Amanda Knapp
Turnovers in basketball can be costly, and they can occur for a variety of reasons, such as a steal, a bad pass, an offensive violation, or an offensive foul. To limit turnovers, it is essential to understand their causes and develop strategies to address them. Coaches play a crucial role in implementing drills and practices that emphasize ball handling, dribbling, passing techniques, and decision-making under pressure. Players must also learn to value each possession, maintain control, and make quick, accurate passes while avoiding flashy or complicated moves. Ultimately, reducing turnovers requires a combination of fundamental skills, strategic drills, and a disciplined mindset.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Understanding the cause of turnovers | Players must understand the causes of their turnovers, such as poor passing, dribbling, or ball handling skills. |
| Developing a plan of action | Identify problem areas and create a strategy to eliminate them. |
| Understanding the significance | Each turnover can result in a point for the opposing team, so players must recognize the impact of each mistake. |
| Ball handling and dribbling skills | Drills to improve ball handling and dribbling skills are essential, especially for youth teams prone to double-dribble violations. |
| Avoiding haste | Players should be taught to value each possession and avoid rushing, which can lead to bad decisions and turnovers. |
| Passing techniques | Passing drills that focus on angles, reads, and fakes help prepare players for game situations. Players should avoid jumping while passing and keep their passes simple and crisp. |
| Screening and setting up defenses | Teaching players to set up and use screens effectively can limit turnovers by taking defenders out of the equation. |
| Protecting the ball | Point guards must protect the ball and avoid getting stripped by defenders. Passing to an open teammate is often a better option than challenging a quick defender. |
| Practicing game-like situations | Making practices tougher than games helps players improve their skills and decision-making under pressure. |
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What You'll Learn
Teach ball handling and dribbling skills
To limit turnovers in basketball, players must be skilled in ball handling and dribbling. Coaches should incorporate ball-handling and dribbling drills into every practice, especially for youth teams. Here are some tips and techniques to teach ball handling and dribbling skills effectively:
Teach the Fundamentals First
It is essential to start with the basics and ensure that players master the fundamentals before moving on to more advanced techniques. Remind players, even the athletic ones, that practising the fundamentals is how players improve and master their skills. Pro players continue to practise the fundamentals to maintain and enhance their performance.
Dribbling Techniques
When teaching dribbling, start from square one. Focus on the correct technique before introducing moves. Players should dribble using their entire arm, not just their wrist, to generate a forceful dribble that returns to their hand. Emphasise the importance of dribbling with their head up, which allows them to maintain control and be aware of their surroundings. Encourage players to work on lengthening their dribble and getting opportunities with just one dribble. Remind them that dribbling is not about beating defences but about creating separation from them.
Ball Handling Drills
Introduce fun ball-handling drills that will help players improve their overall basketball skills. For example, "Slaps, Taps, Wraps, Flips and Flops" are engaging drills that players can practice at home with any type of ball. These drills help players develop control and coordination.
Gamify the Learning Process
Make learning techniques enjoyable by incorporating games and competitions. For example, you can use scoring systems during drills, with points awarded for baskets and penalties for turnovers. This approach will motivate players to improve their skills while having fun.
Practice in Game-Like Situations
Once players have developed a feel for the ball, it's crucial to practice ball handling in competitive, game-like scenarios with defenders present. This helps players transfer their skills effectively to actual game situations.
Emphasise the Significance of Turnovers
Help players understand the impact of turnovers. Explain that every turnover results in a lost possession and essentially gives away one point to the opposing team. This awareness will motivate players to value each possession and make them more cautious about turnovers.
By following these steps and consistently practising ball handling and dribbling skills, coaches can effectively reduce turnovers and improve their team's performance.
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Focus on passing, catching, cutting, and screening
Passing, catching, cutting, and screening are fundamental skills that can help limit turnovers in basketball.
Passing is a crucial aspect of reducing turnovers. Coaches should emphasise making the easy pass instead of attempting risky passes through traffic. Players should be taught to improve their passing angles and avoid passing through defences. Passing drills can help improve passing skills, but coaches should be careful when selecting these drills as some can encourage players to pass too quickly without assessing the defensive situation. Passing drills that focus on improving passing angles and decision-making can be particularly effective.
Catching the ball is another vital skill that is often under-taught. Coaches should emphasise the fundamentals of catching, such as keeping eyes on the ball at all times and moving towards the pass to meet it. This technique, similar to a baseball player getting their body in front of a ground ball, helps prevent turnovers and deflections. Players should also be instructed to indicate their readiness to receive a pass by showing a hand target to the passer.
Cutting drills can also help reduce turnovers. For example, the 5 on 0 pass and cut drill helps improve passing and cutting skills simultaneously. In this drill, players run the offence by making perimeter passes and focusing on fundamental cuts, such as setting up their teammates and facing the basket.
