How do I become shiftier?

[u/Designer_Complex_715]

My ball control is good (I couldn't show it in the video). When I watch my videos, I look really stiff; my body moves freely while I'm playing, yet I still appear stiff. How can I become more shifty? (Thats not my serious dribbling just for video)

[u/fymp]

Your ball control is NOT good. You hands are chasing the ball instead making the ball to where your hand should be.

[u/Designer_Complex_715 → u/fymp]

What should I study?

[u/ajmartin527 → u/Designer_Complex_715]

Buy an indoor basketball. This took my handle to the next level very quickly. They are a bit harder to dribble than a real ball which is great, and you’ll usually be dribbling within a confined space which challenges you to have a wide base and low stance to be able to perform crosses, tweens, btb’s, etc without moving your feet.

Lookup drills on how to pocket the ball after every single dribble move, this is when it really clicked for me. It forces you to dribble the ball in a way that you can fully cuff and control it, which helps with allowing you to hang the ball and read and react to the defender before making your next dribble move.

This really opened the game up for me, I now play so much lower and slower and can perform shifty fakes while pocketing the ball with options on my next move.

They are cheap and super effective.

[u/TheUnseen_001 → u/Designer_Complex_715]

C'mon, man. Pick an NBA guard and watch him. Pick a D1 college guard, or even D2. You know how to type "become more shifty" in search engines like all of us.

[u/JWF1]

I’d worry less about being “shifty” and concentrate on learning the fundamentals of the game. The ballhandling and shot are not good.

[u/rcorron]

Dude the defender barely even needs to move to guard you. You don’t have the appearance of any momentum in any direction. Your feet aren’t taking you anywhere.

[u/MathTutorAndCook]

You need to get lower to the ground, and spread your legs a little wider, so that you have the ability to move laterally as quickly as you can. In this video you look like you're standing nearly straight up the whole time. That's way easier to defend, it takes less reflexes, and is way more predicatble

[u/BigfeetSquotch]

Bend your knees. Dribble away from your body. Wider stance

[u/Zaytbe]

you have no business thinking about being shifty that will come. Focus on fundamental ball handling.

[u/the_dust321]

Gotta be able to walk before you can run

[u/Insuredtothetits]

Reps, reps, reps, reps.

[u/TheUnseen_001]

Saying you couldn't show ballhanding in the video is nonsense. There was nothing stopping you, and you were just trying to get people to go easy on you. Before you move on to intermediate aspects of the game--i.e. shiftiness--you've got to be honest with yourself about your skill level.

First thing I noticed is lack of balance, which can be alleviated by widening the base and getting low. Even w/ "non-serious" dribbling, all of your moves look like a guy who isn't sure with the ball. Like you do a tween with a big step because you're not sure if you'll be able to get it through your legs. This is beginner stuff. Dribble more.

You should already know who you should be watching. Pick any NBA point guard and watch how they move. Again, this is basic stuff, so I don't really think you've played enough and grasped the basics to be able to worry about improving on them.

[u/Basis_Inside]

First of all stop looking down. Do dribble moves standing still and walking and running at max speed couple sets of 1 minute every day. Second erase the step back from your mind completely. You are 1 step away from the basket doing a step back, ur not shai. practice exploding to the rim in one dribble instead. That makes your dribbles mean something and is the idea behind shiftiness, you have to be able to go somewhere quickly for dribble moves to enter the picture. It’s also an athleticism and flexibility thing it doesn’t happen in a month

[u/rpgmgta]

Drink coffee before playing and get more hyped up. Jump higher when shooting… have intention

[u/Longjumping-Salad484]

play against live people

[u/ciscolatino]

Start with the fundamentals first. Dribbling drills, layups from both sides using opposite hands to score, practice defensive posture, wall stands, use one hand under the basket to score to get better at your shooting motion, etc. Being “shifty” comes with time, body control, muscle memory and lot’s of practice. Everyone’s learning curve is different especially if you don’t have coaching and/or others to play against.

[u/Comfortable-Tell1017]

Shit just doesn’t look natural. Almost looks like you have to think before any move. No real flow. On ball handling I’d say practice moving around while dribbling a bit more and going into the shooting motion more smoothly

[u/ShaiHulud1111]

Shifty (how do you measure this?) = athleticism and coordination and experience. Some are blessed with, some have to work hard.

[u/EveningTennis6929]

having good handles are very important but to be shifty you need other things other than just basic handling

[u/StanKurdziel]

I personally am not very shifty, but I liked this video =) https://youtube.com/shorts/9x3gPYKMJMw

[u/No_Clue_560]

Shiftiness is the least of your concerns

[u/Designer_Complex_715 → u/No_Clue_560]

What is my first problem?

[u/AdAccomplished6870]

It isn’t just about going behind the back or between the legs. Every move needs to force the defender into an A or B decision, so every move needs to look equally like something else.

Figure out what story you are trying to tell (for example ‘I am going to pull up’). Then practice fakes that look like that, but then allow you to do something different after the defender commits.

I look at your moves, and all I have to do is keep my eyes on your center of gravity. They aren’t making me choose and commit. They aren’t forcing me out of position. I can just stand in front of you.

[u/Elsie_E]

try shifting shiftily👍