The move of crossover in basketball enables you to deceive your opponent and charge towards the basket. The step-by-step instructions presented below should help in understanding the move in a better manner. Short descriptions of variations of this move are also given below.
A crossover is one of the most effective moves used for deceiving the defender. This move requires the player to have a good hand-eye coordination and ability to move quickly. Crossover is a type of dribble that helps you get past the defender without making a foul. It requires great amount of practice to do this move correctly. A properly performed crossover move helps in earning crucial points for your team. Understanding the nuances and subtleties of this move should help you master it in quick time. Here are few useful instructions on learning how to do a crossover in basketball.
The Crossover Move
Dribbling activity in the crossover move should be initiated with ball placed in the dominant hand. Placing the ball in your dominant hands offers better control over the ball and enables you to move quickly. Best thing about the crossover is that it you can keep the defender guessing about your next move.
- The underlying idea of initiating a crossover move is quite simple and it can be explained with three Ds: dribble, deceive and drive ahead.
- You need to start the crossover with a dominant hand dribble.
- As you maneuver the basketball, keep an eye on the opponent's moves. This also means that you have to perform the dribble without watching the ball; it requires great practice to dribble in this manner.
- Next step in the crossover move is that of deceiving the opponent. In order to deceive your opponent, take a step or two with that leg which is on the side of dominant hand; in the meantime dribbling should be continued.
- Suddenly shift your body weight on the other leg and also throw the ball from one hand to other. This action deceives you opponent for sure.
- There is a proper way to throw the ball from one hand to the other. You have to throw the ball downwards so that it bounces somewhere near your toes. The ball should be thrown in a manner that its path creates a V-shape while traveling from one hand to the other.
- You would ask, why is necessary to throw in a V-path. Throwing the ball in a V-path means that you don't have to look at it. Instead you can focus all your attention on the movement of your opponent; the ball just bounces at a point equidistant from both your hands; it lands safely from one hand to the other.
- The action that you initiate from the point of suddenly changing the direction happens in a flash of time (even though the description sounds elaborate).
- We now arrive at the last part of our crossover move i.e. drive. This action of driving ahead simply means to move towards the basket. Deception is a potent tool that makes it easy to clear hurdles (in the form of opponents) and move towards your goal i.e., the basketball.
Variations of the Crossover Move
There are many variations of the crossover move and which allow to maneuver the basketball in different ways. The killer crossover, double crossover, behind the back crossover, etc., are some of these variations. Short descriptions of these moves should help in differentiating one from the other.
Killer Crossover
This is one of the most popular and also amongst difficult moves to perform. Basics of the standard crossover move remain the same in this move. Main difference between a standard and killer move is the way in which dribble is switched from one hand to the other. In the killer crossover move, ball is pushed from one hand to other from between the legs. Chances of your opponent intercepting the ball are thereby reduced to a great extent. The Buzzle article on killer basketball crossovers and moves should help.
Double Crossover
The double-crossover is another interesting move to study. In this variation, ball is pushed from one hand to the other and a reverse of this action is implemented immediately. This move causes a great deal of confusion in the mind of your opponent. He is not only deceived, but also might trip over, out of utter confusion (yes, it actually happens). Ankle-breaking is the term specially used in reference with a crossover move that makes your opponent to trip over himself. The ankle-breaker is not necessarily a double-crossover; it can also be a killer crossover.
Behind the Back Crossover
This move is not different from the normal crossover except for the fact that ball is not dribbled in the front. Dribbling the ball at the back should keep it out of the opponent's reach.
Hope the article provides necessary information on how to do a crossover in basketball. Practice is very important from the point of mastering the crossover. Only when you are comfortable with the basic move, you can bring about variations in your game. Staying light on your feet and understanding the moves of opponents are the key points you should remember in order to excel.
