Basketball Fake Spin

What is a fake-spin in basketball dribbling?

After mastering the basketball spin-move (i.e. you have an effective and powerful spin move that enables you to get by your defender with a breeze.), it¡¯s time to keep you opponent guessing more. That is, you can feign a spin move and then get by the opponent without actually performing one. In terms of movement, it is essentially doing half a spin-move and while your back is pressing against your defender, you turn back to your originally direction instead of completing the spin.

What do I need for a fake spin in basketball dribbling?

• A tight hook on the basketball: when you perform a fake-spin, your basketball is traveling at a great velocity as if you are performing a spin-move. Yet, the difficulty level is intensified because you have to counteract the ball¡¯s momentum swiftly. Hence, a normal grip is not enough. Instead, you will need a hook grip.
• Exceptional footwork: To execute the fake-spin efficaciously and smoothly, you need to take the right step at the right time. You also have to feel comfortable performing the criss-cross motion with your legs.
• An awareness of opponent¡¯s position: Spin-move is about out-competing your defender for space and planting your feet around your defender. The fake-spin also demands the same thing
• Quick feet: Unlike doing a spin move, having great footwork is not enough for a fake-spin. If you don¡¯t change direction quickly, your defender is going to recover and stay in front of you.

What are the steps for performing the spin-move in basketball dribbling?

(Assuming the player is right-handed)

1. Drive towards your defender with speed
2. When you encounter your defender, give the ball a huge bounce
3. While the ball hangs, heel-pivot* your left foot
4. Push hard with your right toe to rotate your body 180 degrees to the left
5. Swing the ball over to the left also while maintaining a hook grip
6. Now your back should be facing your defender, quickly turn your left shoulder into left shoulder
7. Essentially, you are going back to your original direction
8. Lower your body and drive into the open lane.

What combination series of basketball moves can incorporate into the fake-spin?

• Drive ¨¤ Fake-spin (to the left) ¨¤ Eye and shoulder fake to the left ¨¤ Pull the ball to the right and forward ¨¤ Drive

Difficulty level: intermediate

Comment: This is just the basic move to convince your defender that you are spinning one way. Yet, you must do it sincerely and quickly.

• Drive ¨¤ Fake-spin (to the left) ¨¤ Pull the ball to the right without going forward ¨¤ Pull back ¨¤ Jump shot

Difficulty level: upper-intermediate

Comment: This move can be executed after the previous move. After you fake-spin, your defender will anticipate it and jump way back to block your way. In this case, you can perform a pull-back to maximize the distance between you and your defender and then get a clean look for the Jay.

In what situation can I use the fake-spin basketball move?

When your defender:

• Fears your spin move

• Slower than you and have a tough time recovering

• Loves stealing the basketball

• When you are shorter and able to squeeze by him

When the situation is like this:

• There¡¯s an open lane in the paint to spin

• When there are no picks beside your defender

• When the opposing team is playing man-on-man defense

Basketball Spin Move

What is a spin-move in basketball dribbling?

This basketball dribbling move is also called the spinnin'-o-rama. Spin-move is a basketball dribbling move in which you rotate your body around your opponent while applying weight on your opponent. By the looks of it, it seems to be a move of rotating your body 360 degrees. Wrong! It is actually consisted of two 180-degree spins combined together smoothly.

What does it take to do a spin-move in basketball dribbling?

• A strong grip: when you perform a spin-move, your basketball is traveling at a great velocity and a tight grip or a cradle grip is needed to maintain control on the basketball in motion.

• A mind fearless of contact: Many basketball players tend to avoid contact and choose to squeeze by opponents or blow by defenders with speed. Spin-move requires constant body contact for successful execution.
• Exceptional footwork: To execute the spin-move efficaciously and smoothly, you need to take the right step at the right time while twisting your foot at the right angle.
• An awareness of opponent¡¯s position: Spin-move is about out-competing your defender for space and planting your feet in a favorable spot so that you can rotate your shoulder and try to get around your defender while you are applying pressure on your defender to secure your own position

What are the steps for performing the spin-move in basketball dribbling?

