Diamond Drill

Video by Coach Ashworth

Cones set up in a diamond at the top of the key for a jump-stop scoring series. Off the jump stop, players work a short, tight rip-through into a crossover, then a between-the-legs move (finishing high off the glass, as if avoiding a shot blocker), then a behind-the-back move into a Euro step through the lane (simulating a defender loading up to take a charge). Each move gets its own finish, worked both left and right. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Ladder Shooting

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A competitive shooting range-finder: everyone starts at the rim, takes one big step back to set their starting spot, then moves a half-step back after every make or a half-step in after every miss (never closer than the original starting spot). Players quickly find their real shooting range through the game itself, and coaches can rotate players clockwise to a new spot for variety once someone's found a rhythm. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ball Handling With Defense

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Partners face off eight to ten feet apart and dribble toward each other with a live move — a stop-and-go, a stutter step, or a crossover — trying to get past their partner's chest-to-chest defense in a straight line. Run the same move on both the right and left hand before progressing to the next move, so players build the skill in both directions. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Rock Paper Scissors

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Two players face off over a ball on the floor and play rock-paper-scissors; whoever wins rips the ball and attacks the rim while the loser sprints to recover on defense. A simple way to disguise conditioning and finishing reps as a game kids already love, with the added benefit of live, reactive defense from a player closing the gap from behind. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Dribbling With Hand Signals

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Players dribble in a line and react to the coach's hand signals — forward for a speed dribble, a stop sign to jump-stop into triple threat, and side or backward signals for changes of direction — all while keeping the same dribbling hand and their eyes up on the coach rather than the ball. Layer in calling out a number on the stop signal to push eyes up even more, and progress older players toward a controlled stop near the baseline once they're ready. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Monkey In The Middle

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A 2-on-1 passing keep-away game: two players work the ball back and forth while a defender in the middle tries to touch the ball carrier to force a live turnover attempt, using the passing windows around a tight defender (both hips, both shoulders, over the head) so the pass doesn't get deflected. Start with a passive defender who has to touch the ball handler before defense goes live, then progress to a fully live defender and keep a running count of deflections to make it competitive. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Circle Layups

Video by BreakthroughBBall

An early progression for the one-foot power layup finish, done first without a ball: players jog in a circle, planting the inside foot and driving the opposite knee and elbow up explosively, before adding a dribble and finishing the shot to themselves. Isolates the footwork and jumping mechanics of a layup without the frustration of missed shots getting in the way. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Form Shooting

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Shooters start in a tight horseshoe with their head essentially at the rim, then take one step back to begin. The coach walks player to player calling out the shooting checklist — balance, eyes, elbow, follow-through — before letting players progress to coaching themselves through the same checklist on their own reps. Require a set number of makes from one spot before a player is allowed to take a half-step back, so form doesn't break down from rushing to shoot from further away. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1v1 With A Chaser

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A speed-dribble finishing drill: one player attacks the rim at full speed while a defender starts a step or two behind and chases them down, closing space and contesting without fouling. Start the chaser further back so the attacker has early success, then move the chaser closer for a tighter, more competitive rep once players are comfortable. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Rip & Go

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live move-past-the-defender drill: the ball handler rips the ball below their knees to one side, takes a direct step in that direction, and dribbles by the defender in a tight, straight line, working the move both left-to-right and right-to-left. Progress from a defender with hands out but stationary, to a fully live defender once players are comfortable finishing the move. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1v1 Closeouts

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A footwork drill for the defensive closeout: players sprint out from a line, throw their weight back and chop their steps to gain control, then push-step laterally across before sprinting back to close out again from the opposite angle. Run multiple lines at once to keep reps high, and vary the pattern (a single closeout and recover vs. a full zigzag down and back) to keep it fresh. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

X Out Closeouts - 3v3

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Live 3-on-3 built entirely around closeouts: every pass is immediately followed by the nearest defender sprinting out to close, so the defense is constantly rotating and talking as the ball swings. Reinforces staying in a stance and seeing both ball and man rather than getting caught flat-footed after a skip pass. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Fill Cut & Rear Cut

