You don't have to have a whole team to work on your basketball skills. You can work on dribbling, shooting and basic defensive drills without assistance from other players. And you can improve your speed, conditioning and agility just by spending some time in the gym. If you want to up your skills, then grab your ball and hit the court--the more time you practice, the more prepared you'll feel when game time rolls around.
Ball Handling Drills
If you want to become a stellar ball handler, always have a ball with you. Walk to school or to your friends' houses while dribbling the ball. You want the ball to feel like an extension of your body. Switch hands, learn to dribble between your legs and behind your back. Change the height of the dribble, and speed up and slow down while you practice. Even just passing the ball back and forth between your hands will make you more comfortable catching and manipulating the ball.
For a structured drill, head to the gym and set up cones down one side of the court in a zigzag formation. Starting at one baseline, dribble to the first cone, and practice a cross-over dribble, switching the ball to your opposite hand. At the next cone, cross-over dribble again, alternating hands up and down the court at each cone. You can use this same drill to practice other dribbling skills like the reverse pivot, behind the back or between the legs.
Jump Shot Drills
Set up two or three cones inside the three-point line. Starting outside the three-point line, dribble fast to any of the cones, perform a jump stop with a shot fake, and immediately shoot the ball. Shag your ball, and dribble to the three point, creating a new angle from which to approach the first cone. Do the same drill five times to each cone, always changing the angle from which you approach the cone.
Conditioning Drills
Basketball requires quick bursts of speed interspersed with longer, persistent aerobic endurance. If you're in great shape when the season rolls around, you'll be able to run the other players around the court. After warming up and getting loose, perform horses as a conditioning drill, timing yourself for speed.
Start on the baseline, and when you start your time, sprint to the first free-throw line, bend to touch it while you pivot, and run back to the baseline. Touch the baseline, turn and pivot, sprinting to half court and back. Then continue to the far free-throw line and back, finishing the horse by sprinting the full court, touching the baseline, and sprinting all the way back. Allow yourself a minute rest, then repeat the drill.
References
- The Coach's Clipboard: Basketball Shooting -- Off the Dribble Shooting Drills
- Basketball Drills and Plays: Great Ball Handling Tips to Improve Your Dribbling Skills!
- Basketball Drills and Plays: Shake Your Defenders With Great Basketball Footwork!
- World of Sports Science: Basketball Strength and Training Exercises
Member Comments