Basketball drills
The players stand around the bucket or on the free throw line and try to score in the basket. Vary their position and distance.
Players dribble from the center line to the free throw line and try to score from there within 5 seconds.
Emphasis can be placed on different fundamental items. Passing, ball handling, transition or shooting. You can
give it a conditional character for the core of your training.
The exercise is also fairly complex, which means that the players also have to think a little during the exercise (brain training).
- The exercise starts with a plurality of 3 players.
- Even if you don't have a plural of 3, the exercise is possible, only then one player steps out each time. #1/#2/#3 start the exercise with a half weave to the center line.
- After his pass #1 becomes a flyer and after the pass from #3 he also becomes a flyer. #2 receives the ball last and dribbles midcourt for a score (lay-up).
- #3 and #1 receive the ball from #4 and #6 for the shot from outside. #5 rebounds the ball from #2, and starts the same drill along with #4 and #6.
- In this way this exercise repeats itself and a full court continuous drill is created.
Variations:
- The ballhandler (#2 in the first diagram) must finish with at least 1 change of direction (spindribble, reverse dribble, crossover, etc)
- Give the ballhandler a maximum number of dribbles so that he finishes aggressively.
- Have the 2 flyers who receive the ball stop with a jump stop / rhythm stop / or take 1 dribble and pull-up.
- Have the 2 flyers make a jab step with a countermove
- Starting with a rebound situation, you can vary with #1 / #2 / #3 in a row and throwing the ball up against the board (tipping), or have two players start at the board where one defends the outlet pass.
- The disadvantage of this is, that you have to constantly reorganize, and the continuous nature of the exercise disappears.
- Have #2 (in the first diagram) defend the ballhandler with a close-out and box out after the score or goal attempt.
- The 2 flyers make a "split the post" move, so they make a front move and cut in on the other side.
- This is a very good variation in terms of timing, as it involves three players.
Teaching points:
- Require the tempo you want from the players. Depending on the age, the exercise should reflect what you want to train. Keep in mind that the organization is quite complex, so for younger ages you will spend a lot of time on "organizing" the drill. So, wasted time, and ask yourself if you have this time.
- Make good stops, when catching the ball (flyers). Be critical on running, see that players make a stable stop, bring butt back, and jump straight up. The shot starts with the “foundation†and that is the footwork. If that is not right, it will affect all of your shot.
- Ballhandler finished hard on the basket. Re-enact the game situation! The attacker must visualize the defender. So dribble with the right hand (your body between the ball and the defender), protect the ball, also in 2T rhythm.
- Also use a situation where the ballhandler is the "front man" of the pitch, and therefore has to finish with a speed dribble: high, forward dribble, push the ball in front of you, and as few dribbles as possible (every dribble is a risk).
- Passing: Think about a good passing technique and its teaching points: Pass in front of the man, ask, make eye contact, target as a receiver, run into the ball, pass tightly, arms out, thumbs down after the pass. Also remember that players do not necessarily have to complete their 2T rhythm.
- Finish: Going hard to the board, and letting the ball “kiss†the board. The ball makes a so-called soft touch against the board. Especially with young players this is obvious, as they tend to “throw†the ball against the board when going hard. This implies that they have to rise (long stride, small stride, take a knee, stretch, the ball actually leaves your hand automatically due to the vertical movement of your body, do not bump).
- Shooting: Basics are footwork! Make a good stop, and the feet should be in the right position. Shoulder width, foot under the shot-hand slightly in front of the other, slightly through the knees (120 degrees), straight back, upper arm immediately horizontal after the catch, and forearm slightly less than 90 degrees. The forearm moves in a vertical direction first, and do not bring the ball behind your head (a common mistake among children). Look under the ball and then do the follow-through. Wrist flap and follow through!
- First train and program the technique, then focus on the speed. Note: this will not work in 1 training! Depending on the age, you can play with this, read: put the emphasis on something.
- After you make the lay-up,
- you catch the ball and
- pass the ball with a bouncing pass to a player without the ball in the line you came from
Half of the basketball players have a ball.
These basketball players dribble all over the room.
On the whistle they pass the ball to someone they first made eye contact with.
The pass they use to do so is up to them.
Choose the pass that is best in the situation.
If you are close to the ball, do not pass.
