These drills were submitted by Coach Mason Waters you can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/masonwaters_
Mason Waters has coached at multiple levels of basketball including the NCAA Division 2 level at Flagler College, the high school level at West Forsyth High School in Georgia, and at the middle school level. He’s currently an assistant at South Forsyth high school.
You can download his entire Drill Book here: Coach Mason Waters Drill Book
Backcourt 2v1
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this drill is to train point guards to gain composure against full-court pressure,
to avoid traps, and to develop conditioning.
SETUP/INSTRUCTIONS:
One offensive player will begin in the backcourt with a basketball. 2 defenders will be 2 or more strides away from the ballhandler. There will be 30-60 seconds on the clock. During the allotted time, the ballhandler is dribbling all over the backcourt trying to avoid getting trapped while maintaining their dribble
(guards are aiming to not pick up their dribble). The two defenders have the goal of trapping the ballhandler. If the ballhandler gets trapped and picks up the dribble, the clock will stop and the players will start again from their current spot. If the ball gets kicked out of bounds, the same rule applies.
TEACHING POINTS:
1) The job of the guard is to avoid corners of the court because that is where traps are most
dangerous.
2) The defenders should apply heavy pressure without fouling.
VARIATIONS TO THIS DRILL:
1) In order to ensure that the point guard is continuously scanning the floor, a coach can stand anywhere on the floor. Anytime the coach flashes their hands to the ballhandler, the ballhandler will pass the ball to the coach. Then, the coach will pass the ball back to the guard and the traps will continue.
POINT SYSTEM
Each player has their own point totals. Like golf, each player wants the lowest score in this drill.
If a defensive player fouls, they get 2 points. If the offensive player gets trapped and is forced to pick up the ball, they get 1 point. If the ballhandler loses the ball out of bounds, they get 1 point. The player with the most points loses and will run. Again, getting points for this drill is not good. The goal is to have zero points. Be sure each player goes through multiple times.
# OF BASKETBALLS: > 1
When the ball is lost out of bounds, the coach or a manager will immediately throw a basketball back into the drill.
2 MAN FOXHOLE
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this drill is to(1) Develop strength, composure, and passing abilities against pressure from the offensive perspective and (2) to develop the skill of applying ball pressure without fouling and while staying on balance.
SETUP/INSTRUCTIONS:
Four offensive players will begin in a squared arrangement. Use cones or not, it is up to you and tape may be better. The two defenders will begin in the middle of the floor. One of them will have a basketball. The defender will pass the basketball to any offensive player. The offensive player cannot immediately pass but instead has to make at least one pivot step and one ball fake. At the same time, the defender is applying as much pressure as possible. The other defender is playing the passing lane aiming for a steal or deflection. The offensive players without the basketball cannot cut or relocate.
The offensive player will pass to a teammate in which case the defender off the ball will pick up the new ballhandler. The other defender will move into the passing lane now looking for a deflection.
This drill can be restricted by time (i.e. defense gets as many steals/deflections as possible in 1 minute. Then the next defense will be up to try and defeat the score).
TEACHING POINTS:
1) When pressuring the basketball, do not “break the glass” which means don’t reach/foul. Be very aggressive with the lower body and chest but not with the arms. The arms are for deflections, not fouls.
2) Offensive players: be strong with the basketball. Pivot with strength, step into the defense. Use ball fakes.
# OF BASKETBALLS: 1
