2-Minute Catch-and-Shoot Challenge

Video by Coach Ashworth

A fatigue-shooting finisher: from the top of the key, players catch and shoot for two minutes straight and count total makes. Around 30 makes in two minutes is a solid target for an experienced group — high school and college-level shooters can push into the mid-to-upper 30s, while younger players will land lower — but the value is in shooting well while gassed, late in the workout when legs are heaviest. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Ball Screen Reads

Video by Coach Ashworth

A ball-screen read progression for a passer working with a screener and a guard coming off the action: straight pick-and-roll, pick-and-seal (a slower, more deliberate post-up read off a switch), pick-and-pop for a catch-and-shoot, pick-and-pop into a closeout attack, a slip when the defense jumps the screen early, and a ghost screen where the screener fakes setting it to confuse a switching or hard-hedging defense. Run through each read so the passer learns to make the right decision every time, not just hit the roll. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Catch-and-Shoot Conditioning (Threes)

Video by Coach Ashworth

The same half-court sprint-and-touch conditioning pattern, moved out to three-point range: three makes from five spots, with a full sprint to the center cone and back between every catch-and-shoot rep. For an extra layer of pressure, swap the target to three makes in a row per spot instead of three out of five — a good way to simulate the pressure of needing a shot to fall late in a game. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Five-Spot Shooting Conditioning

Video by Coach Ashworth

A catch-and-shoot drill with conditioning built in: after every shot, make or miss, the shooter sprints to touch a cone or ball rack at half court before getting back to their spot for the next pass. Go to five makes from five spots — the constant movement between shots makes it far more game-like than standing and catching comfortably, and the fatigue becomes part of the test. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Villanova 2 Feet

Video by Coach Ashworth

Borrowed from Jay Wright's Villanova teams: players catch on the wing, sell a hard exaggerated rip to get the defender to react, then attack into the middle of the lane and finish off two feet — still rising into a real jump shot or floater rather than gliding off one foot. Playing off two feet in the paint keeps players under control, makes them stronger through contact, and leaves the pass-out, shot-fake, or drawn foul all still available if the shot isn't there. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Four Touches Layups

Video by Coach Ashworth

A conditioning-and-finishing relay from sideline to sideline: the first four layups are caught and finished with no dribbles off a pass on the run, the next set comes off one hard dribble from around the three-point line, and the last four have to be caught in the air — an alley-oop finish for players who can play above the rim, or a tip-in-style catch-and-finish for guards. Rotate passer and finisher after each set of four; it's as much a conditioning and passing-touch drill as a finishing one. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Two-Ball Mikan Drill

Video by Coach Ashworth

Each player holds two basketballs and works through Mikan layups — and reverse Mikans underneath the rim — under one rule: shoot and catch with the same hand every time. That forces the off-hand work most young players avoid, since right-handed players naturally shy away from finishing left-handed layups. Aim for 20 makes on each side. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Ball Handling with Defensive Slides

Video by Coach Ashworth

Each player needs two basketballs set a few feet apart. They attack the first ball with two hard dribbles and a move — crossover, between the legs, or behind the back — then defensive-slide back to the second ball and attack it the same way, repeating down the floor. It doubles as a warm-up and a defensive-footwork drill, and works well as a race between partners or small groups. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

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.

Warm-Up Ball Handling

Video by Coach Ashworth

A hand-eye coordination warm-up: players dribble with one hand while tossing a small object (a cone, tennis ball, or small ball) up with the other and catching it, forcing their eyes off the basketball. Add two cones to dribble around using only one hand at a time, working both right and left, to sharpen control and build the habit of keeping eyes up instead of watching the ball. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

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.

Jab, Ball Screen

Video by Coach Ashworth

A wing-based series combining a jab step to create space with simulated ball-screen reads. Players jab toward the baseline to get the defender to react, then attack downhill off a cone (simulating a screen) into a finish. From there, add a spin move for when a defender cuts off the drive, and a 'split the hedge' move for beating an aggressive hard show on a ball screen. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Diamond Shooting

Video by Coach Ashworth

Back at the same top-of-key diamond, now working pull-up jump shots instead of finishes at the rim. Players use a jab step to create separation, then take one or two dribbles into a pull-up or floater — the counter to defenses that sag off a ball screen and dare a mid-range shot. Add a step-back variation for late-game or shot-clock situations that need extra separation. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Shooting 3 Spots (Goal: 30 Makes Each)

Video by Coach Ashworth

A timed group catch-and-shoot drill: shoot for two minutes from the top of the key, then two minutes from each wing, tallying total makes at each spot. Set a target based on the group's level — competitive shooters should be able to reach around 30 makes in two minutes per spot — and track the number over time to measure real shooting progress instead of just counting reps. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

FT Shooting

Video by Coach Ashworth

A short recovery break built into free-throw practice: after the timed shooting rounds, the group shoots free throws together against a team target (for example, 8 out of 10 makes across the group), with a light consequence like a down-and-back sprint if the goal isn't hit. Doubles as recovery time and free-throw pressure practice at once. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

Ball Screen Reads

Video by Coach Ashworth

Works the read a ball handler has to make coming off a ball screen when the weak-side defender sinks off a corner shooter to help on the roll. The ball handler reads that 'tagging' defender, then delivers an accurate pass to the corner shooter before the defender can recover — practiced on both sides of the floor so players get comfortable making the pass with either hand. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.

1v1 or 2v2 Competition

Video by Coach Ashworth

A live, competitive finish to the workout: 1-on-1 with an even number of players, or 2-on-2/3-on-3 with a larger group, typically played to a set number of points with a dribble limit (two or three) to keep it realistic. The defense has to earn its own rebound to get the ball back rather than the possession simply ending on a miss, adding a defensive-rebounding component to what's otherwise a scoring drill. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.