Basketball Crossover Drills

Ball handling in basketball is an important asset especially for guards. A difficult move to master is the crossover dribble. For one, it is easy to become sloppy and get the ball stolen by a defender. Second, it is also easy to carry the ball and be called for it. Drills that improve crossover ability can be performed either alone or with a partner.

  1. Cone or Chair Drill

    • Using chairs or cones as obstructions can help with practicing the crossover. On either a court or other hard surface, set up chairs or cones in a line. These can be equal distances apart or they can vary. If you are just beginning, give yourself enough room to make one crossover and regain yourself before attempting another. Also, when you are first beginning, alternate crossing over to one side and then the other. Besides using the chair or cone as an obstacle, use it as a point of take off. Once you execute your crossover, explode off your plant foot and try to pass by the chair as quickly as possible. As you develop, the chair or cone can be replaced with a live partner to add uncertainty into the drill. When you dribble to your partner, they can lunge at the ball as you try to dribble past.

    Variations of the Crossover

    • Once you have developed respectable form on your basic crossover, move onto more advanced forms of the move. There are two specific variations--between the legs and behind the back. Both of these variations can be done in any other crossover drill, but at the beginning, it is best to start with a simple obstacle to cross over and accelerate past.

      When performing the between the legs variation, plant your back foot, and after crossing, accelerate past the obstacle. As with the behind the back variation, concentrate on form first, then speed. With the behind the back variation, come to the obstacle and square your feet up with your shoulders before crossing over behind your back, then accelerate past the obstacle.

    Countertop Drill

    • Developing the bad habit of carrying the basketball can happen with the crossover move. During the first move of the crossover, the ball can go too high and the hand can go underneath it. Bringing the ball too high can also leave you susceptible to getting it stolen by a defender. One way to work on this is to stand at a kitchen counter or high tabletop. Simply begin to practice the crossover move with the ball below the counter or tabletop. Besides keeping the ball from going too high, this drill will also prevent you from looking at the ball while crossing over. If a mirror is available, look at it and focus on your upper body, as it will help sell the move.