(Assuming the player is right-handed)

1. Drive towards your defender and the hoop with speed
2. When you encounter your defender, give the ball a huge bounce
3. While the ball hangs, heel-pivot* your left foot
4. First half-spin: Push hard with your right toe to rotate your body 180 degrees to the left
5. Swing the ball over to the left also while maintaining a tight grip
6. Now your back should be facing your defender, bump into him with your back
7. As soon as you are clinging to your defender with your back, heel pivot again with your right foot
8. Second half-spin: Push hard with your left foot to spin 180 degrees until you are facing the hoop again
9. During the second half-spin, Your right shoulder should be in contact and rubbing off your defender at all times.
10. Leave the ball behind this time and use your left hand to fetch it after spinning.
11. Push hard with your right foot again for a drive.

*Heel-pivot is when you lift your toes and use your ankle (the "ball" of your feet) as the ONLY fixed contact point with the ground so that you can initiate a spin. The purpose of doing a heel-pivot is to reduce the friction between your foot and the ground by decreasing the contact area of the foot with the ground.

The spin-move is seemingly one move. Yet, in fact, it is a combination of two half-spins in a silkily smooth manner. The first stage half-spin is completed with your back to the hoop while moving the basketball sideways. The second half-spin is completed when you turn and face the hoop again.

What are the useful basketball combination moves that incorporates the spin-move

• Drive towards baseline ¨¤ hesitation head fake ¨¤ Drive ONE STEP towards the basketball hoop (bounce hard) ¨¤ Spin move away from baseline ¨¤ Bank shot

Level of difficulty: intermediate

How and why useful? You seemingly entrap yourself at the baseline and force a shot. Defenders will always come closer to apply more pressure. As he comes closer, you spin away. A typical manipulation of the mind. Also, when you spin away from baseline and face the hoop again, it is almost always the perfect angle to bank it. Know your positions

• Drive towards basketball hoop ¨¤ bumps into defender lightly ¨¤ spin move into the defender ¨¤ BIG pump-fake a shot ¨¤ step forward if d jumped ¨¤ floater

Level of difficulty:intermediate

How and why useful? Defenders are often allergic to spin move because it is good at creating space for a shot. Hence, they are likely to jump right after a spin move. Do a pump fake will get them totally off you.

In what situations do I perform the spin move in basketball dribbling

Checklist about your defender

• When your defender is plant his feet on the ground and slow in reaction

• When your defender likes to repel any contact you initiate

• When your defender place his arms on the side for coverage but occasionally steals

• When your defender defends by focusing on your arms swinging movement

• When the position of your defender's feet are leveled (i.e. both feet are equidistant from you)

• When your defender focuses on the ball when defending (losing sight of the ball startles him)

Checklist about the setting

• When your team decides to play isolation for you because a double crossover takes time to set up

• When no other defenders are nearby you to perform help defense

• When there is space for you to plant both of your feet firmly after spinning

• When the targeted side of where your double-crossover is finally heading is unpopulated or near a boundary

Behind-the-Back Dribble

What is a behind-the-back in basketball dribbling?

A behind-the-back is a basketball move in which you bring the ball behind your back to the side while the basketball bounces up. Then cross the ball around your legs in the back to your other hand.

What does it take to do a crossover in basketball dribbling?

-Dexterous and long hands: You need them to maintain excellent control when you are doing the crossover around your legs in the back. Long arms keep the distance between the basketball and your defender at a maximum.

-Strong wrist: When you fully extend your arm backwards, the only way you can push the basketball sideways is by snapping your wrist. Hence, having a strong wrist is very important too to execute a quick behind-the-back.

-A natural awareness of the position of the ball: When doing the behind-the-back basketball move. Not only does the defender lose sight of the ball, but the ball handling basketball player will also be unable to keep gazing at the ball.

