
Basketball is a dynamic sport that involves rapid starts, stops, and direction changes, requiring players to be in excellent physical condition. A popular conditioning drill is the 17's drill, where players run from sideline to sideline 17 times, touching each sideline and counting out loud. This drill improves both endurance and speed and can be modified by including dribbling, defensive sliding, or running forwards and backward. While some coaches advocate for traditional mile-long runs, others argue that this doesn't adequately prepare players for the unique physical demands of basketball. Instead, they recommend drills like The Basketball Mile, which involves breaking up sprints into quarters, mimicking the structure of a basketball game with short rest breaks. These conditioning drills aim to improve players' speed, endurance, and overall game readiness.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the drill | 17's |
| Objective | Incorporate endurance and speed |
| Process | Players run from sideline to sideline 17 times |
| Touch each sideline | |
| Count out loud ("ONE! TWO! Etc.) | |
| The last one (17) they have to go as hard as they can | |
| Modifications | Players can dribble, defensive slide, run forward/backward |
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What You'll Learn
- The 17's drill: run from sideline to sideline 17 times, touching each
- Incorporating endurance and speed: go as hard as you can on the 17th run
- Modifying the drill: dribble, defensive slide, or run forwards/backwards
- The 25-second drill: increase speed and back-pedalling for defence
- The Basketball Mile: a conditioning drill to get players game-ready

The 17's drill: run from sideline to sideline 17 times, touching each
"17s" is a common basketball conditioning drill that helps players improve their endurance and speed. The aim is to run from sideline to sideline 17 times, touching each sideline, in just over a minute. Each sideline touched counts as one, and the player must step over the sideline for the lap to count.
This drill can be challenging, and it is recommended that beginners work up to 17 laps, setting a minimum goal of 12 laps. To increase the intensity, players can be paired up to introduce a competitive element. Additionally, the drill can be modified in various ways; players can dribble, defensive slide, or run forward or backward.
The 17s drill is an excellent way to improve both endurance and speed. It is a versatile drill that can be adapted to suit different skill levels and training goals. For those who find it too challenging, a good starting point is to focus on completing 12 laps consistently and gradually increase the number of laps over time.
For more advanced players, the 17s drill can be made more difficult by adding additional sets or incorporating other movements such as defensive slides or dribbling. The key is to maintain proper form throughout the drill, ensuring that each lap is completed with speed and agility.
The 17s drill is a valuable tool for basketball players looking to improve their conditioning and overall performance on the court. By incorporating this drill into their training regimen, players can develop the endurance and speed necessary to excel in the game.
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Incorporating endurance and speed: go as hard as you can on the 17th run
The 17s drill is a popular basketball conditioning exercise that helps players improve their endurance and speed. It involves players running from sideline to sideline 17 times, touching each sideline and counting out loud. The last run (17) should be performed at maximum intensity, with players pushing themselves to go as hard as they can.
To incorporate endurance and speed into this drill, it's important to understand the purpose of each component. The first 16 runs build endurance, challenging the player's stamina and cardiovascular fitness. This is an essential aspect of basketball, as it helps players maintain their energy levels and avoid fatigue during games.
Speed is crucial in basketball, enabling players to execute quick movements, accelerate past defenders, and react swiftly to game developments. The final run in the 17s drill targets speed, encouraging players to sprint and reach their maximum velocity.
When performing the 17s drill, players should focus on maintaining a steady pace during the first 16 runs to conserve energy while also building endurance. This pace should be challenging yet sustainable, allowing them to complete the required number of runs without burning out prematurely.
The final run, however, is where the player should unleash their remaining energy and sprint as fast as they can. This maximum-effort sprint not only improves speed but also teaches the player how to access their body's remaining energy reserves, which can be crucial in close games.
To enhance the effectiveness of the 17s drill and improve overall basketball performance, players can incorporate the following strategies:
- Core strengthening: Prioritize core exercises to build a strong foundation for endurance and speed. Core strength is essential for maintaining balance, absorbing contact, and preventing injuries.
- Leg strength: Focus on strengthening the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and adductor muscles to excel in repetitive movements like cuts and defensive slides.
- Nutrition and hydration: Eat nutritious meals and stay properly hydrated to fuel your body effectively. This will help you feel stronger and faster on the court.
- Rest and recovery: Allow adequate recovery time between workouts to rebuild and rejuvenate. This prevents soreness and reduces the risk of injuries.
