Athletic ability and a deep knowledge of the game are both necessary in order to excel as a basketball player. It can be a difficult sport that requires good hand-eye coordination as well as strength and quickness. Though basketball is a competitive sport that is sometimes difficult to learn, proper practice and training can result in significant improvement on the court.
Defensive Drop Step Drill
Being a good defender is an important part of becoming a well-rounded basketball player. This drill will improve your footwork, balance and position when playing defense, and can be performed with a team or with just one player and a coach. Start this drill in the defensive position. To achieve this position, set your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, slightly bend your knees and reach your arms out to the side, making them as wide as possible. Start with your right foot slightly forward. The coach then blows a whistle and points to the right. The player, reacting to the commands, slides to the coach's right while maintaining the defensive position. The coach then blows the whistle again and points in the opposite direction. The player then reacts and starts moving to the coach's left. Repeat these steps until the player has covered the length of the court or the coach is satisfied.
Power Rebounding Drill
Rebounding is another essential skill in basketball. In order to possess the ball and score, a team needs to be able to rebound. This drill will teach good, strong rebounding positioning and basic rebounding fundamentals. To perform this drill, the player should stand underneath the basket in a strong rebounding stance. The proper rebounding stance involves having a strong base. Bend your knees, set your legs about shoulder width apart and bend slightly forward at the hips while sticking out your rear end. Once the stance has been assumed, the coach should throw a basketball off of the backboard. The player should then jump as high as possible and firmly grasp the ball. The coach should be sure to emphasize that the player needs to catch the ball at the highest possible point and keep the ball high above his head after possessing it. This will ensure that smaller players cannot reach in and steal the ball.
20 Point Shooting Drill
This drill is suitable for players of all skill levels and can be done on your own. It focuses on improving your jump shot from various spots on the floor. Start by taking a jump shot from anywhere on the court. Any made basket is worth one point, while any missed basket is worth two points. The goal of the drill is to compile 20 points worth of made baskets before you miss 20 points worth. This drill not only improves your jump shot; once you have mastered it, it will improve your confidence shooting from different spots on the court.
The Cross Drill
This is another drill that players of all skill levels can benefit from. It is a simple exercise that will help improve quickness, agility and overall body control. While performing this drill, remember to keep your hands up as if you were about to receive a pass. Start by taping a cross on the floor. Begin in the top, right hand corner of the cross. From this position, jump backwards over the horizontal section of the cross and ending in the bottom right hand corner. Next, jump to the side across the vertical section of the cross. Finally, jump up over the horizontal section of the cross, again ending in the top left hand corner. When doing this drill take care not to land on any part of the tape. Reverse the movement until you return to the top right where you started. As you get better, speed the drill up and jump a little higher.
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