General step-by-step guide to doing a behind-the-back in basketball

1. Start dribbling at the point or around the perimeter
2. Drive towards one side, (let's pretend you are going right for this example)
3. When your defender commits himself, place the ball behind your back on the side. You can do this in two ways*
4. Bend your knees slightly first, then cross the ball behind your back to the left
5. As soon as you catch the ball on your left, push hard with your right foot to propel your body to the left. It is almost as if you are hopping sideways.

• *i) overtake the ball in position by moving your body a little forward; ii) use the hangtime of the basketball to drag the ball back.

What are the effective basketball moves combination series related to the behind-the-back basketball move

• crossover (to right) > between-the-leg crossover (to left) > behind-the-back crossover (back to right) > drive

• drive > behind-the-back crossover (x2) > hesitation > headfake > drive

• drive > behind-the-back crossover > spin-move > layup

In what situations do I perform the behind-the-back in basketball dribbling

About your defender

• When your defender overplays you one side

• When your defender always attempt to steal but you want to penetrate nevertheless

• When your defender has shorter arms than you do

• When your defender has weak legs that cannot react to sudden changes in momentum.

• When your defender defends by focusing on the ball

About the setting

• When there is an open lane to drive towards the basketball hoop after you perform the behind-the-back

• When no defenders are behind you to steal your basketball

Double Cross-over

What is a double-crossover in basketball dribbling

As the name suggests, it is a basketball move which is constituted of two back-to-back crossovers. In essence, it is a controlled, low, and small crossover followed by a quick, huge crossover.

What does it take to do a double-crossover in basketball dribbling

Exceptional ball-handling skills: This is a must for executing the double crossover because the ball is likely to be still in motion when you are performing your second crossover. You need to develop total control over the basketball before you can attempt to use this move. Ambidexterity is a necessary condition for this move.

Hand-mind coordination: The hardest part of executing the perfect double-crossover is that basketball players tend to wait too long for the ball to stabilize after the first small cross. This will give enough time for the opponents to get back into position even if he bites on your bate cross. To perform this move flawlessly, you need to react very quickly. As soon as your mind realizes that the ball is close to stabilizing, your receiving hand with respect to the bouncing ball should have already started to counteract the force of the first small cross and initiate the second big cross.

Two equally strong thighs: To convince your defender that your first cross is sincere, you need to push really hard with one leg. Then, when you perform your second big cross for the win, you need to push equally strong, if not stronger, with the other leg to counteract your original momentum.

General step-by-step guide to doing a double-crossover in basketball

1. Dribble towards your opponent while slightly leaning towards the right
2. Get your opponent to follow you and move slight to your right
3. Do a sudden small cross to the left and swing your shoulder also to the left so that you look more sincere
4. If your opponent jumps right at your lane, counteract your momentum by pushing hard with your left leg towards the right side
5. Perform a vigorous, quick crossover in front to get past your opponent
6. Full steam ahead along the open lane

What are the useful basketball combination moves that incorporates the double crossover

• (Before initiating dribble) Right shoulder fake > Swing ball over to the left > Head fake > Double crossover (left-right-left) > Drive

How and why useful? The constant changes in direction and intention mesmerize the enemy. You have faked 5 directions before you drive. If executed correctly, you opponent will most probably be frozen on the ground. *Notice that (left-right-left) means that your cross the ball from left to right and then from right to left in two crossovers

• Freestyle dribbling > Double crossover (quick and small) > Swing your head as if looking for someone to pass > Double crossover (quick and huge) > Drive

How and why useful? You are creating a situation where your defender will be off-guard because you have conditioned him or her to think that your double crossover has no ensuing actions and you take advantage of it. *The freestyle dribbling is for loosening up your opponents

In what situations do I perform the double-crossover in basketball dribbling

Checklist about your defender

• When your defender is allergic to crossovers (i.e. reacts greatly to crossovers)

• When your defender is one arm length away from you

• When your defender place his arms on the side for coverage instead of stealing

• When your defender is prone to losing balance due to an over-weighted upper-body.

