Touch the ball with your fingertips, not your palms. When you dribble, you will want your hands to be in contact with the ball in a way that allows you to have good control over the ball without using too much arm force to bounce it. For this reason, do not hit the ball with your palms. Instead, try to handle the ball with your fingertips. Extend your fingers on the surface of the balloon to have a greater and more even contact area.
Keep your posture low. When you dribble, it is not very smart to stand erect. In this pose, the ball has to travel all the way from the top of your body to the ground and back up when it bounces, leaving it exposed for a defender to steal. Before starting to dribble, take a low and defensive posture. Open your feet at shoulder height. Bend your knees and release your hip slightly back (as if you were sitting in a chair). Keep your head up and your upper body upright. This is a good balanced base, as it protects the ball while allowing enough mobility.
Bounce the ball to the ground. Manipulate the ball with your fingertips, keep it in your clever hand and make it bounce against the ground. Rub it firmly, but not so much that you have to use your arm strength or it causes ball control problems. Your dribble must be fast, but still, firm and controlled. Each time the ball returns to your hand, without grabbing or catching it, make contact with your fingertips and push it back down with a controlled wrist and forearm motion. Again, you should not tire your arm while you dribble. The ball must bounce at a point on the ground at your side and forward of the foot line on the side of the hand that is dribbling.
Keep your hand on the top of the ball. When dribbling, it is important to control the movements of the ball. You do not want to escape, as this would give the opponents possession of the ball. Try to keep the palm of your hand well on the ball while you move so when it bounces upward, it will go directly to the tip of your fingers. This will give you more control over the ball as you move on the court.
Keep the ball at a low height. The shorter and faster you bounce the ball, the harder it is for your opponent to steal it. A safe way to bounce the ball short is to simply bounce it close to the ground. Since you are in the low posture (with your knees bent and your hips pulled back), it should not be unnatural to bounce from the apex to any point between your knee and your hip. Keep your knees bent, drop your skillful hand to the side of your leg and dribble with low and short movements.
