Growing up, we will develop more skills with one of our hands over the other. It's a natural part of our development because most kids won't take the time to work on both of their hands. When it comes to basketball, being "one-handed" will only limit your abilities on the court.

Learning how to use your weak hand in basketball is a difficult process. It'll take baby steps to get there, but most people won't have the patience to work at it everyday without seeing major results right away. Staying motivated and remembering the reasons why you're trying to improve your weak hand will keep you focused on the task at hand.

When Will You Use Your Weak Hand?

Your weak hand is going to be more important than your strong hand when trying to create opportunities for yourself and your teammates on the court. If you're right-handed, your opponent is going to know that and force you to play with your left hand as much as possible — and vice versa.

You will end up utilizing your weak hand in three main areas — dribbling, layups, and penetrating the basket. Let's take a look at each area more closely:

  • Layups – In a perfect world, you'll get to perform every layup with your dominant hand. Unfortunately, a perfect world doesn't exist on the court. Like mentioned above, your opponent will be trying their hardest to force you to use your weak hand when laying it up (when they're not trying to block you).
  • Penetrating – If you want to catch the defense off guard, penetrating to your weak side will give you the space needed to make your move. In order to do that, you'll need to be comfortable moving to your left (or right) in tight situations.
  • Dribbling – Being able to dribble with either hand is a fundamental part of being a good dribbler. Try dribbling with your weak hand as much as possible in practice, that way it's established during the game.

Being one-dimensional is a coach's worst nightmare when giving player's minutes. If you want to solidify yourself as a starter and contributor on your team, you'll need to prove your versatility on the court.

Developing Your Weak Hand

There are a variety of ways to develop your weak hand, whether you're trying to work on layups, penetrating, or dribbling. If you need a few drills you can do on your own or at practice, we've got a few simple ones to get you started.

Grab a basketball and a tennis ball. With your weak hand, start to walk down the court dribbling the basketball. With your dominant hand, toss the tennis ball up to yourself and catch it while dribbling. This will help make dribbling with your weak hand a habit.

For this one, grab two basketballs and get in a low dribbling stance. Dribble the ball with your weak hand and roll the other ball with your dominant hand down the court. Try to stay in a straight line.

Becoming an ambidextrous basketball player will take hard work. With a little dedication each and every day, you'll be a pro in no time!