Requirements:
Players must be able to dribble away from the ball at an angle with one hand at the side
Preparatory exercises:
- with one, passing the ball in front of the body with a flat bounce from left to right
- Same with two hands, bringing the ball with the left hand from right to left and vice versa (so that the player is forced to bring the hand over the ball and exert force on the side instead of the top of the ball)
Objective:
practise speed and direction change with the ball behind the body and a 180 degree turn of the body
Organisation:
- players dribble zigzagging between two lines along the length of the field
- when they reach a longitudinal line, they make a spin dribble
- change direction and accelerate
- when the first dribbler reaches the extended free throw line, the next one starts
Teaching points:
- look over the ball and survey the court in front of you
- Stop in 2 TR
- Leg on the side of the ball is behind
- Hand over the ball
- First turn your head, then your trunk and then the ball
- Turn the trunk quickly
- back foot makes a turn of about 270 degrees
Variations:
Start left and right
Prerequisites:
Players should have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling.
Objective:
players practice surveying the surroundings while dribbling
Organization:
- players 1, 2 and 3 stand about two metres away from a wall they dribble with their weak hand
- players 3, 4 and 5 throw a tennisball against the wall in such a way that it bounces in front of the strong hand of the dribbler
- the dribbler grabs it and throws the tennisball over his shoulder to his buddy
- change after one or two minutes
Teaching points:
dribble with strength from the wrist
Prerequisites:
Players should have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling.
Objective:
To have players dribble by feel while having their attention focused on something else
Organization
- each player puts a ribbon in his pants as a tail
- dribble inside the three-points area
- take the tail of another player and hang it around your neck.
- the game is over when there is no player left with a tail
Variations:
dribble with the weak hand only
Prerequisites:
players must already have good dribbling skills
Objective:
to train the ability to oversee the field while dribbling
Organisation:
- pawns to mark the dribbling area
- player 2 is doing the Mikan drill
- the dribbler has to count the number of scores out loud and at the same time apply his dribbling skills
- (waiting players can practice their dribbling skills along the sidelines)
Teaching points:
- knees bent
- keep the ball low
- nose points to the ring
- always overlook the field, so no reverse on spin dribble
With defender:
- add active defender
- use several areas if necessary
With passes:
- defender 2 gives maximum pressure on the ball
- forwards 3 and 5 try to get free in turns
- 4 defends actively
- If the pass does not reach the forward in time, he/she steps back to the bucket edge.
- in case of a successful pass the forward plays 1 against 1 against 4
Rotation:
- defender 4 picks up the rebound and joins the back of the line
- the forward who just attacked becomes defender
- defender 2 becomes forward at the open position
- 1 starts defending the new dribbler
With extra defender:
- add extra defender, so there is less time for the dribbler to make the pass
- (players at the helpside are inactive)
- back through pass is allowed
Prerequisites:
Players must master the basic technique of dribbling.
Objective:
to improve the dribble with the pocketed hand
Organization:
- use half the field
- players are only allowed to dribble with their weak hand
- players are not allowed to pick up the ball
- start with one ticker
- the player who is tagged becomes a tagger and so on until there are only taggers left.
Teaching points:
- look over the ball and oversee the field in front of you
- bounce is hard
Variations:
- take the ball outside the field with two hands, but then start with two hard bounces before going over.
Requirements:
Players must be able to dribble away from the ball diagonally with one hand at the side
Preparatory exercise:
Dribble the ball from the left hand to the right hand with a flat bounce while standing behind the back
Goal
: practice changing speed and direction with the ball behind the body, while keeping the dribbler's field of vision on the part of the field in front of him
Organisation:
- players dribble zigzagging between two lines along the length of the field
- when reaching a longitudinal line, make a mini jump stop and behind the back dribble
- change of direction and acceleration
- when the first dribbler is at the extended free throw line, the next one starts
Teaching points:
- look over the ball and survey the court in front of you
- after the mini jump stop, feet side by side at shoulder width
- Hand over the ball
- Pass the ball with a flat bounce behind your back to the other hand
- Change direction with a crossover step
Variations:
- start left and right
Requirements:
players must be able to dribble with two balls at once
Objective:
To allow players to maintain control of the ball against physical resistance
Organization:
- defender keeps his hands on the shoulders of the dribbler
- he moves backwards along with the dribbler, but gives some resistance
- across the width of the field, change at the sideline
- equal or uneven dribbling
- possibly a ladies ball in one hand and a men's ball in the other.
Teaching points:
- Dribble with power from the wrist.
Prerequisites:
Players should have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling.
Objective:
to practice changing speed without changing direction
Organisation:
- players dribble to a line
- then make at least 2 dribbles on the spot
- and accelerate
- when the dribblers are at the free throw line, the next group starts
- at the free throw line, make at least 2 dribbles on the spot
- when the first group is past the free throw line, the next group starts
- at the end of the court turn around and on the way back 3 hesitations again
- players have to make sure that they don't bump into each other.
Teaching points:
- look over the ball and survey the field in front of you
- Keep the ball low during hesitations
- Hand behind the ball when accelerating
Variations:
- left and right hand
- Dribble with 2 balls
- Use dribbling goggles