Basketball Drills that Improve Skills

We incorporate karate kick pads and foam pads (we have a 4″ foam pad wearing a red jersey) into our basketball drills that improve skills and teach the players how to initiate contact while concentrating on the basket.

Our basketball drill consists of the following:
1. Full court basketball lay-up drills – two lines on opposite sides of the court
a. Each line has an offense and defensive player – the trailing defensive player’s job is to trail the basketball play, stop and box out avoiding the common mistake of following too far under the basket thus overrunning the rebound.
2. Coach’s stand under the basket just off the direct lay-up line with the pad.
3. Players\coaches initiate contact while making the lay-ups
4. The defensive player rebounds, chins the ball, pivots and starts the next lay-up with an outlet pass.

This drill stresses and teaches them to:
1. Initiate contact.
2. Protect the basketball.
3. Absorb the contact with their off shoulder.
4. Concentrate on the lay-up.
5. Minimize the number of dribbles down the court.