Alright, so today I really wanted to get into some Ja Morant style dribbling. Man, that guy is just electric with the ball, right? The way he shifts defenders and gets to the hoop is something else. So I thought, why not try and break down some of his stuff and see if I can add a little bit of that spice to my own game.
First thing I did was just watch a bunch of his highlights. Not just for the flashy dunks, but really focusing on his handles. How he sets guys up, his footwork with the dribble, the whole package. I wasn’t trying to become Ja overnight, obviously, but just pick up a few things, a few movements. It’s about seeing what makes his dribble so effective, you know? The little pauses, the quick bursts.
Headed out to the court, and like always, started with some basic stuff. Just pounding the ball, right hand, left hand. Figure eights around the legs, front to back, just to get a feel for the rock. You gotta wake up your hands, you know? Did some high dribbles, low dribbles, crossover dribbles stationary. Just getting loose.
Then I started trying to mimic some of his signature moves.
The Hesitation Game
His hesitation, or ‘hesi’ as they call it, is killer. So I spent a good chunk of time on that. Dribbling up, then a quick pause, like I’m about to pull up or pass, and then exploding past an imaginary defender. It’s all about selling that fake with your body and eyes. Felt a bit clunky at first, not gonna lie. My body wasn’t quite in sync with the ball, and my ‘hesitation’ probably looked more like I just forgot what I was doing. But I kept at it.
In-and-Outs and Crossovers
Ja uses a lot of in-and-outs to get defenders leaning. So, I worked on that, trying to make it quick and deceptive. Pushing the ball out like I’m going one way, then snatching it back in. Then, his crossovers – they’re not always super wide, but they’re fast and low. I practiced going from a slow dribble into a quick crossover, trying to change pace just like he does. My left-to-right felt okay, but right-to-left needed more work, always does for me. It’s about that sudden change of direction that catches people off guard.
The Shifty Stuff
And then there’s just his general shiftiness. It’s not one specific move sometimes, but how he combines everything with his body fakes. So I was just kind of freestyling a bit, trying to be unpredictable. Lots of shoulder fakes, head fakes, while keeping the dribble alive. This was actually pretty fun, just letting loose and trying to imagine a defender in front of me. I probably looked a bit silly at times, jerking around, but hey, that’s practice.
Throughout all this, I was really trying to focus on a few key things.
- Keeping it low: Ja’s dribble is usually super tight and low, protecting the ball. I kept reminding myself, ‘low, low, low.’ Especially when trying to be quick.
- Head up: Easier said than done when you’re concentrating on a new move, but crucial. Trying to see the ‘court’ even though it was just me and a hoop. I caught myself looking down a lot, gotta fix that.
- Exploding out of moves: After a hesi or a crossover, he just goes. So I tried to work on that burst. It’s not just the move itself, but what you do right after.
The hardest part? Definitely the smooth combination of it all. Like, doing a hesi into an explosive crossover while keeping the dribble low and my head up – yeah, that’s tough. My coordination felt off a lot. And trying to be as quick and deceptive as him? That’s a whole other level. Sometimes I’d almost trip over my own feet or lose the ball trying to go too fast too soon. It’s frustrating when you see it in your head but your body just doesn’t follow orders immediately.
But, you know, by the end of it, I felt a bit better. Some of the hesitations started to feel a little more natural. I realized it’s not just about hand speed, but also about timing and how you use your whole body to sell the move. It’s like a dance, almost, very rhythmic. And patience, man, you gotta be patient with yourself. You’re not gonna get it perfect on day one, or even day ten. It’s a process.
Wrapped up with some free throws, just to cool down. My hands were definitely feeling it, and my legs too from all that stop-and-go. For next time, I think I’ll focus on one or two specific combinations more. Maybe that hesi-cross, and really drill it down. And definitely more left-hand work. Always the left hand! It’s all about putting in the reps.