• When your defender defends by focusing on your arms swinging movement

• When the position of your defender's feet are leveled (i.e. both feet are equidistant from you)

• When your defender gives you distance but jumps as soon as you try to square up

Checklist about the setting

• When your team decides to play isolation for you because a double crossover takes time to set up

• When no other defenders are nearby you to perform help defense

• When the targeted side of where your double-crossover is finally heading is unpopulated or near a boundary

Pros-n-cons about doing the double-crossover basketball move

Types Used

What are the effective basketball moves combination series related to the crossover?

• jab-step -> pump-fake -> drive -> crossover

• drive -> hesitation -> crossover -> drive -> finger roll

• crossover to the left -> drive -> pull-back further to the left -> bank-shot

• crossover to the left -> pull-back back to the right -> jumpshot

In what situations do I perform the crossover in basketball dribbling?

About your defender

• When your defender bites at every basketball move you do, fake or not

• When your defender's stance is always with his hands up and never attempts to steal.

• When your defender is physically stronger but you are more agile.

• When your defender has weak legs that cannot react to sudden changes in momentum.

About the setting

• When there is an open lane to drive towards the basketball hoop after you perform the crossover

• When you are at the perimeter area which has a minimizes the risk of a pincer attack

• When the paint is not overpopulated

General step-by-step guide to doing a crossover dribble in basketball

1. Dribble the basketball with your dominant hand (let's pretend you're right-handed for this example).
2. Given the space, approach your defender slowly with small steps, take the time to read your opponent's position
3. When you are two steps from your defender, stop, then take a step forward with your left foot
4. Push semi-hard with the left foot, moving your body to the right side, *lower your shoulder to make your move look sincere
5. Look at your defender's body or feet for signs of buying your fake
6. Counteract the momentum to the right by pushing hard with your right foot and sidestep with your left foot when your opponent is off balance
7. At the same time, switch the ball to your left hand with **a quick, low bounce directly in front of your defender.
8. When you have created the space, Push hard with your left foot and **take a big stride with your right foot beside the defender.

• *By experience, lowering your shoulder while driving gets defenders to follow more effectively because you appear to have committed yourself to the drive
• **keep this bounce as close to yourself as possible to avoid stealing attempts
• ***secure your space by placing your leg right beside your defender so that he will have minimal space to reoccupy your lane.

Crossover Dribble

What is a crossover in basketball dribbling

A crossover dribble is a simply a low, quick bounce in front that allows you to quickly switch momentum and direction so that you can outmaneuver your opponent and drive towards the basketball hoop.

What does it take to do a crossover in basketball dribbling

-Dexterous and agile hands: you need them to maintain excellent control so that you perform the low quick bounce across swiftly as possible without letting the ball slip out of your hands

-Strong and responsive legs: A vital part of the crossover dribble is the ability to act on and counteract on your momentum at the right timing. As soon as you see your defender expose a weak point, which will disappear in a matter of split seconds, you got to attack it.

-Flexible yet sturdy upper-body: This may sound a little contradictory but when you are in motion, your body must move along with the rhythm so that your basketball move look genuine and "sincere." Yet, do not let your body too loose or else you won't be able to control your momentum.

-A deceptive mind: Not only do u have to feign your opponent, but you also have to convince yourself into believing that what you are doing is not a fake, up until the very last moment.

Bear in mind that what makes a crossover ankle busting is the sudden double-change in momentum from forward to the left and to the right

Basketball Dribbling Moves

Mastering the fundamentals of basketball dribbling alone cannot allow you to breeze through defenders. You need basketball dribbling moves to get your defenders to expose a weak point that you can attack. Here are the frequently used basketball dribbling moves in contemporary basketball.

Cross-over

Inter-leg Cross-over

Double Cross-over

Behind-the-back

Spin Move

Fake Spin

Stop-n-go

Pull-back

Post-up Dribble

These moves are just the ingredients. After mastering all each of these basketball dribbling moves, you should use it in a mix-n-match manner. For instance, stop-n-go then pull-back to perform a jump shot. It is not a single move, but a combination of different moves, that beats a defender to a pulp.

