It's been discussed heavily in the Holmes/PRP thread about Bolden's ability to go right. I thought that I'd start a thread on that very topic.

 

I've been pondering about the "going left or right" thing. I'm a lefty and played tons of ball as a kid. During high school it was just street and intramural, so truly I never amounted to anything, and never properly developed any right handed finesse... and not even at shooting a bunny. I can dribble a little with the right, but certainly must keep control with the left. In my mind, I truly can't imagine doing anything that isn't left sided related. I never played organized ball past the 8th grade, and can say that going both sides was never heavily emphasized during those earlier levels.

 

I was wondering if someone more "in the know" could touch on a few points related to this. I'm guessing that a blanket statement can't be made for all players, but I'm leaning towards perhaps an "in general" assessment. No doubt going both sides can seriously make a ball player more well rounded.

 

1. At what age during organized ball "these days" is going both sides (handles & shooting) more emphasized and promoted by coaches? (For individual players that have the benefit of personal training: of course the sooner the better I would imagine).

 

2. Are most high school players capable during competition of going both sides or just the more exceptional players? (example: break away lay ups ... is it common place for most players to handle this, and is it expected by coaches that all players can do this from both sides?)

 

3. For the players that get really good at both sides, is this from repetitive development, or are the better ones just typically ambidextrous by nature?

 

4. Can any players advance to collegiate level of play without "both sided" finesse? Can you give any examples of players who have advanced that couldn't?

 

Not really expecting anyone to address these questions one by one, but would love to hear anyone's assessment of the topic in any way they'd like to approach it.

I will give this one a shot.

 

1. As early as possible. Coaches teach players to defend the strong hand. Obviuosly, if you are proficient with either hand you become much harder to defend.

 

2. Yes, and yes. By the age of 15 if you can't handle and finish at the rim with both hands you are a liability. Teams with kids playing without this skill are not very good.

 

3. Mostly repetitive development. Kids will favor their strong hand by nature. Most kids are just more comfortable with the ball in their strong hand. With that said, my son has benefited greatly by being ambidextrous. He has average size and quickness, but the ability to finish with both hands equally has really helped him as he has moved through frosh and JV ball.

 

4. If there is a player that advanced to the collegiate level without both sided finesse he is a wide bodied post player that survived by defending and rebounding - without the skill you are a liability on the floor, especially at the college level.

 

 

One comment about the basis for the thread - Bolden can go right, left, forward, backward, over you, or under you if he pleases. He has great handle. He may prefer to go to his strong hand which is natural. Any coach that thinks they can defend him by overplaying his left hand will quickly find himself looking up at a deficit on the scoreboard.

 

The most important part of being able to play with your weak hand is being able to finish. If you are right handed and go left, to get the shot off with your strong hand - you must bring the ball back to the defender. This makes the shot much easier to alter or block. On a jump shot you must create more separation to get off a clean shot. On a layup you must finish with the off hand or it will be rejected. One of the best right handed players I have seen recently that likes to go left and shoot a jump shot is Ruthsatz. He has the uncanny ability to create that needed separation and jump back just enough to get off a clean shot. One of the reasons he is so hard to guard.

I started by right hander off very early, as soone as he started dribbling. He was always ahead of the curve and could finish at the rim with either hand through HS.

Excellent thread so far! I think a lot of coaches miss the boat when it comes to forcing players to beat you with their weak hand.

This actually isn't that big of a problem as some may think. There are a ton of players that favor one side over the other and struggle trying to go the other direction. I'm talking some of the best of all time. Lebron James struggles going to one side. It's just something that a player has to work on is all, they may or may not be able to improve, doesn't take away from how good a player is.

This actually isn't that big of a problem as some may think. There are a ton of players that favor one side over the other and struggle trying to go the other direction. I'm talking some of the best of all time. Lebron James struggles going to one side. It's just something that a player has to work on is all, they may or may not be able to improve, doesn't take away from how good a player is.

 

Maybe so but it's clearly an advantage if you go with either hand and finish strong.

When my oldest was very young, he asked for a basketball goal. I told him to learn to use his left hand and I would get him one. Boy did he. He used his left more than his right when playing. When he was young I'd hear coaches say, " make him go to his right" he would always look at me in the crowd and smile really big. and drive in for a right handed layup.

If your Lebron James not going to both sides equally may not be that big of a deal. If you're not Lebron, it is a big +.

One thing I tend to notice that if you force some one to their off hand they will more than likely do a pull up jumper rather than drive hard to the rim.

I will give this one a shot.

 

1. As early as possible. Coaches teach players to defend the strong hand. Obviuosly, if you are proficient with either hand you become much harder to defend.

 

2. Yes, and yes. By the age of 15 if you can't handle and finish at the rim with both hands you are a liability. Teams with kids playing without this skill are not very good.

