Basketball Drills

These dribble moves drill videos are two of the great resources available from basketballhq. They have several more videos as well as basketball coaching resource articles.

The drills can be modified to fit your needs and used during your summer skill development workouts or can be used in practices as well.

Please make sure your sound is on to see the video.

Click the play arrow so see the drill. The drill is a You Tube video, so you will need to be able to access You Tube to see the drill.

BasketballHQ has just released their Basketball Coaches Training Group. In the group you will get access to different workout plans that are going to be for the team as a whole, by position, by the number of players and more. This is an all inclusive training group that is going to allow you to walk onto the court with a full workout plan in hand for your players through our easy to use Iphone and Android App. Every drill comes with a video breaking down the details of the drill, and all of the videos are instructed by a Pro or College coach and demonstrated by a high level player. click here for More Information on the Basketball Coaches Training Group.

Any Move Rhythm Dribbling Drill

Full Court Any Move Diamond Drill

 

Some thoughts to consider as you work to update your drills book over the summer in preparing for next year.

Submitted  by Coach John Kimble

Retired high school and college coach

This article was originally written for Winning Hoops

There are countless fundamentals, skills, techniques, and concepts that must be taught to each and every individual basketball player as well as to the overall team. There are offensive alignments/sets, offensive plays/entries, offensive continuities, as well as the countless fundamentals and techniques that strictly apply to the offensive phase of the game. Conversely is the defensive portion of the game, which includes numerous individual and team-concept skills and techniques that need to be taught to the team.

A team is only as strong as its weakest link. An individual player is only as strong as his/her basic fundamentals of the basketball skills necessary for success. Therefore, there are hundreds of techniques that must be taught to each and every player. Unfortunately, there is a time constraint that can be utilized for those required skills. A seemingly unlimited amount of material must be taught to players in a limited period of time. This can be a difficult task for a coaching staff to perform.

For a coach to be successful, he/she must be an excellent teacher. In order for a coach to convey this excellence as a teacher, he/she must have a fundamentally sound concept of how to convey what needs to be taught to his/her players and motivate those players in limited periods of time. Our coaching-teaching philosophy (of any basketball skill, of an entire offense, or the complete defense) is to teach the proper techniques to our players by showing them the why and how that techniques are to be performed. Today’s players expect to know why they are to perform tasks, not just that they are to do them. Coaches must then show players how to perform those skills that are necessary to be successful.

Our coaching-teaching philosophy is a belief that in order for a basketball program to be successful, coaches must demand that every player be fundamentally sound in how to perform all techniques in each of the many phases of the game. Then the coaching staff must be able to motivate every player in performing those fundamentals at their highest level of intensity. Attention to detail by the coaching staff is crucial, as well as the positive and constructive criticism that must come with the teaching and the drill work. “Game-realistic” scenarios must be implemented to simulate “game-like” conditions and many drills must be created to practice the many skills and techniques.

The old cliché, “practice makes perfect” does not apply in our program. What philosophy that is used in our practices is this: “Perfect practice makes perfect!” That must come through “game-realistic” drills and conditions under a very watchful and scrutinizing coaching staff. Success must come in small consistent increments so that players’ confidence in themselves, in their teammates, and in the “system” will slowly and gradually develop.

We use the “whole-part-whole” method of teaching basketball skills with a great emphasis on the how and the why on every technique, every skill, whether they are on offense, defense, transition, or whatever concept is being taught to the team. Players must have confidence that the methods and the techniques that they are being taught are the most fundamentally sound. Players must be convinced that the methods and techniques are the best possible ways for them to be successful. Players must believe that the manner in which the skills are being taught can be successfully performed, regardless of how difficult those skills appear to be.

In basketball, “there are many ways to win the game”. There are countless styles of play, and many different methods can be utilized by coaches. For the team to have confidence and trust in the coaching staff, the coaching staff must be “students of the game”. After carefully choosing the specific techniques, methods and styles of “how to play the game” the coaching staff must then convey that strong belief and confidence to each and every team member. Then and only then will players be sold on the philosophy of the staff.

