Basketball Drills

Steve Nash Push Pass Drill

By Brian Williams on June 27, 2016

This passing drill 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.

Make sure that your speakers are on to hear the narration and that you can access YouTube to see the videos.

Like everything I post on the site, you will need to tweak the drill to fit your philosophy. If you would rather the pickup and pass be made with two hands, you could have the player dribbling one basketball doing crossovers, pick up with two, and pass with the hand that the coach calls. The idea is an overload drill and not to make it gamelike.

You could also set it up so that the player is passing to two shooters so that you are better able to simulate the receiver’s shooting pocket. The idea is for you to think about it and make it your own, or decide that the drill isn’t for you.

Click the play arrow to begin the video.

Steve Nash Advanced 2 Ball Push Pass Drill

Octopus Dribbling/Driving Drill

By Brian Williams on June 21, 2016

I received these two driving/finishing drills in an email from Dennis Hutter, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Mayville State University. His website, www.coachhutter.com . The website has more shooting, individual development workout, and leadership videos.

Both of these videos are You Tube videos, so please be sure to be on a server that allows you to access You Tube.

Editor’s notes from Brian: When working to improve players’s dribbling & driving skills, I like the idea of using a time and when possible, two basketballs. You can add pieces to the drills to challenge your players more such as requiring a live ball move such as crossover, between the legs, etc… Whatever moves you want players to be able to make in a game. You can add in a defender poking at the basketballs as they are being dribbled. You can add in a defender offering some contact at the rim on the finishes. You can change the amount of time you require to complete the circuit. There are many ways that the drills can be modified to make them your own. It may take some live experimenting with your players before you can tell exactly how you want to run the drill, but IMO, that is ok. There is nothing wrong with players being exposed to your thinking process as you tinker with ideas to help your program. It is also a good time to get some input from them.

The remainder of the post is what Coach Hutter included in his email:

Octopus Dribbling 2 Basketballs

This drill is done with two basketballs. The object of the drill is to complete the course in 25 seconds or less. If the player completes the drill in 25 seconds or less, we have them do the drill again. This time they to try and beat their previous time. We try to keep the drill as competitive as we can. We believe competition adds pressure and effort to drills. Player will two ball dribble around each individual cone and then come back to the rim and dribble around the cone under the rim. They will weave back and forth advancing to the next spot after they are under the rim. We have five spots on the floor that the player must dribble around. This is another really good warm up drill to start an individual workout.

Click the Play Arrow to view the video of the drill

Octopus Dribbling 1 Basketball

The object of this drill is to complete the course in 30 seconds or less while making all 5 lay ups. Try to have your players change the way they score around the rim. You can also add shot fakes to the drill if desired. Drill starts under the rim, and player dribbles around first cone and comes back to rim for a lay up. They then complete the course advancing to the next spot after each lay up. We usually do two right handed lay ups and two left handed lay ups. The middle spot we leave optional for the player to decide what hand they would like to use. This is a great warm up drill to start an individual workout.

Click the Play Arrow to view the video of the drill

Howard Garfinkel Basketball Clinic

By Brian Williams on June 16, 2016

This post contains several videos from Howard Garfinkel’s 2014 Basketball Coaching Clinic.

Make sure your sound is on as you watch.

All videos are You Tube videos.

Make sure that you are on a server that allows You Tube access.

John Calipari One More Drill

A shooting drill to work on the extra pass concept with a few extra wrinkles to make it more game-like a couple of minutes into the video.

If you are interested in finding out more about the 2014 Howard Garfinkel Coaching Clinic DVD that these video samples came from, click here: 2014 Howard Garfinkel Coaching Clinic DVD

Mike Fratello “Automatic”

A play to run when your opponent is attempting to keep the ball out of your point guard’s hands.

If you are interested in finding out more about the 2014 Howard Garfinkel Basketball Coaching Clinic DVD that these video samples came from, click here: 2014 Howard Garfinkel Coaching Clinic DVD

Billy Donovan Press

Short segment from Billy Donovan on working to make the inbounds press against a press tough.

Beilein 50 in 5 Shooting Drill

By Brian Williams on June 13, 2016

I received these two shooting drills in an email from Dennis Hutter, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Mayville State University. His website, www.coachhutter.com . The website has more shooting, individual development workout, and leadership videos.

