockey stop” with your back to the cone. Retreat back to your starting position, and keep dribbling the ball in the same hand you started with. Next, cross the ball over to your other hand and attack the opposite side of the cone in the same fashion.

The main purpose of this drill is to practice getting your shoulders and hips past the defender as they try to recover from your retreat.

After you get accustomed to the drill’s structure, switch things up a bit. Instead of just a knee-to-knee crossover, try a between-the-legs crossover, a behind-the-back crossover or a combination of all three. Don’t worry about speed, because the more you work on the drill, the better and faster you could get.

Remember when crossing the ball behind your back, you want to make sure you don’t lose control of the ball. One quick tip to remember is to keep your fingers pointed in the direction you want the ball to go when you release it. Make sure your fingers are hitting the lower part of your back and facing toward your other hand. This is the best way to keep track of the ball when making advanced moves.

Not only can this drill help you create separation from the defense, but your ball handling, footspeed and strength could greatly improve after each rep as well.

Looking for more basketball drills to work on your ball-handling skills? Try the Crossover Tournament Drill and the Two-Ball Dribbling Drills.