Then the players will “give their heart and soul” to the program and play with the needed intensity in order to be successful. Players must believe in what they are doing ( whether it is a type of technique, an offense, a defense, or whatever they are performing), if they are to perform at a high degree of intensity.

When we introduce something new to the team , (whether it is a new technique, a new offense, a new defense, or whatever we are bringing to the players) we introduce the skill as a “whole entity”. Then we start breaking the offense down to the basics that are needed for the offense to be successful. We show the specific techniques that are required for the offense to be able to operate efficiently and successfully.

We then work on those particular skills in “game-realistic drills” only after the players have graduated to that level of performance. The first drills that we utilize to teach and to practice those skills are more of a “teaching drill” than an intense and competitive drill. We actually break down the drills and have levels of skill and learning competencies that all players must accomplish before they get to the “high-level skill performance drills”.

In defining the “whole” and the “part” in the phrase “whole-part-whole”, both can easily vary from skill or technique to skill/technique being taught. For example, the “whole” is the entire play that we are introducing-all five players’ responsibilities for the play to be completed. The “parts” are the specific techniques performed by each of the five players, with every player having different skills and techniques that must be performed in order for the play to be successful.

A “part” could be just one player working on learning, understanding, and performing one simple task that takes place in just one specific situation. The “part” could be one player performing several tasks in a wider range scenario, or the “part” could be five players performing several tasks simultaneously.

For instance, if we are initiating a new zone offense continuity to the team we first show the team the entire offensive continuity. We would have five players demonstrate the offense by literally “walking them through” the offense, while the remaining players observe. Then we would rotate players into the offense until all have gone through the offense. We then would have two groups of players go through the offense at higher and higher degrees of speed, until “game-speed” is reached. No defense is used and no shots would be taken, so that the continuity offense could be run for longer periods of time. We do not want any distractions during this learning phase.

Once the basic movement patterns and rules are learned by all team members, we would work on all players practicing their shots from the spots where they would get their shots within the framework of the new zone offense. We would demonstrate where and how the shooters would receive passes to get their shots. We would have the players practice those shots and have other players practice the passes they would make from the same locations on the court that they would in a game. Once the players learn their specific passing and shot locations and they start feeling comfortable, we step up the level of intensity of the breakdown drills. Goals and performance-standards are established, with these goals and standards increasing in difficulty as the players progress in their skill development and knowledge of the concept being introduced.

As a coach, it is best to not assume every player has mastered all of the fundamental skills of basketball. The more elementary he/she is in the initial breakdown drills before advancing to more sophisticated breakdown drills, the more solid that his/her players will most likely be in their overall understanding, their performance level, and their overall success of the particular skill being taught and performed.

The more experience the players obtain, the more demanding the coaching staff is able to be with them. No drill should be “too easy” or “too difficult”. Coaching staffs should remember to start at the very basic fundamentals and lay a strong foundation. The “whole” could and should gradually and ultimately be the performance of all five players in a game. But that will take time, planning, teaching, practicing, drilling, effort, and patience (by both the coaches and the players).

Here are some “points of emphasis that a coaching staff should keep in mind while using the “whole-part-whole” teaching method in their basketball practices.

