Practice Drills

Stops, Pivots and Cuts

  • Stance and balance> feet a little wider than shoulder

width, knees bent, buttdown, back straight, head and eyes up.

  • Jump stop and pivot> both feetsimultaneously.
  • Forward and reverse pivots> stay up on the toe of the

pivot foot.

  • Left foot-right foot stop and pivot.
  • Right foot-left foot stop and pivot.
  • V-cuts> creating space and cutting off ofscreens.

Begin with a 2-step v-cut.

  • L-cuts> creating space by using the defender. Begin

cut near the block.

  • Catching and squaring up> receiving passnear the

wing, top of the key and elbow areas.

  • Pass, screen away and reverse pivot back into the

lane> start from the top of the key or free-throw line.

Screen away to the elbow or the low block area.

Ball-handling

  • Dribbling: ball low, head and eyes up, knees bent,

butt down, finger tips on the ball.

  • Ball around the body> head, waist, knees, ankles.
  • Figure-8 through the legs> both passing and

dribbling the ball.

  • Pretzel walk> walk, or jog, down the court passing the ball between the legs.
  • Moving dribble to a stationary dribble then moving again> dribble always stay alive.
  • Baby dribble> work both hands, moving forward

while dribbling the ball about 2” off the ground.

  • Zig-zag> moving at an angle, take two dribbles,

then make a change of direction move (cross-over, between the legs, behind the back or spin

move)and take two dribbles the other direction.

Continue down the court.

  • 2-ball drill series (see Ball-handling hand-out).
  • Passing and Catching: always step to pass and

receive theball.

  • Partner passing> bounce pass, chest pass, step-

through to pass, pass fakes.

  • Two-man passing across the lane while jogging

forward to half-court and back.

  • Quick pass drill> player lateral slides back and forth across the lane while another player, 8-12 feet away, throws him/her chest passes. Emphasison staying low, keeping feet apart and snapping the ball.
  • 3-man passing with a defender> fake a pass to

make a pass.

  • 3-man weave> finish with a lay-up or bank shot.
  • Post entry passes> work on fakes and pivots.
  • 2-man passing> working on pivoting, pass fakes,

opposite hand dribbling.

Rebounding

  • Rebound, pivot and outlet> coach throws ball off

of backboard and player on opposite side of the

basket jumps to rebound the ball, pivots forward off of the outside foot and makes an outlet pass to thenext player in line near the free-throw line

extended area.

  • Offensive rebounding> player rebounds ball, keeps the ball high as they land on both feet, then jumps right back off the ground to attempt a bank shot.
  • Rebound and fake> player rebounds ball, gives a strong shot fake and attempts a bank shot.
  • 2 vs. 2 drill> players closeout at the elbows or wing areas, contest the shot, turn and make contact with the offensive player, and rebound the ball.
  • 3 vs. 3 drill> coach passes ball to one of three offensive players, calling out a number 1-3. The defenders react to the number called, locate an offensive player to block out and rebound the ball.
  • 4 vs. 4 drill> all eight players start outside the lane area. Coach attempts a shot and everyone crashes the glass. Defense needs 2 rebounds to get out. If offense gets a rebound, play it live.

Shooting drills

  • “SWISH”>

feet shoulder width apart

body square to the basket

ball in the shooting pocket

finger tips on the ball

shooting arm forms a “c”

shooting forearm is straight

be a two-eyed shooter

eyes on the rim

bend knees—extend arms

break wrist to finish shot

  • From the free-throw line extended area to the elbow or free-throw line area, 2-step v-cut, catch, square

and…

shoot the ball.

shot fake and drive in for a lay-up. Ball should be brought to at least the forehead on the fake,

then take first step and dribble toward the

basket.

shot fake, 1 dribble and shoot.

shot fake, step through and drive in for a lay-up.

  • Lay-ups off of the dribble and pass> left and right

hand. When receiving a pass the player should

take no unnecessary dribbles.

  • Jab step and drive> from the elbow, top of the key

and wing areas.

  • Jab step and step-through> from the elbow, top of

the key and wing areas.

  • Jab step-shot fake combinations> one and two

dribble moves.

  • Pass into the low post and relocate toward the free-throw or baseline areas for a return pass.
  • Screen down to opposite block> player screens down to the opposite low block, reverse pivots to seal the defender with hands up to receive the ball. Player shoots a power lay-up (elevating high off of both feet and shoots a bank shot).
  • Screen away to the opposite wing> begin at the top of the key area. After passing to a wing, player then goes to opposite wing to set a screen. Player can then reverse pivot back into the lane, or step out towards the three-point line.
  • Post moves> see Post Offensive Moves handout.
  • Change of direction dribble> starting from any place on the mid-court line, player dribbles up the sideline, to the top of the key, to one of the elbows or free-throw line, makes a change of direction move (crossover, between-the-legs, behind-the-back, spin) and attempts a swish or bank shot.
  • Make 10—Before 2 Misses> player shoots shots, 10-15 feet out, by moving between shots to different spots on the court. Shooter must make 10 before missing 2 in a row.
  • Make 5 in a row> player attempts to make 5 shots in a row, shots are taken in the lane only. A missed shot can be rebounded and put back in for a made shot as long as the ball does not touch the ground. The first put back only counts, a second or third attempt doesn’t count as a made shot.
  • Elbow-to-elbow> shooter starts at one elbow, or at the mid-post spot along the sideline of the lane, without the ball. Shooter breaks across to other elbow, receives a pass and shoots. Shooter immediately breaks back across to the opposite elbow again, moving back and forth after each shot attempt. Shooter should make a predeter-mined number of shots.
  • Post flash> player flashes from either low block to the elbow or free-throw line area, catches the ball, pivots to square up, shoots the ball or uses a shot fake and drives in for a lay-up.
  • Free-throw “swish”> player attempts to “swish” 3 free-throws before missing 2. All makes but not “swished” do not count as a make or miss.
  • Perimeter shooting drills (see handout).
  • Post shooting drills (see handout).

Conditioning

  • Line drill> using a line, stick or board (i.e. 2 x 4) on the court, have the playersjump sideways; forwards and backwards, on both feet and on just one foot; scissors feet facing forwards; stepping over the line, back and forth, with quick feet; bounding with hands above the head; stepping over the line, sideways, with inside foot crossing first.
  • Jumping rope
  • Lunges> alternate stepping forward with each foot,

back straight, knee almost touching the ground.

  • Squats> ball behind head, feet shoulder width apart,

head and eyes up, squat to a sitting position.

  • Wall sits