Basketball drills

Prerequisites:
players must already have good dribbling skills

Objective:
practice retreat dribble to get out of a kick

Organization:

• use the length of the field
• defender 2 forces attacker 1 to the sideline with slides
• defender 3 sets up the kick by closing off the sideline
• dribbler creates space with a retreat dribble
• dribbles between the legs
• and attacks the free shoulder of 2

Teaching points:

• put the body between the 2 defenders and the ball
• Feet perpendicular to the direction of movement
• Take off hard and make a jump to the back

Variations:

• AFTER retreat dribble with between the legs OR under the buttocks by changing hands
• if you cross the centre line without the ball being tapped away by a defender, you play 1 on 2 on the other basket
• OR if you only have a quarter court: from the midline back 1v1 on the basket you left.

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

Prerequisites:
master players crossover and behind the back

Objective:
to increase the speed of changing hands

Organization:

• Place 5 pawns in a straight line from three-point line crossing extended free throw line towards crossing sideline and center line. The pawns are placed less than 1 metre apart.
• players zigzag with a low crossover between the cones
• finish with lay up
• jump shot
• push off jump shot
• push off lay up

Teaching points:

• look over the ball and survey the field in front of you
• Leg on the side of the ball is in front
• Hand over the ball
• Crossover dribble is backwards in front of the body and low
• with an open step in the other direction
• always make a dribble in between
• The ball is low
• Bounce is flat and hard

Variations:

• start left and right
• Behind the back in position
• Pawns on the defensive half and a defender on the offensive half, directly over the halfway line. Pass the defender with one of the practised moves

Prerequisites:
Players must master the basic technique of dribbling.

Objective:
to improve the different dribbling techniques

Organisation:

• Players dribble back and forth across the field twice and then get a new assignment.
• and then get a new assignment

Tips:

• build up the level of difficulty: during the training, but also during the season
• If necessary, differentiate within the group; for example beginners do once a between the legs and advanced 4x

Techniques and teaching points:

• between the legs (leg on the side of the ball is back hand over the ball dribble is backwards diagonally between the legs and change direction low with a crossover step)
• Under the buttocks (after the mini jump stop the feet are next to each other at shoulder width hand over the ball fetch the ball with a flat bounce behind the back to the other hand with an open step changing direction)
• Behind the back (leg on the side of the ball is in front hand over the ball pass the ball with a quick movement behind the back hand with the ball so far through the hand that the wrist touches the hip on the other side. The ball will then hit the ground well in front of the body)
• Fake cross over (leg on the ball side is on the ground hand on the outside over the ball shoulders and front foot move short and fast to the free hand hand turns with a quick movement over the ball to the inside dribble the ball diagonally to the outside continued with an open step)

General

• look over the ball and survey the field in front of you
• The bounce is hard
• The ball is low
• Dribble with your wrist
• A change of hand is ALWAYS accompanied by a change of direction and speed
• Even after a feint, always change direction and accelerate

Variations:

• increase the number of times you make a movement: e.g. back and forth 3x between the legs dribble
• OR always 2 between the dribbles and then a between the legs dribble
• combine techniques, e.g. an between the legs dribble directly followed by a under the buttocks dribble
• start with different dribble starts: cross over step, open step, jab step
• Let these be preceded by a fake shot, fake pass etc.
• always stop at the sideline with a jump stop, lire or reli, followed by a half turn. The players then make
• then 4 stops and 4 dribble starts

Two balls:

• each player has two balls (also possible with a miniball for the strong hand and a men's ball for the weak hand)
• go back and forth 2 times, keep dribbling at the turning points
• always start from standstill with 5 hard, simultaneous dribbles
• vary equal/different hip, knee and ankle height

Prerequisites:
players must have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling

Objective:
practice speed change and direction change with the ball in front

Organization:

• players dribble zigzagging between two lines along the length of the field
• when they reach a longitudinal line, they make a crossover 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
• Leg on the side of the ball is in front
• hand over the ball
• crossover dribble is backwards in front of the body and low
• with an open step in the other direction

Variations:
dribble goggles use

Prerequisites:

• Players should have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling.

Objective:
practice speed change and change of direction with the ball between the legs

Organization:

• players dribble zigzagging between two lines along the length of the field
• when they reach a longitudinal line with their foot, they make a dribble between the legs, changing direction and accelerating
• 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
• stop with a jump in 2 TR
• Leg on the side of the ball is behind
• Hand over the ball
• dribble backwards between the legs and low
• with a crossover step in the other direction

Variations:
use dribbling goggles