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Steph Curry Improves Dribbling Skills Using Tennis Balls And Vision-Impairing Goggles

By Val Powell
Published on: 19:49 PST, Nov 5, 2015

Reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry has some of the game’s most unbelievable handles, and in the previous season, he made his defenders pay for not recognizing what he can do with the ball.

One of his most memorable plays took place at a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, in which Curry put star point guard and eight-time All-Star Chris Paul on skates after doing a double behind-the-back dribble and making the jumper near the baseline.

Several other plays last season featured Curry shake and brush off opposing teams’ defenses and still make tough shots.

However, in spite of his remarkable dribbling skills, it seems like the reigning MVP is still eager to improve his game.

The 27-year-old point guard now uses tennis balls and an odd-looking pair of goggles in order to keep his ball-handling skills in check.

In a short clip, Curry dribbles with his right hand while focusing his attention on a tennis ball, which he turns, throws, and catches using his left.

Afterwards, the Warriors point guard is seen doing the same routine, this time with the left hand dribbling and the right hand working on the tennis ball.

As if those drills were not enough, the last of the short clips shows Curry dribbling with his right hand, while a trainer passes to him two tennis balls one at a time.

The Ohio-born NBA star does all of this wearing a pair of goggles that impairs his vision.

“He can’t see [using those glasses]. He wants to do the drills without much vision,” said Raymond Ridder, the Golden State Warriors Vice President of Public Relations on Thursday.

He further explained that the goggles do not allow Curry to see the lower part of his body, including the basketball, which he dribbles with his left or right hand. In effect, the goggles force him to concentrate on what happens in front of him.

A warm-up video also surfaced earlier this year, showing how the 2-time All Star uses both hands in making complex dribbling moves while standing in place.

During the latter half of the NBA 2014-15 season, some critics and commentators said that either Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving or Curry had the best handles in the game.

Interestingly, it was reportedly Paul who pushed Curry to his limits. With the brewing rivalry between the Warriors and Clippers, Curry was often brought to the spotlight when he faced off with Paul, who is regarded as the best NBA point guard in recent history.

While Curry has long been known for his shooting abilities, starting off his career as a two-guard, Paul has made things difficult for him on the court using physical defense strategies. As a result, the Curry trained and added some bulk to his physique.

Currently, Curry is considered by most critics to be better than Paul, as far as overall efficiency is concerned. In fact, the Golden State guard already won last season’s Most Valuable Player award, something the Clippers point guard has yet to earn in his career.

The recent loss of the Clippers against the Warriors on Wednesday is also a testament to what Curry can do for his team.

With his team down by 10 in the fourth quarter, Curry led a run, scoring 13 of his 31 points, while teammate Harrison Barnes chipped in eight points, to spoil L.A.’s hopes of maintaining a perfect record at the start of the season.

Curry has now scored 179 points in just 159 minutes in the season, and the fact that he averages 5.8 assists and 5 rebounds only means that he’s doing more than scoring for his team.

“We’re better than we were last year,” said Curry during the post-game interview.

[Image by Stacy Revere, Getty Images]

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