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A perimeter passing-and-cutting drill. After passing, a player fills the open spot on the wing; if the defender denies tightly, they take the defender up a step or two, then back-cut straight to the rim instead of forcing the entry pass. Cutters show a target hand on cuts toward the ball and hide it on cuts away, so the passer always knows whether to throw it or not, and refill to the wing to repeat if they don't get the ball. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ball Security (1v1 Face Up)

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The coach passes to a player who catches, comes to a quick stop, and immediately faces up into a strong, low stance to protect the ball while a defender closes in tight. Coaches watch for two things: no travel off the catch (the pivot foot can't move once it's set) and catching further out, around the three-point line, so the player is already in scoring range rather than backed into a corner. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Fill Cuts - 1v1

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Combines the fill cut with a live 1-on-1: the cutter sprints in a straight line around a cone to fill the wing, catches facing the basket in a ready stance, and looks to score immediately. If the first shot is taken away, the dribbler gets a capped number of dribbles to counter — attack the rim, change direction, or pull up — before the possession ends. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1v1 Foster Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Live 1-on-1 that starts with the ball handler already attacking downhill: on the catch, they push straight toward the rim, using a hesitation, change of direction, or a spin off contact to finish depending on how the defender reacts. Coaches emphasize finishing through contact rather than avoiding it. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Dematha Finishing

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The coach tosses the ball to one of two players — whoever catches it is on offense, the other is on defense — for a live, contact-focused finish at the rim. Varying the toss (short, long, off to the side) forces different finishes and closeout angles, and requiring a two-foot jump-stop finish reinforces absorbing contact under control. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Duke Speed Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A speed-dribbling variation where the ball handler switches hands on every single dribble while sprinting the floor. Switching every dribble removes any rhythm a defender closing from behind could time a steal off of, which is the actual point of the move, not just a ball-handling flourish. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

4v4 - 2 Dribbles

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The same cutting and spacing concepts as the 2v0 progression, now live 4-on-4 with a two-dribble limit on every touch. The cap forces players to catch facing the basket and make a quick read — attack a bad closeout, hit the open man, or cut — instead of picking up the dribble with nowhere to go. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1v1 Closeout on the Touch

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A closeout drill: the defender sprints out on a pass, chops their feet on the last couple of steps to stay under control, and gets a hand up to contest. The first rep is touch-and-freeze; after that it's live 1-on-1 with a capped number of dribbles for the ball handler to beat the defender and score. Coaches award points for paint touches and makes to keep score. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Speed Dribbling

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Straight-line speed dribbling: push the ball out in front rather than pounding it in place, keep it higher than a stationary control dribble, and sprint to the basketball instead of carrying it. Finishes with a controlled jump stop into triple threat, with a strict no-false-steps rule once the drill shifts toward attacking the rim. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

4v4 Shell D Stationary

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A stationary shell drill teaching help-defense positioning. Each defender's spot is defined by how many passes they are from the ball: one pass away denies or plays up on the passing lane, two away sits on the midline as the last line protecting the rim, and the weak-side defender sprints to the ball-side block the instant the ball swings. The same positioning doubles as each defender's box-out assignment once a shot goes up. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

2v1 Break

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A simple 2-on-1 fast-break read: the two offensive players attack with a numbers advantage, using a fake or hesitation to freeze the lone defender before finding the open man for an easy finish. Reinforces getting the eyes up in transition and delivering a lead pass instead of throwing it behind a sprinting teammate. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Tear Butt

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live transition drill: the coach passes to any offensive player on the baseline, and that player's defender must sprint and touch the far baseline before getting back into the play, instantly putting the defense in a numbers disadvantage that can range from 5-on-4 down to 5-on-2 depending on how many defenders get sent. Offense attacks early in transition or flows into the secondary break; defense has to communicate matchups on the scramble back. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.