- Visualisation: Visualise your goals and performance to enhance your mental endurance and focus. This technique is used by many successful athletes to improve their mental game.
By incorporating the 17s drill into their training regimen and focusing on endurance, speed, and overall conditioning, players can significantly improve their performance on the basketball court.
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Modifying the drill: dribble, defensive slide, or run forwards/backwards
The 17s drill is a great way to incorporate endurance and speed into your training. It can also be modified in a variety of ways to focus on different skills.
Dribbling
Adding a dribbling element to the 17s drill is a great way to improve ball handling skills and build endurance. Players can dribble the ball as they run from sideline to sideline, touching each sideline and counting out loud. This can be further modified by instructing players to perform specific dribble moves, such as crossovers, pull-back dribbles, or between-the-legs dribbles.
Defensive Slide
The defensive slide is a critical skill for on-ball defense and stopping dribble penetration. When performing the 17s drill with a defensive slide, players must focus on maintaining a proper stance and technique. Thighs should be locked and loaded, weight on the balls of the feet, and the upper body leaning slightly forward. This modification helps players improve their lateral quickness and ability to maintain proper defensive positioning.
Running Forwards/Backwards
Running the 17s drill forwards and backwards helps players work on their sprinting and backpedaling skills. When backpedaling, players should stay low and focus on maintaining proper form. Additionally, players can incorporate defensive slides and sprints into the drill, as mentioned earlier.
These modifications to the 17s drill provide a versatile training routine that can improve a variety of skills, including endurance, speed, ball handling, defensive positioning, and lateral quickness.
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The 25-second drill: increase speed and back-pedalling for defence
The 25-second drill is an effective conditioning exercise for basketball players to increase their speed and back-pedalling for defence. It is a favourite of many coaches and is a great way to incorporate both endurance and speed training.
The 25-second drill involves players running from sideline to sideline, touching each sideline as they go. They must do this a total of 17 times, counting out loud as they go ("ONE! TWO! Etc.). The final sprint, number 17, should be done at maximum effort. This is a great way to build endurance and speed, and the drill can be modified in various ways. For example, players can dribble a ball as they run, or they can defensive slide, run forwards or backwards.
The defensive slide is an important skill for basketball players to master. When defensive sliding, players must stay low and ensure their feet do not come down inside their hips. This drill can be done in parts, with the player facing the same direction on all slides to ensure an equal number of reps in each direction.
The 25-second drill is a great way to improve overall fitness and promote back pedalling for defence. It is a simple yet effective drill that can be easily modified to suit the needs of the players and the coach.
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The Basketball Mile: a conditioning drill to get players game-ready
The Basketball Mile is a conditioning drill that can get players into game-ready shape. It consists of 56 half-court down-and-back sprints, which totals one mile. This drill mimics the nature of basketball, which involves starts, stops, and changes of direction, rather than running in a straight line at a constant speed.
The 56 sprints are divided into four quarters of 14 sprints each, reflecting the four quarters of a basketball game. After the first and third quarters, players get a short rest break, and after the second quarter, they get an extended halftime break. The rest period between sprints can be adjusted as players get into better shape; for example, it can be reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
- Starting on one sideline, sprint to the opposite side of the key.
- Sprint back across the key to the original sideline.
- Repeat this process for a total of 14 sprints in the first quarter.
- Take a short rest break.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for the second, third, and fourth quarters.
- After the fourth quarter, players have completed The Basketball Mile.
It is important to note that The Basketball Mile is not the only conditioning drill that players should do. It is just one tool to help players improve their endurance and speed. Other drills, such as the 17's drill, where players run from sideline to sideline 17 times, or the 25-second drill, which focuses on increasing speed and backpedaling for defense, can also be incorporated into a well-rounded conditioning program.
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Frequently asked questions
The 17's drill is a conditioning drill where players run from sideline to sideline 17 times, touching each sideline and counting out loud. The last run (17) should be done as fast as possible. The drill incorporates endurance and speed and can be modified by adding dribbling, defensive sliding, or running forward and backward.
Start on one sideline and sprint to the opposite side, touch the sideline, then sprint back to the starting sideline. This counts as one repetition. Continue this process for a total of 17 repetitions, increasing your speed and intensity with each run.
The 17's drill improves conditioning, endurance, and speed. It also teaches players to change directions quickly, mimicking the movements in an actual basketball game. This drill is more applicable to game situations than traditional straight-line running drills.











































