Arc Finishing

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The following drill is a better way to simulate game situations where you will be coming from all different angles to shoot a lay-up. Step 1: Before you start the drill, you must set up 5 cones around the three point line (marked as X's on the diagram to the right). Start by dribbling with your right hand around the first cone and then come back to the basket to shoot a right handed lay-up. Step 2: As soon as you complete a lay-up around cone #1, you will progress to each one of the cones. Once you make a lay-up from each spot with your right hand, you will go back through each spot, this time shooting and dribbling with your left hand. By the end of the drill, you should have completed 10 lay-ups (5 right handed & 5 left handed). Extend the Ball: As soon as you get around the cone, extend the ball as you dribble to accelerate your pace to beat the defense to the basket. Chin Up / Eyes Up: When completing the lay-up, remember to get your chin up and your eyes on the basket. This will help you finish in traffic. (Diagram 1) (Diagram 2) Drive Your Knee To Your Nose: During your lay-up, drive your knee to your nose. This will help you get the maximum height out of your vertical leap & keep your body under control. Push Yourself: Make sure that you perform this drill full speed. You want to best simulate game situations, so dribble and move as you would during a game. By doing that, this also becomes a great conditioning drill. Variations: Use different finishing moves at the basket such as the Rondo, Euro, Runner, etc. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Stationary Ball-Handling Warm-Up

Video by Coach Ashworth

A two-minute stationary ball-handling warm-up to open practice: figure-eight dribbles, pound dribbles, and control dribbles around the waist and each leg. It's simple on purpose — the goal is just to get the ball moving in players' hands and their heart rate up before the real work starts, the same way pros go through a stationary ball-handling routine before tip-off. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Freeze Tag

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Classic freeze tag with a dribbling twist: two taggers try to freeze everyone else while they dribble around the three-point line, and a frozen player can only get back in by setting their ball down and doing five jumping jacks. Because taggers close distance fast, players learn to shrink their dribble low and under control near defenders so they can plant and change direction quickly to escape. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Space Treasure

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A team dribbling relay with a decision-making twist. Split into teams of three or four, each assigned a home cone ('planet'), with a pile of balls ('treasure') in a circle at center court. One player per team sprints in, grabs a ball, and dribbles it home, where the whole team tosses it up, claps, and catches it before the next player goes. Once a team has collected all its own treasure, it can send players to steal from a rival planet — but a tagged thief has to give the ball back. Whichever team is holding the most treasure when time's up wins the round. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Sharks and Minnows

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A basketball twist on the schoolyard classic: 'minnows' line up on a goal line, each with a ball, and try to dribble to the opposite goal line without the coach — the 'shark' — knocking their ball away. Any minnow who loses their ball becomes a shark and helps tag the next wave, until only sharks remain. Players have to keep changing speed and direction to protect the ball, which builds the same instincts they'll need to shake off a defender in a real game. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Detective Pikachu

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A dribbling mirror game that doubles as a poker-face challenge: one player becomes 'Detective Pikachu' and covers their eyes and ears while the coach secretly picks a 'leader.' As the leader starts dribbling through different moves, everyone else copies along, and the detective has three guesses to spot who's actually setting the pace. Rotate roles and play again — it's a fun way to get players executing dribble moves without staring at the ball or each other, building the court awareness that leads to no-look passes down the road. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Dribble Sprints

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Sprint from baseline to half court and back, pushing the ball out ahead of you at chest height or below and taking as few dribbles as possible to get up the floor.

Zig Zag Crossovers

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Zig-zag from baseline to the top of the key and back, working two to three hard dribbles into a crossover just outside the lane line each time you change direction.

1-Step Crossovers

Video by One Up Basketball Training

A progression from a two-dribble crossover to a one-dribble crossover to a continuous crossover walk down the lane line — drop your shoulder toward the defender's hip and take a quick, long step to keep the ball tight to your body.

Half Circle Dribbles

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Dribble the ball in a half circle from front to back, 10 reps with each hand, to prepare for moving the ball away from a defender playing tight without losing sight of the floor.

Pound Dribble Series

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Five pound dribbles at each of four heights — ankle, knee, waist, and shoulder — to build control and the ability to recover the ball and change heights even as you change speeds.

Figure 8 Pounds

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Figure-8 the ball around and between your legs with one hard pound dribble between each full figure-8 — 10 reps forward, 10 reps in reverse.

Single Leg Wraps

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Wrap the ball around one leg for 10 reps going forward, then 10 reps in reverse. Stay in an athletic stance with your eyes up throughout.

Full Body Wraps

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Wrap the ball around your head twice, your waist twice, and your legs twice, then work back up to the top. Keep the ball close and tight, using your finger pads for control so it doesn't get away from you.

1v1 Moves Into a Jumper

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Attack a cone defender with an in-and-out, then stack on a crossover and a between-the-legs move, finishing each into a shot off the dribble.

Stationary Dribble Moves Into a 1v1 Jumper

Video by One Up Basketball Training

From a stationary ball-handling position, attack a cone defender with a crossover, between-the-legs, or behind-the-back move, then pull up for an off-the-dribble jumper. Repeat with each hand.

Attack, Retreat, Finish

Video by One Up Basketball Training

Attack hard to the block, plant and retreat-dribble back out, then explode back in with one hard dribble to finish at the rim — the change-of-pace and finish combo for beating a closing defender.

Ball Handling Warm-Up Combo

Video by One Up Basketball Training

A combo warm-up that builds ball handling while you get your legs moving: dribble lunges, lateral dribbling, dribbling while jogging, and box dribbling, back to back.

Figure 8 Around Cones

Video by Get Handles Basketball

With two cones set about twice shoulder-width apart, the player dribbles a continuous figure eight around them, varying hand position on the ball as it moves around the body — four or five loops in one direction, then the same going the other way. Builds comfort controlling the ball in different spots around the body rather than just straight ahead, while keeping the same low, wide stance. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Front-Behind-Behind the Back (Stationary)

Video by Get Handles Basketball

A stationary combo move: dribble once in front, once behind the body, then behind the back, repeating continuously with feet planted wide. Key coaching points are giving the ball a firm pop rather than letting it drift or get carried, and keeping the feet spread rather than narrowing them for the behind-the-back — a common shortcut that makes the move less game-realistic. Also builds the pull-back transition feel that on-the-move ball handling depends on. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Crossover Through Cone Gaps (On the Move)

Video by Get Handles Basketball

Five or six cones spaced about twice shoulder-width apart in a line; the player dribbles down the row, planting on the outside foot at each cone and crossing the ball through the gap to the other hand before continuing to the next cone. A moving version of basic ball control that also trains the footwork of planting and changing direction cone to cone. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Cone Crossover Touch Drill

Video by Get Handles Basketball

Set two cones (or use a wall) more than shoulder-width apart. Dribbling low, the player touches each cone with their off hand behind their outside leg before crossing the ball over to the other side and repeating. Combines several fundamentals at once: an active off hand, a wide stance forced by reaching down to touch the cone, and a protective crossover move useful against a defender poking at the ball. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

15ft Shooting Drill / Layup

Video by Championship Productions

Geno Aureimma - Start of practise drill

Video by Championship Productions