1. Remember that the gymnasium is your “classroom” and that for learning to take place in any classroom, there must be organization and an atmosphere conducive for learning. Encourage questions from your players at the appropriate times.
2. Don’t assume your players possess the fundamental skills that are necessary for them to be successful.
3. Don’t assume your players possess a knowledge of the game that they may think they have.
4. Have an organized practice plan—it is a coach’s “lesson plan”. “Plan your work and work your Plan”. Don’t vary too much from your plan, but don’t be bound by it completely.
5. Make sure the time limits of all drills are short enough that players do not get bored. A coach can plan to run a drill for four or five minutes three times in a practice versus a fifteen minute drill at one setting, with players losing interest.
6. Make sure that players are not standing at the end of lines during drills. Create your drills where everyone is involved, not just three or four players.
7. Make sure that all breakdown drills have gradual levels of difficulty as the players are improving.
8. Set realistic performance goals for your players in various practice drills.
9. Keep statistics on the performances of your players. Reward the winners in small ways.
10. Demand from your players and assistant coaches a quick transition from one drill to the next.
11. Involve your assistant coaches in the practice planning and the actual teaching on the court.
12. Make sure that the more sophisticated drills are “game realistic”. That means that these higher level drills always must be performed at “game speed” and have some forms of pressure and competition. This means that they have “winners and losers”-with awards and (minimal) penalties.
13. If a coach wants his players to be enthusiastic and energetic, he/she must not only be enthusiastic and energetic, but he/she must be the MOST enthusiastic and energetic person in the gym.
14. Don’t accept anything but excellence from yourself, your staff, or your players.
15. Have a keen eye for detail. Look for it and expect it from your players on every technique that is being taught and worked on. Include “points of emphasis” and “coaching points” in your Practice plan and with your players in practice.
16. Be positive when correcting, but demanding when it comes to your players’ attention and physical effort. Don’t accept anything below that high level that you constantly stress. Praise the team and the strong efforts of individual players.
17. Teach the rules of the game to your players. You cannot succeed unless you follow the rules and you cannot follow the rules unless you know the rules.

Ultimately, remember that a great coach must be a great teacher. A great teacher must be a great student. He/she must know the material that he/she is teaching. He/she must “stay up with the game”. Coaches must stay informed of the changes of styles, techniques, rules in the game. Basketball is not a static game. There are constantly changes that occur in the game. Coaches must have high levels of expectations from the assistant coaches, the players, the managers, and above all, him/herself. Often times, people only reach the levels that are expected of them. Coaches cannot expect anyone in the program to perform at a higher level than he/she performs. Coaches are a model to everyone in the program every minute of every day—be a strong example and model.

About the Author

Coach Kimble was the Head Basketball Coaching position at Deland-Weldon (IL) High School for five years (91-43) that included 2 Regional Championships, 2 Regional Runner-Ups and 1 Sectional Tournament Runner-up. He then moved to Dunlap (IL) High School (90-45) with 2 Regional Runners-up, 1 Regional, 1 Sectional and 1 Super-Sectional Championship and a final 2nd Place Finish in the Illinois Class A State Tournament. He was an Assistant Basketball Coach at Central Florida Community College in Ocala, FL for 1 year before becoming Offensive Coordinator and then Associate Head Coach for 3 additional years He then was the Head Basketball Coach at Crestview (FL) High School for 10 years, averaging over 16 wins per season.

He has had articles published in the following publications such as: The Basketball Bulletin of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Journal, Winning Hoops, Basketball Sense, and American Basketball Quarterly. He has also written and has had five books published along with over 25 different DVDs by Coaches Choice and Fever River Sports Production.

See him on Twitter @CoachJohnKimble and his Web Page “www.CoachJohnKimble.com”

I like to have players play a lot of one on one and define using the dribble within a team concept to attack the basket and create scoring opportunities for all 5 players. I am always looking for ways to make it more productive, challenging, and game like.

I found these four versions of one on one on Zak Boisvert’s site pickandpop.net.

Zak is an assistant men’s coach at Maine and has been putting out useful You Tube videos and lots of good stuff on Twitter for a while.

The site has a lot of really useful content.

These are 4 of his favorite one on one drills.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

 

 

Iona 1 on 1

Coach throws ahead to 1

As 1 crosses half, 2 sprints out of the circle to defend him.

Whoever wins the possession (offense scores, is fouled or gets O rebound; defense gets a defensive rebound), keeps going the other way.

 

Louisville 1 on 1

Coach on each wing with a basketball.

Offensive player (1) can loop to catch at either slot.

