Andrew Pace
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, basketball drills are a great way to improve your skills and gain a better understanding of the game. There are a variety of drills that can help beginners develop their fundamental skills and build a strong foundation for future progress. From dribbling and footwork to shooting and passing, these drills focus on different aspects of the game to help players improve their performance on the court.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Drills | 21 |
| Type of Drills | Dribbling, Footwork, Lay Up & Finishing, Passing, Shooting, Half Court Offense, Transition Offense, Man to Man Defense, Pressure Defense and Trapping |
| Equipment Required | Basketballs, Cones |
| Fundamentals | Footwork, Shooting, Layups, Passing, Ballhandling, Dribbling |
| Drills | Dribble Races, Shadow Shooting, Form Shooting, Passing Series, Full Body Wraps, Lying on Your Back, Zigzagging, Defensive Stance |
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Footwork drills
Footwork is an essential part of basketball, supporting a player's overall performance on both offense and defense. Here are some footwork drills that can help beginners develop their skills:
Jump Stops and Pivots
This drill teaches players the basic footwork of jump stops and pivots, which are essential for controlling your movement and positioning on the court. Start by practising the jump stop, where players jump and stop simultaneously, landing on both feet at the same time. Then, introduce the front pivot, where players jump off one foot and turn 180 degrees in the air before landing on the same foot. Finally, progress to the reverse pivot, where players jump off one foot and turn 180 degrees in the opposite direction, landing on the other foot.
Defensive Footwork Fundamentals
This drill helps players understand the importance of defensive footwork and teaches them how to maintain a strong defensive stance. Set up two lines on the baseline, with each player standing on the block in a defensive stance, facing the baseline. Players then step and slide, zigzagging from the baseline to half-court, focusing on keeping their head level and torso centred. When the first group reaches the free-throw line, the next group goes, and the drill continues until all players reach half-court. Then, they turn and step-and-slide back to the baseline.
Passing and Footwork
Passing drills can also help improve footwork, as they teach players to pass while in motion and how to position their feet correctly when receiving a pass. In this drill, players pair up and take turns passing the ball back and forth using a flick pass, snapping the wrist and releasing the ball with one hand. Start with right-hand passes, and then switch to left-hand passes. Players should also practice stepping and jumping forward to aggressively receive the ball ("feet in the air").
Dribbling and Footwork
Dribbling drills can also help improve footwork, as they teach players to coordinate their dribbling with their movement on the court. In one such drill, players dribble the ball while sitting down, and then slowly lie down until their back is flat on the floor, keeping the dribble going. This teaches players to control the ball with their fingers and improve their dribbling skills.
These footwork drills provide a strong foundation for beginners to build upon, helping them develop the necessary skills for effective offense and defense in basketball.
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Passing drills
Passing is an essential skill in basketball, and there are a variety of drills that can help beginners improve their passing technique and decision-making.
Technique Passing Drills
Technique passing drills are important for beginners to learn the fundamentals of passing. One basic drill is partner passing, where players practice passing to each other using different types of passes such as chest passes, bounce passes, push passes, and overhead passes. This helps players learn the proper form and technique for each type of pass.
Another fundamental drill is the bounce pass on the move. Start at the baseline with your partner at the free-throw line. Dribble towards your partner and make a bounce pass just before reaching them. Your partner should then dribble back to the baseline and repeat the drill in the opposite direction. This drill focuses on improving timing and accuracy while on the move.
The overhead pass shuffle is another drill that helps with passing accuracy and footwork. Start by standing side-by-side with your partner, about 10 feet apart. Shuffle sideways while making overhead passes to each other, and then switch directions when you reach the end of the court.
To practice one-handed passes, stand about 5 feet from a wall and practice making one-handed passes against it. Focus on accuracy and a quick release. Repeat the drill with your non-dominant hand to improve ambidexterity.
Decision-Making Passing Drills
Decision-making passing drills help players learn to read the defense and make the right passing choices. The "Monkey in the Middle" and "Netball" drills are great for this. In "Monkey in the Middle," players form three lines along the baseline, with the two outside players starting with a basketball. They pass the ball back and forth to the middle player as they move up the court, and then finish with two layups.
The three-man weave is another drill that helps with passing and movement. It involves three players and two basketballs. Player 1 passes to Player 2, then runs behind them. Player 2 passes to Player 3, then runs behind them. Player 3 passes back to Player 1, who has moved to the opposite side. This zig-zag pattern continues down the court.
The four-corner passing drill helps players practice passing and moving in a square or box formation. Players start in each corner of the court and pass the ball to each other as they move around the formation.
Other Passing Drills
In addition to the technique and decision-making drills, there are other passing drills that help with specific skills. The "No Dribble Advancement" drill is great for young players to improve their passing, pivoting, and decision-making skills.
The "Keep Away" drill helps players learn to pass the ball between teammates without losing it to the defense.
The "Full Court Passing Drill" involves players passing their way up the court using chest passes or other types of passes.
The "Perimeter Skill Development Drillbook" is a great resource for coaches, offering simple and fun passing drills, shooting drills, and ball-handling drills for all ages and competitive levels.
