The Crossover

The crossover is the most important dribble to know how to do. In the game of basketball, the point of the game is to get by the defenders and put the ball in the basket. The crossover is the perfect dribble to trick the defenders into moving out of your way. The crossover is a simple change of direction that tricks the defender into moving out of your pathway towards the basket.

To perform the crossover effectively you must possess the following qualities:

• You must be a very deceptive mentality when performing the move
• You must have good control of the ball when performing the move
• You must have fast hands
• You must have strong legs
• You must be very flexible because there will be time when good defenders will not buy the fake. 

How to perform the crossover for Right Handed people:

1. Start dribbling the ball with your right hand
2. Dribble towards your opponent slowly while keeping the ball in your right hand
3. When you are two steps away from your opponent ,push hard with your left foot to lean your body towards the right.(This is suppose to make it look like you are about to drive to the right side of the basket)
4. Lean your left shoulder to make your driving look real.
5. Check your opponent’s defensive position to see if he is buying the fake
6. Then at the very last moment when your defender moves, push even harder with your right foot to lean your body towards the left.
7. While doing step 6 make a quick low bounce of the basketball in front of your opponent moving the ball from your right hand to the left hand
8. Then when you have created space from your defender, push hard with your left foot and dribble past your opponent for an open shot.

How to perform the crossover for Left Handed People:

1. Start dribbling the ball with your left hand
2. Dribble towards your opponent slowly while keeping the ball in your left hand
3. When you are two steps away from your opponent ,push hard with your right foot and lean your body towards the left.(This is suppose to make it look like you are about to drive to the left side of the basket)
4. Lean your right shoulder to make your driving look real.
5. Check your opponent’s defensive position to see if he is buying the fake
6. Then at the very last moment when your defender moves, push even harder with your left foot to lean your body towards the right.
7. While doing step 6 make a quick low bounce of the basketball in front of your opponent moving the ball from your left hand to the right hand
8. Then when you have created space from your defender, push hard with your right foot and dribble past your opponent for an open left handed layup or jump shot.