Handles AI
Ball-handling drill
How to do a double crossover
A double crossover is two crossovers in a row: you cross, the defender reacts, and you cross straight back before they can reset. It is the move that beats defenders who recover well.
What is the double crossover?
The double crossover moves the ball from your strong hand to your weak hand and immediately back again, with each cross staying low and quick. The first cross is the bait. The second cross is the real move.
It works because of how defenders are taught to play. When you cross, a good defender slides with you. That slide shifts their weight. If you cross back right as their feet land, they have to stop and change direction, which is hard to do quickly.
The double cross is also a skill builder on its own. It forces your weak hand to receive the ball and send it back in one smooth motion, which exposes any weakness in your off hand very quickly.
When to use it in a game
Use it against a defender who reacts fast and recovers to your first move. If they slide well on a single crossover, the double punishes that quickness. It is also useful in tight spaces, like when a help defender steps in on your first direction.
The double crossover can be done in place to freeze a defender or on the move to change lanes twice. On a drive, a cross-cross-go can get you from one side of the lane to the other and back while the defense is still deciding who to help.
Do not make it automatic. If the defender does not bite on the first cross, the second cross just brings the ball back to them. Watch their feet and hips, and only cross back if they moved.
How to do it, step by step
- Start in a stance with the ball in your right hand at knee height. Eyes up.
- Cross the ball low to your left hand, selling the left side with your shoulders and a small step.
- As your left hand receives the ball, keep your fingers spread and your hand on top so you can redirect it without catching and holding.
- Watch the defender. If they shift left, push the ball straight back across to your right hand on the very next bounce.
- Keep both crosses short, landing just outside each foot. The second cross should be the faster of the two.
- Push off your left foot and take your first dribble forward to the right.
- Practice it starting from both hands so you have a right-left-right and a left-right-left version.
Common mistakes
- Catching between crosses. If your weak hand stops the ball and holds it, the rhythm breaks and the second cross is late. Redirect it in one touch.
- Second cross too high. Players often rise up on the cross back. Stay low; the second cross is the one defenders reach for.
- Same tempo on both. Two identical crosses are easy to read. Make the first one a touch slower and the second one sharp.
- Doing it no matter what. If the defender did not move, crossing back just returns the ball to where they are standing. Read before the second cross.
- Crosses drifting wide. Each cross that lands farther outside your foot adds travel time. Keep both crosses inside your shoulders so the whole move fits in two quick bounces.
Three progressions
- Two-touch rhythm. In place, do cross, cross back, pause. Repeat for 30 seconds, counting a clean set only when both crosses stay below the knee.
- Double cross and go. Add a two-dribble burst after the second cross. Alternate which hand you start with.
- Cross, cross, between. After the double, add a between-the-legs dribble to end with the ball protected. This builds a full combo.
5-minute double crossover workout
Work in a small 6 x 6 foot space. Count clean sets, not total crosses, and stop a round early if both crosses stop staying below the knee.
How Handles AI coaches it
Coach Ace can call crossovers back to back, so you have to react to a second call right after the first, which is the same timing a double crossover needs. Your iPhone tracks the ball and your body on device, and every rep is graded Clean, Nice work, or Next rep.
Speed Burn and Combo Lab both push the tempo as you improve. Double crosses build Speed and Weak Hand, two of the six ratings in your Ball Handler Score.
Prop up your iPhone and let Coach Ace call the reps. Your first 20-second session is free.
Download on theApp StoreFAQ
Is a double crossover the same as a crossover and cross back?
Yes. It is two crossovers in a row, with the second one coming back to the original hand.
Why do I lose the ball on the second cross?
Usually your weak hand is catching and holding instead of redirecting, or you stood up. Slow it down and focus on a one-touch redirect while staying low.
Should I do a double crossover in place or on the move?
Learn it in place first. Once both crosses stay clean, add movement and a burst after the second cross.
How do I make my weak hand good enough for this?
Work on weak-hand dribbling every session. The double cross is only as good as the hand in the middle of it.
Can I add a third crossover?
You can, but each extra cross gives the defender another chance to time a reach. Two quick crosses and a burst is usually more effective than a long string of them.