Coaching

• Half court drill designed to teach players the proper balanced position prior to passing and shooting
• Player dribbles ball three times with right hand and performs “jump stop” into a balanced basketball position. After third dribble, player should literally jump slightly into the air landing on the toes/balls of the feet with ball in triple threat position.

Stationary Shooting

• feet as wide as shoulders; shoulders squared to the basket; knees bent; eyes on rim; shooting elbow tucked in; lead foot slightly ahead of weak-side foot; follow through with fingers pointing into the rim
• no dribble to start; coach rebounds and passes to next shooter in line so players stay squared to the rim/backboard
• players should shoot through their body bending knees for power and to keep elbow in; no twisting or turning of shoulders that would result in player “throwing” rather than shooting the ball at the basket
• players can also start with lead (strong) foot back and step into shot with strong foot
• shoot from short distances on lower hoops so players can master fundamentals

Shooting From Dribble

• players line up 10-12 feet in front of hoop and take one dribble with strong hand toward basket, perform a jump stop, and take a balanced shot at the basket
• players perform same drill while dribbling with opposite hand
• begin with players dribbling on angle to basket from wing area and shooting into the “box” on the backboard after performing a jump-stop.
• progress into proper layup footwork/form: inside foot down; bring ball up with two hands and push ball with outside hand to “box”; start with no dribble and progress to dribbles
• players must dribble with outside hand (right on right side, left on left side) and may/will need to use strong hand to shoot from both sides of basket until strength develops
• progress to lay-up following jab step from the wing area; player jabs strong foot forward to move defender prior to dribbling to basket for lay-up

• Triple Threat Position

player catches ball from coach and gets into “triple-threat” can dribble, pass, or shoot) position with feet balanced, ball tucked to strong-side chest, eyes up

• Chest and Bounce Passes

balanced body position; pass with two hands out of chest; short jab step with strong foot;
thumbs down on release

• Fake and Pass

From triple threat position, player makes shot fake raising the ball while showing elbow to
defender prior to making bounce pass; progress to player placing ball on hip after ball fake
to make the bounce pass around the defender



• Partner Passing

Two players facing each other; both slide to half court and back throw bounce and/or
chest passes

• Teaching Objectives

each player guards a player from the opposite team; stay between offensive player and
the basket; knees bent; backside down; hands out with palms up; on defense when other
team has the ball; trying to stop the other team from scoring



• Defensive Lane Slides

slide from lane line to lane line in balanced stance while keeping feet apart

• Angled Slides

begin teaching angle of feet by sliding on angles from 3-point line to opposite elbow and
then from elbow to block

• First Assist

line on wing and line on opposite block; player from wing dribbles toward lane and makes
bounce pass to player at opposite block who shoots to the box on the backboard; can add
jump stop and/or hesitation dribble



• One post layups

Player line in corner; coach in middle of court; player takes two dribbles, performs jump
stop, passes to coach, keeps running toward basket to receive bounce pass from coach,
dribbles to basket to take layup (can be done on each side; dribble with outside hand)

• V-Cuts

Player runs from wing to block, plants outside foot, and cuts back up to wing to receive ball; then player makes a dribble move to the basket

• Human Cones

Coaches line up 8-10 feet apart; players take turns dribbling through the coaches
switching dribbling hand

• 4 on 4 if possible
• designated defensive line – no full court defense
• no stealing off dribble (at least until ½ way into season)
• first pass cannot be stolen so all players can have success at “point guard”
• encourage bounce pass
• allow some fast break off bad pass to let players develop full court dribbling/scoring skills
• teach how to inbounds ball after a made basket

• Half court drill designed to teach players the proper balanced position prior to passing and shooting
• Player dribbles ball three times with right hand and performs “jump stop” into a balanced basketball position. After third dribble, player should literally jump slightly into the air landing on the toes/balls of the feet with ball in triple threat position.