The remainder of the post contains what Coach Hutter said about the drills:

Here are a two more perimeter shooting drills for your player’s summer skill development. Both of these drills are competitive shooting drills. We love to add competition to all of our shooting drills to try and create as much “game pressure” and “game pace” as we possibly can. We add competition to our shooting drills by adding either time and score or both. By just adding time, score or both to a shooting drill, you can add competition to the drill and also increase their pace during the drill.

Another thing that we do all summer is we chart all of the shots for all of our players during all of their summer workouts, and hang their scores in our locker room. We feel that by charting their shots the player is able to see their progress, and when they see their progress their motivation to get in the gym and workout will increase. I hope you enjoy the drills. As usual, please feel free to contact our Women’s Basketball Office if we can ever help with anything. Here are both drills:

Both of these videos are YouTube videos, so please be sure to be on a server that allows you to access YouTube.

John Beilein 50 in 5 Minutes Drill

We got this drill from the John Beilein at the University of Michigan. This is a five minute continuous drill. This is a great drill to work on conditioning as well as to get your players to shoot shots while they are fatigued. The drill is executed in four shot segments, and the player will use the entire floor. The player will shoot four shots from a spot, and then move to the next spot. At each spot, the shooter will shoot three 3 Point Shots followed by one stop and pop jumper off the dribble. After the stop and pop shot off the dribble the shooter will move to another spot and execute the same four shot sequence. The shooter can move to wherever they want on the floor, when moving from spot to spot. There is no pattern. The goal is to make 50 total shots in five minutes.

Click the play arrow to start the video

Make 10 Shots in 75 Seconds

This drill is a GREAT drill to use at the beginning of a workout as a warm up or a “heat up” to the rest of the workout. This drill is great to get the player to elevate their heart rate as well as get them to work out as a game pace. The object of the drill is to have the shooter make 10 shots in 75 seconds. Because of the way we play, and the fact we shoot quite a few three point shots, we have our players shoot all three’s for this drill. You can have your players shoot game shots that are relevant to their games to get the most out of this drill.

Click the play arrow to start the video

8-6-4 Conversion and Conditioning Drill

By Brian Williams on June 5, 2016

This drill was contributed by Aseem Rastogi to the FastModel Sports Basketball Plays and Drills Library.

Any drill that you see someone else do should always be tailored to your particular needs.

I think anytime you can structure your conditioning so that it is playing basketball, that is a good thing.

Here is an idea for a drill for you to think about and modify for your system, or to use a part of the drill to incorporate into your current drills.

8-6-4

Initial Alignment – defensive team is on the baseline, offensive team is 4 out.

(You could have the offense pass and cut to get some movement)

Set clock for 8 seconds. Utilize shot clock here if you have one.

On the whistle, the defensive team must sprint to the opposite baseline, touch, and come back in transition defense.

After whistle, coach passes the ball to any offensive player. Up to the defense to locate the ball on the way back.

Note: Each team plays transition D differently – emphasize the points for your team.

The offensive team may attack as soon as they hear the buzzer.

If defensive team gets a stop, they go to 6 seconds for the next possession. If they get scored on, they stay at 8.

Defensive team has 6 seconds to touch opposite free throw line and come back in transition defense. Offensive team may attack at the buzzer.

Rotate in new offensive team each time to keep everyone involved.

If the defensive team gets a stop at 6 seconds, go to 4 seconds. If they don’t get a stop, they stay at 6.

Note: We have an accountability for staying at 8 for three possessions in a row – keeps the drill moving. Kids are sent with an assistant coach for a non-running accountability, such as pushups, planks, or wall sits. They will still finish the drill.

4 seconds – the defensive team runs to half court and back. Offensive team may attack at the buzzer.

8 Individual Shooting Drills

By Brian Williams on May 31, 2016

These shooting drills are from Dennis Hutter, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at North Dakota. His website, www.coachhutter.com . The website has more shooting, individual development workout, and leadership videos.

COMPETITIVE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT WORKOUT SHOOTING DRILLS

Make 10 Shots Without Missing 2 in a Row

-Work at a pace that is “game like”

-Try to make 10 shots w/out missing 2 shots in a row

-If you miss 2 shots in a row, allow a “swish” on the next shot to continue the string.

