Basketball Drills | Stop and Think: 9 Ways to Improve Today by Ron Sen

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes

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August 30, 2013

Stop and Think: 9 Ways to Improve Today

We make progress through a combination of analytical and human (interpersonal) action. Improve a little each day; improve a lot over time.

1. Be relentlessly positive. The coaches’ job is to raise people up, not to tear people down.

2. Players often do not know or do not care enough about coaches’ emphasis. Give players core material and later a written test of core offensive and defensive values.

3. From Kevin Sivils…establish an outstanding teammate award voted on by players and feature it as the central award of your program.

4. Create a comprehensive book and spreadsheet of basketball drills. Seek out the best individual and team drills illustrating your core teachings and philosophy.

5. Connect four. Question and develop players “four ways to score”, e.g. coming off screens, pullup jumper, wing series moves, post, et cetera. If a player can’t explain “their” moves, they probably don’t have them.

6. Pressure free throws. Four series of ten apiece with a partner. “Pressure” can include any verbal pressure or proximity pressure that does not interfere with the shot…i.e. you cannot touch the shooter. The daily winners compete in sudden death free throws.

7. Break the window. Force players to devote more time to working shots off the glass. In experimental shooting, using the backboard increased shooting percentage substantially.

8. Six by two. Play a two minute game forcing the leading team to get stops. The trailing team gets the ball under their basket with two minutes on the clock. The leading team must get a stop and gain possession. Ten seconds runs off the clock after possession and the trailing team regains possession under their basket. The leading team must hold the lead solely by getting stops.

9. Conversion. Coach inbounds the ball to team A or team 1. That team goes into offensive transition and other team sprints into transition defense. If no transition score opportunity, offense goes into early offense/secondary break.