Stationary Shooting

• feet as wide as shoulders; shoulders squared to the basket; knees bent; eyes on rim; shooting elbow tucked in; lead foot slightly ahead of weak-side foot; follow through with fingers pointing into the rim
• no dribble to start; coach rebounds and passes to next shooter in line so players stay squared to the rim/backboard
• players should shoot through their body bending knees for power and to keep elbow in; no twisting or turning of shoulders that would result in player “throwing” rather than shooting the ball at the basket
• Perfect posture - no dribble to start; coaches rebound for small groups in line in front of basket(s); coaches emphasize adherence to posture positioning mentioned above

Shooting From Dribble

• players line up 10-12 feet in front of hoop and take one dribble with strong hand toward basket, perform a jump stop, and take a balanced shot at the basket; alternate right/left
• strong ball fake and dribble; player shows shooting elbow to defender to place ball in shooting position and get defender to rise up, then shoots after one hard dribble
• pivot on inside foot – coach or player on wing as passer; shooter cuts across foul line to catch bounce pass at elbow and pivots on inside foot to balanced shooting position
• rip through – same as pivot drill; shooter now catches at elbow and rips the ball through imaginary defender to change direction; after rip through from right player takes 1-2 dribbles to left toward basket and squares up for shot at mid lane

Free Throw Shooting

B.E.E.F. – balance, eyes on target, elbow in, follow through with fingers in rim

• Daily Dozen

right hand layup, hesitation dribble to right hand layup, right hand layup with ball fake to “trailer”, pull up bank shot from block, right side crossover to left hand dribble down lay for left hand layup, right side crossover to left hand dribble in lane for pull up jump shot in lane;
same from left side

Triple Threat and Passing
 

• Triple Threat Position/Ball Strong

Player receives pass from teammate and gets into triple threat position; on coaches command player tucks ball to strong-side hip, rips ball through front of knees, rips ball back across shoulders to original position, executes jab fakes at imaginary defender, makes quick 2-3 dribble move – all with emphasis on good balance

• Monkey in Middle

With passing partners facing each other, defender attempts to deflect/steal pass moving back and forth;/ offensive players must use ball fakes, jabs, step-around to successfully pass ball around defender to partner; can add single dribble to create passing angle; unsuccessful passer becomes defender

• Outlet passes

Player in rebounding line chins ball off backboard, pivots outside, and completes outlet pass to player on wing; coach can offer token defense on rebounder who must create angle

• Drive and Dish

Player drives from left side toward middle of foul line with right hand and bounce passes to teammate on block; to create game situation, coach or player defends player on block and decides whether to stop ball or fake/fade back to player on block; dribbler must choose to pass or pull up for short shot in lane

• Back Door

point position catches from right wing above elbow, rips through and dribbles toward left wing; left wing player sprints from block to wing, plants top foot and makes hard backdoor cut; point delivers bounce pass to cutter; rotate positions

• Triple Threat Position

player catches ball from coach and gets into “triple-threat” can dribble, pass, or shoot) position with feet balanced, ball tucked to strong-side chest, eyes up

• Ball Strong Series

players catch from partner; under direction of coach they get in triple threat, then tuck ball to hip followed by jab steps and then a ball fake (showing their elbow)

• Chest and Bounce Passes

balanced body position; pass with two hands out of chest; short jab step with strong foot; thumbs down on release

• Fake and Pass

from triple threat position, player makes shot fake raising the ball while showing elbow to defender prior to making bounce pass; progress to player placing ball on hip after ball fake to make the bounce pass around the defender; player must step around defender

• Partner Passing

two players facing each other; both slide to half court and back throw bounce and/or chest passes

• Outlet Passes

rebounding line and outlet line on ball side wing; coach tosses ball off backboard; player rebounds ball, puts ball on forehead with elbows flexed, pivots outside and completes outlet pass to teammate who dribbles toward middle of court to ½ court



• Drive and Dish

player drives from left hash toward middle of foul line with right dribble and makes bounce pass to teammate ready at the block; same from left and right sides
 

• Give and Go

player passes from wing to teammate at foul line area and cuts toward block after passing; player at foul line completes bounce pass to cutting teammate; can also be done from foul line to wing with cutter
 

• Reverse Ball and Cut

players on wings and point; player on right wing reverses ball to point who passes to opposite wing; on pass from point, initial wing player cuts across lane for bounce pass from wing 2; wing 1 turns to basket for bank shot

• Teaching Objectives

keep dribbler out of lane when on the ball; ball-you-man concept when playing off the ball defense keeping back to basket seeing both ball and man

• Defensive Lane Slides

slide from lane line to lane line in balanced stance while keeping feet apart

• Zig-Zag Slides

player starts in corner with feet at 45% degree angle; left foot up to force offensive player to dribble with left (weak) hand; player slides on angle back to lane line; at lane line player plants right foot and performs “drop-step” to get into reversed 45% angle with right foot forward; player then slides on angle back to sideline; angled slides to half court