-All shots are shot with the player spinning themselves a pass – Rhythm Shooting

-Can do this drill with stop and pop shots as well as jump shots

Make 10 Shots in 1:15

-Player has 1:15 to make 10 total shots

-All shots are shot with player spinning themselves a pass – Rhythm Shooting

-Have to work at a pace that allows you a chance to make 10 shots

-Player gets their own rebound on all shots

-Great warm-up drill to “heat up” player before workout begins

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“25” Point Shooting Drill

-Player alternates between shooting a “3” and shooting a stop and pop

-3’s are worth 3 points, and stop and pop shots are worth 2 points

-Player tries to get to 25 points in 2:00

-Player can’t catch ball in same spot twice in a row – use entire floor

-Use a rebounder with this drill

-Player alternates between right hand and left hand when attacking the rim

10 Spots in 2 Minutes

-Player has 2:00 minutes to complete this drill

-Player shoots from five spots: corner, wing, top, wing and corner

-Player shoots from a spot until they make 2 in a row – start in corner

-After 2 makes in a row, player advances to next spot

-Spots 5 & 6 are in the same corner

-Use a rebounder for this drill, and an extra ball if there are long rebounds

“21” Point Drill – Individual

-Player starts at half line

-Player shoots a lay up, a stop and pop and a “3” in that order

-Lay up is worth 1, stop and pop is worth 2, and 3’s are worth 3 points

-Player shoots shots in the order of lay up, stop and pop and 3 –continuous

-Player sprints from half line and receives ball from coach at arc

-drives in and shoots a lay up – 1 point – then sprint to back to half line

-attacks rim and shoots a stop and pop – 2 points – then sprint to half line

-shoot “3” from top of the key

-Player continues shot order until they get to 21 points

-Great toughness/condition drill

“30” Point Shooting Drill

-Player shoots shots from four spots: wing, pro spot, pro spot and wing

-Set up a chair or cone at each spot on floor, just outside of the three point line

-Player receives pass and attacks the chair or cone

-Player will shoot three shots from each spot

-Player shoots stop and pop “3”, then a right to left crossover move to a stop and

pop and then a left to right crossover move to a stop and pop shot

-Player shoots ball and then sprints back behind chair/cone to receive ball and

makes next move

-“3” worth 3 points, stop and pops worth 2 points

-7 points per spot for a total of 28 points – finish drill with 2 FT’s for a total of 30

-Try to achieve a goal of 23 points or higher

“44” Point Shooting Drill

-This drill is done with a rebounder, and try to complete drill in 1:30

-Shots are shot in increment of 4

-Player receives ball at top of key and attacks basket for lay up – 2 with right

hand and 2 with left hand – alternate hands

-Player receives ball at top of key and attacks rim and shoots 4 stop and pop

shots – attack twice with right hand and twice with left hand.

Player then shoots 8 three point shots (wing, pro spot, wing pro spot) on the left

Side. (Wing, pro spot, wing pro spot) on the right side.

-Finish drill with 4 free throws

-Lay ups and stop and pops all worth 2 points

-3’s all worth 3 points

-Free throws worth 1 point for a total of 44 points

Free Throw Game

-Have to make 16 Free Throws in 6:00

-Free Throws are shot in 1 and 1 increments.

-Player makes both free throws they sprint to half line and back

-Player makes first FT and misses second they have one full court sprint

-Player misses front end of 1 and 1, they have a double sprint (down and back

twice)

-All sprints, player dribbles ball with weak hand

-Player continues drill until they either make 16 FT’s or use all 6:00

-Consequence is push ups

-16 – total makes x 2 = total number of push ups at the end

TEACHING CONCEPTS AND PHRASES WITH SHOOTING IDW’s

-Make your workouts like a game, so your games can be like your workouts

-The single best way to improve the team is to improve the individual player’s skills

-When you get better, the TEAM gets better

-Game shots, game spots, game speed with game conditions

-60% workouts – chart shots and have player make 60% of shots for entire workout

-Three Keys to Shooting

Get the Ball Up
Get the Ball Straight
Hold a High One Second Follow Through

-Don’t miss two shots in a row – THE SAME WAY – Focus and Finish

-Always warm up with Shooting Progression and Stick the Stance Progression

-Consistent technique will bring about consistent results

-If you want to add competition to any drill or IDW, add time or score to the drill – gets the

player to workout at game speed.

-Be a “back half of the rim” shooter – don’t leave the shot short

-FIND A WAY TO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Teach players to “find a way to win” at