No matter what style of play you choose, it’s important that your players are well versed in the transition game. For that you need a good set of transition drills.
Teams that have the ability to push the ball upcourt and score quickly can change the pace of the game when necessary, negate the impact of a stifling zone defense, and take advantage of a tired opponent.
Below are three of my favorite practice transition drills to help improve your game!
4 on 4 “Change” Drill
This is a great transition communication drill that everyone should try.
It teaches rotations, communication among players, and transition both offensively and defensively.
Start out by playing a “live” 4-on-4 game in the half court. If the offense scores they quickly pick up defensively, as a full court press.
At any point, a coach may yell out “Change!” The team with the ball puts it down on the floor, then sprints back to defend their own basket, switching from offense to defense.
They must communicate while retreating to the paint and pick up someone different than who they were being guarded by.
The defense should focus on trying to keep the new offensive team out of the three-second lane. Run this drill for five minutes everyday and watch them improve!
4 on 3 Continuous Drill
You’ll need at least 10 players for this drill to run properly. Set up four players at half court with the ball. Three players defending one basket and three players defending the other.
On your whistle, the four offensive players will streak upcourt. Players 1 and 3 will fill the top spots while 2 and 4 fill the wing or corner spots. D1 (the first defender) must stop or challenge the ball before it reaches the foul line.
You can have your offensive players run one of your quick hitter sets to initiate the offense, or just have them move the ball with quick passes and look for scoring opportunities.
Play continues until the ball goes through the hoop or the defense gets it. Once in possession of the ball, the three defensive players (team 2) become offense and the shooter from the original offensive team becomes their 4th player.
The remaining players from the original offensive team (team 1) stay to play defense against the next group (team 3). Teams do NOT need to be divided equally before play because team makeup is constantly changing throughout the drill.
Cincinatti Drill
Divide the team into two groups. Put one group behind the baseline on each end of the gym and set 10 minutes on the game clock.
Have the first player from one team come down to the opposite end to shot a free throw. Have two players from the team under the basket step out into the lower lane slots, ready to rebound.
After the free throw, the shooter sprints back on defense, while the two players rebound the miss or inbound the make and attack the length of the floor.
On the 2 on 1 stop or score, the two transition back on defense, while 2 players step in from the baseline, making it 3 on 2 going the other way.
On the 3 on 2 stop or score, the 3 transitions to defense while the 2 on offense plus 2 more stepping in from the baseline attack full court 4 on 3.
On the 4 on 3 stop or score, the 4 transitions to defense, while the 3 gain 2 more teammates from the baseline and attack 5 on 4.
On the 5 on 4 stop or score, the 5 transitions to defense while the 4 gain 1 teammate from the baseline and attack 5 on 5.
Both teams play 5 on 5 full-court until one of the teams score. At this point another free throw shooter is chosen and the drill repeats!
Coaches: Here are some improve your offensive execution and help you put more points up on the board!
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