2 trails him out and defends him on his catch.

1 has three dribbles, but has the ability to pass it back to either coach at any time.

Winner of possession (offense scores, gets an O rebound or is fouled; defense gets a stop), throws ball back to coach and sprints to one of the two spots as the next player up on the baseline sprints on to defend him.

Hostage 1 on 1

On coach’s call, 1 and 2 sprint around the cone to play 1-on-1.

 

 

 

Paint One on One

On coach’s call, 1 rounds the cone and attacks the rim and 2 slides/sprints t o touch his cone.

Winner of possession goes to O. Loser goes to back of line, new player steps on for D.

 

 

One of my favorite coaches to study is Kevin Eastman. Coach Eastman is retired and is a former D1 Head Coach, Nike Skills Trainer, long-time assistant coach for Doc Rivers in both Boston and Los Angeles.

Here are some bullet point notes that I have taken from him over the past several years. Included in this compilation are some notes that I took during on of his Coaching U Live Sessions in Indianapolis last year.

Many of these notes came from my time last July at Coaching U Live.

Coach Eastman’s 8 video course bundle is on sale as our Black Friday special. Normally, it is $112, but it is on special for $49 through Wednesday at midnight Eastern Time. After that time, the price will return to normal.

You can find out more about this special price at this link: Coach Development 8 Course Series

As you think about ways to improve your program, I hope that you can apply at least a few of these to improving both your coaching staff and your players.

Success lies in the simplicity. Confusion lies in the sophistication.
Encourages players to have big eyes, big ears, and a small mouth.
Asks as many purposeful questions anytime he has an opportunity to learn from anyone. “I already know what I know. I don’t know enough. I need to know what you know.”
Don’t shoot 1000 shots. Take 1 perfect form shot 1000 times.

Be there before you get there. When Coach Eastman and Ray Allen were together with the Celtics, Allen did a drill where he would start out laying on the floor, get up as fast as possible, and back peddle to the 3 point arc, catch a pass from Eastman, and get the shot off as quickly as he could. When he hit the shot to send game 6 of the 2013 NBA finals to overtime, he had already “been there” (through hundreds of repetitions in his workouts.)

Be on a mission every day to seek and find new information that will make you a better coach and leader. Then take the time to think deeply about how you can immediately apply your new knowledge to your job.

Be so prepared as a coach that you have the answers before your players ask.

7 things he does daily

1) Read for 2 hours on basketball and leadership
2) Spend time in sustained thought
3) Plan/Organize how to apply those thoughts
4) Work out
5) Do his job
6) Daily family time
7) Get adequate sleep

Become a learn it all, not a know it all
Be a great question asker
Become a meticulous note taker and organize them to help you be better
Working hard should be a given for everyone. It is the price of admission
To get ahead, do the unrequired work that makes a difference.

No job is too big, no job is too small.
Figure out what you don’t know, then figure out a way to learn it and apply it.

Never pass up a basketball opportunity. As a small college coach, He got a call the night before a clinic to be a last minute replacement speaker at the clinic. He drove 12 hours to speak. There was a Nike rep at the clinic who heard him and helped him become a Nike skills trainer. One year he worked with Austin Rivers when Austin was a younger player. Doc Rivers liked what he did with Austin and hired him for the Celtics. That is how he got into the NBA.

Make a total commitment to undistracted thinking time every day.

Seek wisdom from those who came before you.

Have an improvement stamina, a development discipline that can stand the test of the greatness grind every day…

Mad, Sad, Hard–get over all of those!

The best organizations don’t just see teamwork as an internal necessity; they understand customers/vendors/fans, etc are vital teammates too!

We have all heard “seeing is believing”: so much application to leadership. To get your team to believe they have to see that you believe!

Letting your people know not only that you value them but also letting them know what you value in them gives everyone more confidence/enthusiasm!

A team is a variety of talents, attitudes, and commitments. The leader has to be able to reach them all and get the best out of them!