Basketball Drills

You have probably seen this or a similar drill before, but I like the idea of setting the 40 second time limit and the defense having to tip turn the offense over 4 times with 4 basketballs in that time span.

The video is from a Gonzaga Practice.

If you are facing a pressing team, you could tweak the scoring system and make it an offensive emphasis drill.

Editor’s Note from Brian:

I understand that most teams don’t have two 7 footers who can throw the ball over the trap.

Also, I know that the offense seems disinterested.

The purpose is not to evaluate this practice session. The idea behind the post is for you to get a couple of ideas to improve upon this drill and use it or that might make your current trapping/pressure handling drills better.

If you are interested in finding out more about the DVD that the video sample came from, click here:

All Access Basketball Practice with Mark Few

Make sure your sound is on as you watch.

The video is a You Tube video.

Click the video to start the presentation.

This post was adapted from a post made in the Fast Model Drills and Plays Library by John Leonzo, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Cedarville University.

You can see the orignial post at this link: Blind 1 on 1..

You can also find out more about FastModel Play Diagramming software by clicking this link: FastDraw

As with any drill that you see anywhere, you should adjust it to fit what you are looking to teach and improve before installing it.

I like the idea of drilling a lot of one on one (both in-season and during the improvement season) but only with the purpose of applying it in a team offensive concept.

That is what was appealing to me about this setup.

the drill starts 1 on 1 and then builds to 3 on 3.

You can move the starting position and move where the 2nd and 3rd offensive players and defenders are positioned to make it fit what you see in your games.

I also think it is a good idea to add a scoring and or timing component to the drill.

x1 is facing the hoop with their heels on the 3pt line.

As soon as 1 puts the ball on the floor, it turns into live 1v1.

Editor’s Note from Brian: You might not like this method of starting the drill. You could start it with a pass from the top of the key with the defense closing out on the receiver.

The second level now is to add a coach to the drill to be a guided help defender.

This is a great time to teach the drive to land on 2 feet so they are balanced, strong, and controlled as they meet the help.

Be sure to emphasize straight line drives and players will try to loop drive to avoid the help.

The diagrams’ offensive drives are not a good example of a straight drive, but are slightly arced to distinguish the offensive movement from the defensive movement.

The next progression is to 2v2.

It is now that you are teaching the driver to do 2 things:

1. Read the help defender (x2)

2. Score if the helper stays, giving the advantage to 2 if x2 steps to help on drive.

Editor’s Note from Brian I also think this is a good time to emphasize driving to put the ball in the basket, and not on contorting and getting off balance to draw a foul. Driving to draw a foul leaves the decision up to the official and I don’t consider that to be a smart play. You might not get the call you want or the defender might be able to avoid contact.

The last progression is to take it to 3v3. The same reads apply for the driver on the attack, but now you are also training 2 to keep or increase the advantage.

If x2 stops ball and 1 passes to 2, 2 then has to keep the advantage. 2 can accomplish this by:

1. If he is open, on balance, and in range – shoot the ball
2. If x3 stays home and x2 recovers hard, 2 can drive the ball
3. If x3 drops to help, 2 keeps the advantage by hitting 3 with a “click pass” (a pass that is in and out of the passers hand within a half second or less). 3 then shoot if open, drives a hard closeout, and makes a pass.

This drill for finishing off a pick and pop is among the thousands of resources for both coaches and player available from basketballhq.

They have several more videos as well as basketball coaching resource articles.

The Coach in the video is Matt McCall, currently the Head Men’s Coach at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. At the time this drill was filmed, he was an Assistant Coach at Florida.

Click the play arrow to view the videos.

Please make sure that your sound is on.

These are YouTube videos, so please make sure that you are able to access YouTube on the servers that you are on.

 

Ball Screen Finishing Drill

This post contains a video with retired Wisconsin and Washington State Coach Dick Bennett.

Make sure your sound is on as you watch.

The video is a YouTube video

Also, please make sure that you are on a server that allows YouTube access.

Even if you don’t play a pack style of defense, I hope the video gives you an idea or two as to how you can clarify and teach the system that you play.

You can make adjustments to the rules and requirements of the drill that fit your team.

If you are interested in finding out more about the DVD that the video sample came from, click here:

Origins of the Pack Line Defense with Breakdown Drills – Basketball — Championship Productions, Inc.

Defensive Vision Drill

These drills were contributed by Marc Skelton, Head Coach for Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in the Bronx, NY to the FastModel Sports Basketball Plays and Drills Library.

You can also find out more about FastModel Play Diagramming software by clicking this link: FastDraw

Coach Skelton said this about the drill series:

A great drill that simultaneously improves your team and individual players offensively and defensively is a series of 3 on 3 drills.

Offensively, we work on dribble hand-offs, cuts, shooting, passing, catching, screens, and timing.

Defensively, we work on communication and the different ways to defend screens.

I also like this drill because it helps to reduce turnovers.

As with any drill that you see anywhere, if you do feel that you can use it in your program, you should adjust it to fit what you are looking to teach and improve.

3 on 3 Drill Series

A great drill to help reduce turnovers is a modified 3 on 3 (3 dribbles maximum).

It is a great drill with lots of options.

This one is called “3 on 3 down”.

Offense is only allowed to score on pin down screens.

Wings work on using the screen.

The screener works on sealing after he sets the screen.

 

 

 

If the first option is not open 1 sets a down screen for the 4.

Lots of skills are built upon on this drill; moving without the ball, proper screens, what to do after setting a screen and timing, which gets lost in most offseason training.

Also defenses learn how to read the offense.

They can switch, stay, hedge. It forces the offense to get creative.

The next game is “3 on 3 UP”.

This game like “3 on 3 down” allows the offense only to score on back screens.

 

 

 

You can create lots of options from this simple game.

– “3 on 3 high” offense can only score from the high post.

– “3 on 3 GO” offense can use backdoor cuts and dribble handoffs

– 3 on 3 BLUE” Offense has to use a pick and roll to score

-“3 on 3 ORANGE” Offense has to use a pick and pop to score