Advanced Ball-Handling

For advanced players, there are many things you need to keep in mind. First, dribbling becomes more of a physical-plus-mental thing, because you need to calculate how much spin and how hard you are dribbling and where the ball is landing in good hand-eye-leg coordination. You need to frequently shift your momentum to different directions to get your defender on his toes while executing a fake and anticipating how the defender will react to your actions.

When you dribble from one hand to the other, do not try to deflect the ball away to the other hand, try absorbing the force instead and you will have a better control. The ability to add spin the ball gives you greater maneuverability. But if you wait until the ball rests completely in your hand, you will delay your dribble. So striking the balance between speed and control is very important. One of the biggest differences between good ball-handlers and excellent ball-handlers are their different timings in applying force onto the basketball.

Also, to be a good ball-handler, you need to have good shooting ability, which gives you more room to maneuver the ball because the defender will have to defend the air too.

Here are some important things you should bear in mind in advanced basketball dribbling:

• Your vision - It often gives your intentions away and your defender knows it. However, you can actually use this against the d. Look at the defender naturally and occasionally scan for open players. Then, look at the side opposite to your target lane when you are about to burst. The eye fake is a very powerful weapon.

• Your shoulder - Shake your shoulder and arm towards the side opposite to your target lane. The shoulder fake is used against defenders that do not buy the eye fake. Also, when you are dribbling, cling your shoulder and your upper arm close to your defender's body and as low as possible so that you can retain your own position.

• Your non-dribbling hand - Without pushing away your defender's hand, try to position your non-dribbling so that it is in the way of your defender's hand when your defender attempts a steal.

• The rhythm of the dribble - keep a constant rhythm in your dribble right until you are about to dribble past your opponent. The change of rhythm can get your opponent slightly off-balance, also. Use this to your advantage.

• The hangtime of the ball - After the ball bounces off the floor, the ball will have some hangtime in the air. You should use this hangtime well to execute eye and shoulder fakes or delay the following bounce to freeze your defender.

Fundamental Ball-Handling

Here are the tips of basic basketball dribbling. Don't take these lightly. If you get these perfectly correct in the beginning, you will have a much easier time improving your dribbling. Learn to walk perfectly before you run. The goal of these tips is to maintain a stable dribble and wait for opportunities. They are not aiming for dribbling past the defender yet.

• Use your finger tips to dribble, never the palm

• Dribble on the side of your body, never bounce the ball in front repeatedly

• Get used to bouncing the ball hard off the ground

• Lower your body slightly so that the ball is bouncing rapidly at waist level

• Look up when you are dribbling, not on the ground or on the ball

• When switching the ball from one hand to another, bounce the ball across hard and quick

• When changing direction, shift the momentum of your body towards that direction

Finger tips gives you more control over the basketball. Dribbling on the side minimizes the possibility of getting your ball stolen. When situation allows, you can even use your back to shield the ball from your opponent. This is called post-up and it is described in the basketball dribbling moves section below. Bouncing the ball hard off the ground and lowering your body together allows you to greatly reduce the time the ball is out of your control. Looking up while dribbling gives you the vision of the court and your defender while you dribble.

Basketball Dribbling and Ball-handling

In a basketball game, who gets the most "ooo..."s and "ahh.."s from the audience? It is usually the guards ball-handling past the defender! The Answer, The Flash, Stevy Franchise, and, Mr. Crossover get lots of those scoring a basket after ball-handling and faking their defenders totally out of position (you wonder what is totally out of position? Well, falling flat on the ground looking totally dumb like below is.)

Basketball dribbling allows you to move on the basketball court while in possession of the basketball. There are numerous descriptions of various basketball dribbling moves below. Once mastered, each move can become a powerful weapon. When you know all the moves and use them in a mix-n-match fashion, it allows you to:

• Outmaneuver, drive and score on your defender

• Opens up a lane for penetration and opens up your men for a dish

• Adds coolness to your game

• makes a fool out of your d and have some fun while winning the game

The page is designed to point out details and secrets in basketball dribbling that can greatly increase your ball-handling ability. It also has an in-depth guide section on different basketball dribbling moves.