Ball Handling Skills

Ball handling (I think a Hungarian is the source for this, but I don’t know who)
Ball handling skills are essential to playing good water polo. Motivate players to spend time working with a ball in the water and on land until they can really handle a ball. It’s a good idea to use a smooth ball not a new one. Handling a slippery ball really helps you develop better skills.
Some ideas:

Keep the arms straight and tap the ball back and forth between fingertips while moving arms up and down. Do the same movement moving right or left in a circle.

Take the ball and squeeze it off the fingertips going from hand to hand or off one hand several times and then shifting it to the other hand. This can also be done moving right or left.

Put both arms out straight off the shoulders and pass the ball over the head; at first do it watching the ball but try to work up to passing it while looking straight forward.

Throw the ball up and over with either the right or left arm and spin or draw 180 degrees and catch it with the same arm.

Throw it up and spin or draw 360 degrees and catch it with the opposite arm. If you get good, go for 720 degrees.

Start the ball on the back of the hand and flip the ball up to the palm of the hand working both the right and the left hand. Then when you get the ball up over your head try to spin the hand around the ball going both right and left.

Get the ball spinning on a finger and draw 360 degrees and keep it spinning transfer it to the other hand and draw around the other way.

Get the ball spinning on a finger and then run the ball across your arm and chest to the other hand and throw it back to the hand you start with.

Get it spinning and have it run down the arm and across the neck and to the other arm and then back.

Balance the ball on the bridge of the nose. Bounce the ball off the head. Bounce and spin the body around or get a partner and bounce it back and forth.

Take the ball around behind with your right hand and arm and grab it with the left hand and push it to the right arm and do it again then go the other.

Dribbling Drills
1. Head up dribbling, with the ball
2. Dribbling and protecting the ball- scoop the ball left to right walk forward having the opposite shoulder rotated in the direction you are going.
3. Head up sprinting with the ball
4. Push Dribble (HU) your hand must come in contact with the ball every time you take an arm stroke.
5. HU dribbling to half tank HD half tank to the wall.
6. HU Sprinting on the whistle 360 degree spin.
7. Cradle & Advance- start with the ball cradled in your hand & advance forward. Avoid rocking the ball. High elbow and opp. Shoulder facing the direction you are traveling.
8. HU Dribbling on the whistle ball over the head locking the elbows looking at the ball
9. T-shot passes to your self dribbling the ball. Bring the elbow back.
10. 3 fakes Dribbling HU, swim 4 strokes pick the ball up 3 fakes resume dribbling (opposite arm)
11. Self Passing T-shots Dribbling HU - bring the elbow back, the hand should be near the side of the ear.
12. Dribble and Fake 3 strokes strong arm, 3 strokes fakes 3 times opp arm
13. Walking forward with the elbows locked self-passing w/ arms extended using only the wrists.
14. Flip passing with a partner pass using the outside arm.
15. Walking the Ball- Grip the ball on the side or on top. Hold on to the ball & swim forward never letting the ball go.
16. Dribbling HU every 4-6 strokes pick up the ball from underneath fake it 2 times put it back on the water & dribbles forward 4-6 strokes picking it up with the weak hand. Variation picking the ball up with the weak arm