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Layup drills
Layups are considered the easiest shot in basketball, but they still need to be mastered. Here are some layup drills that are suitable for beginners:
Layup Line Drill
This is a simple and common drill that everyone has seen. It is a good starting point for beginners to teach them how to make layups.
Basic Layup Drill
This drill will improve your team's fitness, passing, teamwork, and layup ability at full speed. Players practice performing a layup off one step, then two steps, using one dribble, and then practice full-speed layups from the three-point line. It is important that players learn the basic technique before they use them in practice and games at game pace.
Tara VanDerveer's Spread Princeton Offense
This drill can be used as a warm-up. It features good passing, layups, and passing to a wing back-cutter. It reinforces the "dribble-at, back-cut" rule used in many offenses. Use three lines and a rebounder under the basket. O3 passes to O1. O1 takes a dribble or two toward O2. O2 back-cuts and gets the pass from O1, and finishes the lay-up. O4 rebounds and passes to the next O3 in line. The pass to the back-cutter should be a good bounce pass, right up the lane line. Use three balls and go quickly. Players rotate over to the next line (O3 to O1, O1 to O2, O2 to O4, O4 to O3). After one time through (bounce passes to the cutter), have players make an air pass to the back-cutter the second time through. You can add token defense with an assistant loosely guarding each passer, and a third assistant with a foot above the arc denying the pass to O2, who then back-cuts.
Left-Handed Lay-up Drill
This is a competitive drill where the team has to make a certain number of left-handed lay-ups within 2 minutes. If they fail to make the goal, they run or do push-ups. Half of the players are on each end of the court with the first two players in each line having a ball. With only two balls on each end, this is a much more difficult goal to make than if every player has a ball. On "Go!", the first two players from each end start the left-handed speed dribble and shoot the left-handed lay-up.
Once players are comfortable with basic layups, you can progress to more advanced finishing moves and competitive drills with defenders.
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Shooting drills
Shadow Shooting
Shadow shooting is a crucial step for beginners to learn how to shoot. It helps beginners develop muscle memory for shooting the ball correctly without getting discouraged by missed shots. Once they have a solid shooting form, they can transition to the next drill.
Form Shooting
Form shooting is a great way to build confidence in beginners as they will put the ball in the hoop more often than not. This drill teaches beginners the correct shooting form, so they assume that shooting the ball correctly means it will go in.
Passing Series
This is a drill to learn the basics of passing. It can be done alone or with a partner. Start with a right-hand flick pass, then move to a left-hand flick pass, with the rule of thumb being to work on the weak hand three times more than the strong hand.
Shooting from the Pass
After beginners get the proper rhythm and timing from the previous drills, they can start shooting from the pass, which is more similar to a game situation.
Shooting Progressions
Shooting progressions are a great way to warm up and refine shooting technique, helping to develop consistency. This can be done by shooting 10 shots from 3 spots, with the goal of making 8 out of 10 from each spot before progressing.
Posting Up
This drill helps players practice posting up in a hurry and demanding the ball in the middle of the paint. Begin in a relaxed stance on the block, then forcefully "duck-in" to the middle of the key and demand the ball from the coach. Catch it high and keep it high with elbows out, keeping your back to the basket so the offense cannot see the ball. Finish weakside for the first shot, then repeat the process, finishing on the strongside for the second shot. For the third shot, shimmy and finish weakside again.
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Dribbling drills
Dribbling is one of the most important skills in basketball, so it's great to focus on this when you're starting out. Here are some great dribbling drills for beginners:
Pound Drill
Using the palm of your dominant hand, bounce the basketball from the floor back to your hand. Repeat this for a set period, such as 30 seconds. To make it more challenging, do this drill without looking at the basketball, and try returning the ball to different levels, like the waist, chest, and shoulders. This is a great drill for beginners as it helps you get a feel for the ball.
Figure 8s
This drill improves coordination and ball-handling skills. Dribble the ball in a figure 8 motion around your legs, alternating hands. You can also do this drill with a wide stance, bending your knees further to decrease the distance to the floor, and then trying to increase your speed.
Stationary Dribbling
These drills are great for warming up and introducing new skills to beginners. You can stand in place and focus on controlling the ball with quick and precise dribbles. This will help you build a foundation for more advanced techniques.
Crossover-Dribbling
Stay in place and switch the ball back and forth between your hands while you dribble. This improves your ball handling and stamina. You can also try walking across the court while dribbling, talking with a teammate, or shaking hands with a teammate. This will help improve your focus and multitasking skills.
Cone Drills
Set up a series of cones to simulate defensive players. Practice navigating through the cones with controlled dribbles, improving your agility and developing a quick first step. You can also place cones in a straight line, and practice dribbling past them without going outside the cones. This will help you create space and dribble through contact.
Two-Ball Dribbling
Simultaneously control two basketballs, challenging both hands to work in harmony and improving overall coordination. You can also try this with three basketballs, passing one to a partner and receiving another ball in return. This drill helps improve your crossover and ability to switch hands mid-play.
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