When the Dribble Drive Stalls... Go Uphill
We’ve all been there: you’ve installed your Dribble Drive Motion, your guys are spacing the floor, trying to attack gaps—and then boom. The ball gets stuck. Your guards hesitate. The help defense is sitting in the lane. And suddenly, your “attack mode” turns into a “reset mode.”
So here’s a concept to spark life back into your offense:
The Uphill DHO - Grenade
(Aka: A Dribble Handoff With Purpose, Pace, and Pressure)
An Uphill Dribble Handoff is when a perimeter player (usually after the drive is cut off) dribbles toward a teammate at the wing or slot—often on a slight upward angle—and hands the ball off while creating momentum downhill. It's a DHO that’s going uphill to trigger a downhill attack.
It’s not just a handoff—it’s a weaponized handoff that coaches refer to as Grenade action because it blows up the defense.
This tweet from Taylor Tucker shows stalled drives and how Alabama uses the uphill DHO concept to flow back into offense.
I went over this and other ways to enhance your Dribble Drive Motion in my latest clinic, Adding Ball Screens to your Drive and Kick Offense.
Talk soon,
Marc Hart - System Basketball
PS. Here are four ways I can help you and or your program.
Join our Dribble Drive Motion Facebook Group, a place to discuss the offense daily with other coaches.
My YouTube channel is my playlist of videos on the Dribble Drive Motion Offense.
Schedule a 15-minute consult to discuss how I can help you or your program with the Dribble Drive Motion.
The Dribble Drive Motion A to Z Course—This course features 13 instructional videos, hundreds of diagrams, and a 540-page downloadable PDF with diagrams and notes.