• Introductory Help and Recover Drill

2 offensive players just outside of elbows (one with ball); 2 defensive players; player with ball dribbles toward middle of lane; off the ball defensive player slides in to lane to “help” and “recovers” once ballhandler passes to his offensive partner

• First Assist

line on wing and line on opposite block; player from wing dribbles toward lane and makes bounce pass to player at opposite block who shoots to the box on the backboard; can add jump stop and/or hesitation dribble

• One post layups

player line in corner; coach in middle of court; player takes two dribbles, performs jump stop, passes to coach, keeps running toward basket to receive bounce pass from coach, dribbles to basket to take layup (can be done on each side; dribble with outside hand)

• Two Post Layups

As above with coaches at back court and front court elbow areas

• V-Cuts

player runs from wing to block, plants outside foot, and cuts back up to wing to receive ball; then player makes a dribble move to the basket



• Human Cones

coaches line up 8-10 feet apart; players take turns dribbling through the coaches switching dribbling hand

• Pass and Screen Away

line at point and line at each wing; point guard passes to a wing player and sets screen for opposite wing player; opposite wing takes fake jab step and cuts tightly off screen to foul line with hands up; wing player with ball makes bounce pass to cutter who squares to basket and shoots

• Two on One ½ Court “Break”

two offensive players split at ½ court; defensive player at foul line; offensive players attack staying split just outside elbows; offensive players goal is to quickly get a layup off backboard; pass to score should be a bounce pass

• 4 on 4 if possible
•  no full court defense
• no stealing off dribble (until ½ way into season)
• first pass cannot be stolen so all players can have success at “point guard” (for first few weeks or as needed)
• encourage bounce pass
• allow some fast break off bad pass to let players develop full court dribbling/scoring skills
• encourage at least two passes in “1/2 court” offense before shooting
• encourage ball reversal and cutting
• defensive players keep back to basket as much as possible

• Half court drill designed to teach players the proper balanced position prior to passing and shooting
• Player dribbles ball three times with right hand and performs “jump stop” into a balanced basketball position. After third dribble, player should literally jump slightly into the air landing on the toes/balls of the feet with ball in triple threat position.

Stationary Shooting

• feet as wide as shoulders; shoulders squared to the basket; knees bent; eyes on rim; shooting elbow tucked in; lead foot slightly ahead of weak-side foot; follow through with fingers pointing into the rim
• no dribble to start; coach rebounds and passes to next shooter in line so players stay squared to the rim/backboard
• players should shoot through their body bending knees for power and to keep elbow in; no twisting or turning of shoulders that would result in player “throwing” rather than shooting the ball at the basket
• Perfect posture - no dribble to start; coaches rebound for small groups in line in front of basket(s); coaches emphasize adherence to posture positioning mentioned above

Shooting From Dribble

• players line up 10-12 feet in front of hoop and take one dribble with strong hand toward basket, perform a jump stop, and take a balanced shot at the basket; alternate right/left
• strong ball fake and dribble; player shows shooting elbow to defender to place ball in shooting position and get defender to rise up, then shoots after one hard dribble
• pivot on inside foot – coach or player on wing as passer; shooter cuts across foul line to catch bounce pass at elbow and pivots on inside foot to balanced shooting position
• rip through – same as pivot drill; shooter now catches at elbow and rips the ball through imaginary defender to change direction; after rip through from right player takes 1-2 dribbles to left toward basket and squares up for shot at mid lane

Free Throw Shooting

B.E.E.F. – balance, eyes on target, elbow in, follow through with fingers in rim

• Daily Dozen

right hand layup, hesitation dribble to right hand layup, right hand layup with ball fake to “trailer”, pull up bank shot from block, right side crossover to left hand dribble down lay for left hand layup, right side crossover to left hand dribble in lane for pull up jump shot in lane;
same from left side

Triple Threat and Passing
 

• Triple Threat Position/Ball Strong

Player receives pass from teammate and gets into triple threat position; on coaches command player tucks ball to strong-side hip, rips ball through front of knees, rips ball back across shoulders to original position, executes jab fakes at imaginary defender, makes quick 2-3 dribble move – all with emphasis on good balance

• Monkey in Middle

With passing partners facing each other, defender attempts to deflect/steal pass moving back and forth;/ offensive players must use ball fakes, jabs, step-around to successfully pass ball around defender to partner; can add single dribble to create passing angle; unsuccessful passer becomes defender

