Basketball Dribbling: The In-and-Out Dribble

Adding the in-and-out dribble to your arsenal can help get defenders off balance as you make your way in the open court.

When a ball handler moves up the court during a basketball game, they’ll want to have all the right moves to get past defenders and make their way to the basket.

“A crossover move is when you exchange from one hand to the other,” college coach Jared Ronai says. “An even more effective move is the in-and-out move, which is essentially a fake crossover bringing the ball in and then exploding out.”

HOW TO

This move should be executed as you approach a defender while dribbling the ball:

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• Fake as if you’re bringing the basketball across your body in a crossover motion.
• Quickly push the ball back out while exploding past the defender.
• The ball should stay with the same hand throughout the move.

The goal is to get the defender off balance with the in-and-out motion. A key component of this move is a jab with the opposite foot.

“By jabbing with the opposite foot, you are changing the defender’s stance and then exploding out, pushing the ball out, shoulder to hip, [and] getting by that defender, ready to make a play,” Ronai says.

For example: If you approach the defender while dribbling the ball in your right hand, you would jab with your left foot in order to change the defender’s stance and get them moving in that direction. At the same time, you’re moving the ball in an in-and-out motion as if you are about to crossover to your left. Move back out to your right as you explode off your left foot.

By working on the in-and-out dribble regularly, you can be ready to beat a defender as you make your way up court.

Looking for more moves to work on in practice? Then check out the Rolling Thunder Drill. This drill works on multiple moves, like the crab dribble and defensive slide, at a variety of skill levels.