It is essential that you, as a player or coach, use any sort of edge in team sports that gives you a leg up on the competition. The reason all of us are playing these games is to win, right? Yes, it’s true that the underlying motivation of playing the game is just to have fun but if you are on the internet searching for practice drills you probably want to get a little bit more serious about your sport. So, where can a competitive edge be found in the jolly ole game of basketball? You guessed it: in your basketball drills.
Basketball drills are of the utmost importance if you want to succeed in your league. The way you use your practice time is going to determine how well you perform when that game clock is running and we here at the Sports Bag Blog want you and your team to be performing their best. There are millions of different basketball drills out there that you can pick up from a basketball drills video or two but to really make those drills polished and integral to your team’s franchise you are going to have to know the fundamentals.
Doing a basketball drill just for practice’s sake isn’t going to get you very far. Sure, it may give you a bit of exercise and you’ll be able to hang onto the ball a little bit longer but you aren’t going to understand the fundamental concepts of the game. To fun basketball drills that are sure to improve your skills as a player, or the skills of the players on your bench, you need to try and create them with all six (yes, six) fundamentals of basketball.
The following are the fundamental elements of basketball that every player should be working on during practice. These six elements are essential to success during a game. You can build excellent youth basketball drills that focus on one element at a time or really step up the caliber of play by integrating every element into one drill.
Conditioning:
Endurance is the first pillar of success in high intensity team sports like basketball. The longer your players can stay energized, motivated, and healthy out on the court the better they will do during the game. Conditioning is usually the one element that puts players above the rest because you can have the most skilled guy on the court doing back flips and super dunks for the first two quarters only to get tired out and lose the game in the last twenty minutes.
The longer your team can stay competitive the more likely they are to win. To make great basketball conditioning drills make sure to integrate plenty of sprints. One of the best ways to condition the body is with cardio training and one of the best cardio work-outs is sprint interval training. Have your players run back and forth across the court, changing up speeds every 15 seconds or so, during an extended basketball drill and you will soon be impressed with their developed stamina.
Handling the Ball:
Basketball is all about handling the ball. Every basketball drill should put a basketball in the hands of the player no matter what he is doing. Even if he is simply running back and forth along the length of the court he can be working basketball dribbling drills to work on his handling skills.
The more players on your team who can expertly handle the basketball the better off you will be. Keeping the ball out of the opponent’s hands is the first step towards a solid defense.
Which, coincidentally, brings us to the next essential fundamental of basketball drills:
Defense:
No team can win a basketball game without solid defense to back up their offense. Defensive basketball drills, focusing on stealing the ball, blocking the shot, and positioning will help to keep the score board from inflating on the opponents side. Defensive drills are best paired with conditioning drills as there is nothing quite like the work-out you get when you are constantly trying to keep the ball out of your own net.
Passing:
The old motto “There is no ‘I’ in team” applies to basketball as much as any other team sport. One of the key concepts you need to get across to your team is the fact that ball hogs ruin the game. There’s nothing worse than a ball-hogging player trying to win the game on his own and constantly missing baskets because he’s not passing to the open man.
Basketball passing drills need to be quick, they need to pass to multiple targets at multiple angles, and they need to be consistent throughout the practice just like the handling the ball drills. The better your team can pass the ball the better they will work as a unit to defeat their opposition.
Shooting:
Defense and passing are great but offense is the real ticket to winning. The great thing about basketball shooting drills is that you can attach them to the end of any other type of basketball drill. Have your players sprint up and down, passing the ball back and forth, dribbling as much as needed, and end it all with a shot at the goal. You can’t win any game without putting the points on the board and shooting drills will help you do just that.
Rebounds:
No player is ever going to land a basket 100% of the time so there will inevitably be rebounds. It is important for your basketball team to practice collecting and shooting rebound shots so that they are prepared for them when it comes to the game. Any time a team misses out on an easy rebound you should blame the practice drills for not working hard enough on one of the most fundamental aspects of the game.
The best basketball drills will combine all six of these core fundamentals into one lengthy exercise. They will involve all players of the team, keep them moving around the court, and focus on building unity rather than individuality.