Review of the SKLZ Dribble Stick Trainer
As you know, here at BestBasketballHoops we most often take a look at different basketball hoops to determine which ones are the best. But that’s not all we do. We also strive to review and test basketball training products that can help you build your skills as a basketball player.
Today, we are going to take a closer look at the SKLZ Dribble Stick. This is a basketball training accessory that focuses specifically on improving your handles. It does so by having tracks where sticks can be placed that impede where you can dribble the ball, similar to how it is to play against a defender.
Having these sticks in your way teaches you to protect the basketball as you dribble and to recognize where not to put the basketball during your dribble. We noted that the SKLZ Dribble Stick does a great job of this and after using it for a short period of time you’ll notice yourself become more aware of where to dribble the basketball and how to properly make a crossover dribble that is difficult to steal.
Our favorite lesson that the Dribble Stick teaches is to dribble the ball low. The lower your dribble the harder it is for your opponent to steal it. The SKLZ Dribble Stick can teach you this by putting the sticks low of the track, but high enough to where you can still dribble the ball below the stick. Also, make sure to dribble the basketball with force to help train your body and mind to play hard and fast when in a game situation.
There is also a place on the top of the SKLZ Dribble Stick platform to place your basketball. Which is helpful when using the Dribble Stick for its other purpose: conditioning. The sticks can easily be used as a tool to jump over to improve you vertical leaping abilities. This allows you to do several different conditioning drills within a small space. The SKLZ Dribble Stick is a pretty dang versatile piece of training equipment.
Each SKLZ Dribble Stick comes with four sticks that can be placed on the tracks of the center platform. This gives you flexibility in where you want to place each stick to give your training sessions more variety.
Because of the focus on dribbling fundamentals, we recommend the SKLZ Dribble Stick most for young basketball players who are looking to improve and learn the game.
So, now you know what we like about the SKLZ Dribble Stick. But there are things about the Dribble Stick that we think could be improved. First, the actual sticks don’t seem to be made in a way that will likely last for years. You may only get a year out of the sticks with regular use.
On top of the build quality, the actual dribbling skills that the Dribble Sticks focuses on is limited. You can’t really practice dribbling in transition and it won’t improve your vision. We do suggest that when using the SKLZ Dribble Stick that you focus on keeping your eyes up so that you aren’t looking down at the ball and the obstacles which won’t help you when it comes to playing in a game.
What We Like About the SKLZ Dribble Stick
- Allows you to work on dribbling skills in a small space
- Mimics where a defender is likely to try a steal the basketball
- Has a place to put basketball on the center platform
- Can be used for conditioning
What Would Make The Dribble Stick Better
- Better quality sticks
- Price is a bit high for what you get
- Limited ways in which you can use the Dribble Stick to practice your handle