Screening is another important skill to reduce turnovers. Coaches should teach players how to properly set and use screens, especially if the team runs set plays with screening or motion offences with screening. Players should be instructed to make eye contact before throwing passes to teammates coming off screens to ensure they are open and ready to receive the pass.
By focusing on these fundamental skills of passing, catching, cutting, and screening, coaches can help their players develop better ball control and reduce turnovers during games.
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Develop a plan to eliminate problem areas
Developing a plan to eliminate problem areas is crucial to reducing turnovers in basketball. Here are some strategies to address common issues:
Ball Handling and Dribbling Skills
Players must develop strong ball-handling skills to protect the ball from defenders. Point guards, in particular, should be adept at shielding the ball and making quick decisions. Drills that focus on dribbling with the inside hand can help players transition smoothly into passing. Additionally, players should be cautious when dribbling in front of defenders to avoid getting stripped of the ball.
Passing Techniques
Passing is a fundamental skill that requires attention. Coaches should emphasise making simple, crisp, and accurate passes over flashy or complicated ones. Passing drills that focus on angles, fakes, and decision-making can help players improve their passing skills and reduce turnovers. Players should also learn to avoid jumping while passing and develop court vision to anticipate defensive movements.
Understanding Turnovers
Players should comprehend the significance of turnovers and their impact on the game. Each turnover can result in a lost possession and potentially give away points to the opposing team. By understanding the consequences, players may become more mindful of their actions and strive to reduce turnovers.
Mental Focus and Poise
Mental focus and maintaining poise under pressure are essential. Being flustered or afraid to make a play can lead to indecision and turnovers. Coaches should work on strategies to help players stay calm, make confident decisions, and execute their skills effectively during game situations.
Offensive Strategies
Offensive players should strive to get a good shot every possession. Bad shots, forced shots, or off-balance shots can result in poor outcomes, similar to turnovers. Teach players to be patient, execute their shots, and value each possession. Additionally, work on offensive strategies, such as setting good screens and using them effectively, to create opportunities and limit turnovers.
By implementing these strategies and addressing problem areas, coaches can help their players reduce turnovers and improve their overall performance on the court.
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Avoid flashy or complicated passes
Avoiding flashy or complicated passes is a key way to limit turnovers in basketball. Turnovers occur when the team with the ball loses possession, often as a result of a bad pass, and can cost a team the game. Therefore, it is important to focus on fundamentals such as passing, catching, cutting, and screening.
Passing drills are a great way to improve passing skills and reduce turnovers. However, it is important to choose the right passing drills, as some can encourage players to pass too quickly without looking at the defense. Instead, players should focus on making simple passes and getting into a triple-threat position. For example, a basic drill where players stand in a circle and pass to each other with variations such as bounce passes, over-the-head passes, and chest passes can help improve passing skills and reduce turnovers.
Another way to avoid passing turnovers is by making crisp passes and using fakes before passing. This will keep the defense guessing and not give them the opportunity to read the direction of the pass for a deflection or steal. It is also important to avoid jumping while passing, as this can lead to turnovers.
In addition to passing skills, it is important for players to be able to handle the basketball, especially under pressure. Ball-handling and dribbling drills can help improve these skills and reduce turnovers. Players should also be taught to value each possession and not be afraid to make a play, as being flustered or indecisive can lead to turnovers.
By focusing on fundamental skills, choosing the right passing drills, and avoiding flashy or complicated passes, players can significantly reduce turnovers and improve their overall game.
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Make practices tougher than games
Making practices tougher than games is a great way to limit turnovers in basketball. Here are some ways to do this:
Penalties for Turnovers
In scrimmages, implement a point system where the first team loses a point for each turnover, and the opposing team gains a point. This will incentivize players to value each possession and make smarter decisions to avoid turnovers.
Emphasize Turnovers in Practice
Go beyond just talking about turnovers. For example, if a player makes a move that would typically result in a turnover in a game, blow the whistle and give the ball to the other team, even if the turnover didn't technically occur. This will help players understand the impact of turnovers and make them more cautious.
Challenging Drills
Introduce challenging drills that simulate game-like situations. For instance, allow the second unit to hand-check the dribbler or put two defenders on dribblers in zig-zag dribbling drills. These drills will improve players' ball-handling skills and decision-making under pressure.
Physical Fouling
Allow clean but physical fouling in practices. This will prepare players for the intensity of actual games and help them develop their ability to handle contact while maintaining control of the ball.
Teach Rules and Strategy
Ensure players understand the rules and how to play strategically. For example, teach them not to mess around with the ball on the 10-second lines, as it can lead to unnecessary turnovers. Help them recognize different defensive strategies and how to make the right passes to beat those defenses.
By making practices tougher, players will develop the skills and mental fortitude to handle game pressure better, resulting in fewer turnovers during actual games.
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