 

3. Mostly repetitive development. Kids will favor their strong hand by nature. Most kids are just more comfortable with the ball in their strong hand. With that said, my son has benefited greatly by being ambidextrous. He has average size and quickness, but the ability to finish with both hands equally has really helped him as he has moved through frosh and JV ball.

 

4. If there is a player that advanced to the collegiate level without both sided finesse he is a wide bodied post player that survived by defending and rebounding - without the skill you are a liability on the floor, especially at the college level.

 

 

One comment about the basis for the thread - Bolden can go right, left, forward, backward, over you, or under you if he pleases. He has great handle. He may prefer to go to his strong hand which is natural. Any coach that thinks they can defend him by overplaying his left hand will quickly find himself looking up at a deficit on the scoreboard.

 

The most important part of being able to play with your weak hand is being able to finish. If you are right handed and go left, to get the shot off with your strong hand - you must bring the ball back to the defender. This makes the shot much easier to alter or block. On a jump shot you must create more separation to get off a clean shot. On a layup you must finish with the off hand or it will be rejected. One of the best right handed players I have seen recently that likes to go left and shoot a jump shot is Ruthsatz. He has the uncanny ability to create that needed separation and jump back just enough to get off a clean shot. One of the reasons he is so hard to guard.

 

Right on the money regarding Ruthsatz. What is hard to see from the stands is how good he is at getting his body into the defender while also maintaining control and keeping an eye on the basket-- once he pulls back, he almost always has a good look. This technique is really important for guys like Ruthsatz or Bolden who are often shorter than their opponents. (I know, this isn't a going-right-or-left observation, but I thought I'd get it in there. Back on topic next post, I promise.)

All very interesting comments by all. Stinkyboy, thanks for really breaking it down. Am I reading you wrong, but in your description of Ruthsatz, are you also saying that he as a right hander can shoot jumpers left handed? It wouldn't surprise me I guess because the kid is pretty amazing. But... on the topic of shooting jumpers, are there very many players that can really get off jumpers with either hand efficiently? That would really seem hard to do. Has anyone ever heard of a player throughout the history of the game who was actually efficient with both right or left jumpers. I can understand close to the basket, but close-range, mid-range, and especially 3's would seem to be pretty amazing if one could shoot with either hand.

All very interesting comments by all. Stinkyboy, thanks for really breaking it down. Am I reading you wrong, but in your description of Ruthsatz, are you also saying that he as a right hander can shoot jumpers left handed? It wouldn't surprise me I guess because the kid is pretty amazing. But... on the topic of shooting jumpers, are there very many players that can really get off jumpers with either hand efficiently? That would really seem hard to do. Has anyone ever heard of a player throughout the history of the game who was actually efficient with both right or left jumpers. I can understand close to the basket, but close-range, mid-range, and especially 3's would seem to be pretty amazing if one could shoot with either hand.

 

 

 

No, Ruthsatz shoots his jumper with his right hand. He likes to go left and has the ability to get off a right handed jumper by creating separation. I just think he is unique in that he can put the ball on the floor with his weak hand and still get off good shots. Remember he is less than 6'. Bolden gets off the shot going to the right by elevating over the defense.

No, Ruthsatz shoots his jumper with his right hand. He likes to go left and has the ability to get off a right handed jumper by creating separation. I just think he is unique in that he can put the ball on the floor with his weak hand and still get off good shots. Remember he is less than 6'. Bolden gets off the shot going to the right by elevating over the defense.

 

Gotcha. I was leaning towards thinking that's what you said, but was wondering if I was understanding you correctly. If there are any players that can shoot jumpers with their weak hand, I'd think that would be truly amazing.

John Stockton played about 20 years in the NBA without the ability to dribble with his left.

 

Is the inability a career-killer? Not really. Depends on how well you do everything else. Would adding that skill help you? Oh yes, definitely.

 

If I'm an 18-year-old in heavy competition for a scholarship, I'm adding everything I can to my game, including outdated stuff like the jump hook. Those who don't should get left behind.

Dexterity is developed differently in different individuals (obviously, some people being truly ambidextrous). The temporal lobe of the brain controls dexterity and it's kind of an interesting topic to look into further, especially in light of the "left-brained/right-brained" types of people we hear about and the relation of this to someone's dominant hand. But, that probably is not a discussion for this board (meaning, I don't feel like typing it all out).

 

Like others have said earlier, being able to use each hand equally is certainly nice, but not a necessity even at the NBA level. I remember reading Rick Majerus' book "My Life on a Napkin" a few years back, and he gave an anecdote about him being a young coach and learning to accept limits with what players brought to the table after he'd spent lots of time with a player who was very "one-handed" with the ball before a veteran coach told him it was better to just accept the limit and find other ways to compensate for it besides developing his non-dominant hand (e.g., making his shot fake better, increasing his quickness or muscularity, etc.).

Being able to pass with either hand is a great asset to have. Most players cannot do a one handed pass their off hand.