• Outlet passes

Player in rebounding line chins ball off backboard, pivots outside, and completes outlet pass to player on wing; coach can offer token defense on rebounder who must create angle

• Drive and Dish

Player drives from left side toward middle of foul line with right hand and bounce passes to teammate on block; to create game situation, coach or player defends player on block and decides whether to stop ball or fake/fade back to player on block; dribbler must choose to pass or pull up for short shot in lane

• Back Door

point position catches from right wing above elbow, rips through and dribbles toward left wing; left wing player sprints from block to wing, plants top foot and makes hard backdoor cut; point delivers bounce pass to cutter; rotate positions

• Teaching Objectives

Man to Man principles
On ball: feet at 45 degree angle; left foot is lead vs. righty to force left dribble; hands out wide on dribbler; slide feet to stay out in front of ball, forcing dribbler to switch direction; reach only from bottom upward; keep dribbler out of lane; get “dead-call”
On potential shooter: match right to left/left to right on shooting hand – against righty shooter, have left hand in “L” on the shooter’s right shooting hand negating shot and forcing dribble; still in balanced 45 degree position; don’t leave feet on ball fakes
Off ball: keep ball-you-man relationship; always see both ball and man; no face-cuts; defender keeps back to basket; further offensive player is away from ball, the further defender can be from opponent, providing “help” defense for teammates

• Shell Drill

5 on 5 1/2 court drill; as offense moves ball around perimeter defensive players “jump” to ball maintaining ball you man relationships while sliding into help defense;
Have offensive players cut through lane; simulate dribble drives to force “help situations

• Zig-Zag dribble

live offensive dribbler vs. man defender; defender slides on angle from sideline to lane line and back staying in front of offensive player and performing drop-step move to change direction

• Wing Denial

ball at point; defensive player in balanced stance defends offensive player cutting from wing to block to wing; in “deny” position, defender faces chest to offensive player and extends ball side hand and top foot, sliding up and back with offensive player and staying just below passing lane



• Help and Recover Drill

2 offensive players just outside elbows (one with ball); 2 defensive players; player with ball dribbles toward middle of lane; off ball defensive player slides into help position to stop ball with teammate; offensive player kicks ball out to teammate; original off ball defender “recovers” to his opponent with short “close-out”

• Close-outs

partners facing one another from 15 feet away; player passes to partner and assumes defensive role; passer “closes out” on partner following cadence of sprint-sprint-hop-hop; the hop allows defender to finish in a balanced position on offensive player; defender closes out with left hand in “L” on righty shooter and vice-versa; feet are at 45 degree; defender negates shot and forces weak hand dribble in most situations

• V-Cuts/Getting Open

player runs from wing to block, plants outside foot, and cuts back up to wing to receive ball; then player makes a dribble move to the basket vs. defender offensive player from wing makes v-cut moving to defender’s ball side shoulder and cutting back to wing; player then gets into triple threat w/jabs for one on one live play

• Two post layups

player line in corner; coaches/players at each elbow in middle of court; player takes dribble and passes to first elbow, receives ball back and passes to second elbow; receives bounce pass back and completes layup

• Pitch and go

rebounder passes outlet to wing; wing dribbles hard to middle toward opposite key/foul line area; rebounder trails on outside and cuts to block to receive bounce pass for layup from dribbler; initial rebounder runs through to wing; passer gets rebound and drill continues on other side of court; can change to jumper from block or pass back to elbow

• 3 on 2; 2 on 1

fast break drill with defenders in tandem; back defender plays first pass; top defender stops ball and drops opposite of first pass; 2 defenders go back the other way in 2 on 1 break vs. either shooter or passer from initial offensive team; in 2 on 1 drill offensive players stay split; ball handler performs hesitation dribble at elbow to read defender; defender should fake at ball and fade back to block area, defending against layups

• Father Judge Drill

rebounder throws outlet pass to wing; wing throws chest pass to player cutting from opposite side into mid-court area; player with ball dribbles to top of key and hits cutter from front court wing with bounce pass for layup

Emphasis on: spacing, ball movement, constant cutting – being “hard to guard”, chest passes in open court, bounce passes where possible to scorers ,using dribble effectively to: attack basket, draw double team, and create better passing angles, take high % shots, hit the open man, out hustle opponents, play with pride, respect the game