Creating space between you and the defenders is of paramount importance when handling the ball on offense. It allows you to shoot a shot without distraction, facilitate the ball without interference and create scoring opportunities for your team. Now one of the most effective ways to make this happen is the crossover basketball move.
Crossover Basketball Techniques: Dribble Moves to Breakdown Defense
Crossover is a dribbling technique in which a player switches the ball from one hand to the other in a swift manner. It is arguably the most relied upon the move to create separation, and there are several variations to it that you can learn and equip to your arsenal.
Standard Crossover Dribble
In a bid to learn various crossover basketball techniques, it is crucial to build a solid foundation. So, the first dribble move to acquire should be the basic one.
Like every other technique on this list, the standard crossover is initiated on the move while pushing the ball towards one direction in order to get the defender leaning. From there, perform a quick hesitation step before switching the ball from the dribbling hand to the opposite hand using a power dribble. At that point, the next move relies on the situation.
If the separation opens up a clear path towards the basket, attack the rim. If there is ample space to shoot or pass to an open teammate, take it. In case the defender continues to stay in front of you despite the crossover, you can perform another dribble move.
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Killer Crossover
As intense as it may sound, the killer crossover basketball move is a slight variation from the standard one. The only difference between the two lies in the way the ball is switched from the hand you started dribbling towards the opposite hand and this comes in the form of a power dribble that goes between the legs.
What makes this crossover lethal is its protection from steal attempts. Since the ball goes between the legs when switched, the defender will have a hard time intercepting as you continue to create space and find ways to score.
Behind the Back Crossover
Similar to the killer crossover, this dribble technique uses the fundamentals of the standard crossover basketball move. But yet again, the difference comes at the moment when the ball is switched from the dribbling hand to the opposite hand. In this case, the power dribble is performed behind the back.
This crossover is as effective as it gets. Since it goes behind the back, defenders will not be able to reach for it when attempting a steal. The only initial concern with this move is you must practice it a lot, considering that great control is needed to catch the ball from one hand to another without looking at the trajectory of the power dribble.
Be Unstoppable
Having acquired these crossover basketball techniques, you can now incorporate and even combine all of them when you make a move on offense. With this, there is no stopping you from being the scoring threat that you aspire to be!