Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
Quote of the Video: “Sherlock Homles once said to his buddy Watson that everybody sees, but very
few
perceive. I think that in basketball players and coaches look, but very few see what is actually
there. Coaches and players alike have to be better at seeing what is actually there.”
Key Points | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• The game of basketball has three parts…offense; defense; and conversion
o Conversion is the most important part of the game
• Coaches have to be generals… “Kids have to know that you are damn serious about what you are
doing and you expect them to follow what you tell them to a T.”
• Getting every practice started with energy is very important
• As an offensive player it is better to get to a spot too late than too soon
• Work on using practice time to work both on offense and on defense
• Encourage kids to use shot fakes; drives; and to follow their shot
• Talk to players about READING the defense
• When you move on the court you are either screening; coming off a screen; or making a cut
• Pete Newell was the best Part/Whole teacher that Knight has ever been around…break down and
teach the parts and then move on to bringing it all together (whole).
• Individual drills should be done for five minutes, then move on
o These drills should have a certain degree of difficulty and involve stamina improvement
• Team drills should be done for ten minutes, then move on
o Kids/team gets bored and ho-hum attitude sets in
o Plus basketball is a team game that changes quicker than any other on a consistent basis
• Assistant coaches cannot stop practice, but they must take players out and insert
substitute…then take
the kid to the side and correct the player (offense or defense)…then make sure they correct it!
• Have managers or lower level assistant coach keep track of missed lay-ups and poor passes…shows
lack of concentration
• Coaches should expect players to sprint to the next drill and be in it by the time that you are
done saying what you want them in
Zig Zag Drill
• Do this every day for 3-5 minutes
• Coaches want kids that are tough and tough kids will go hard at zig-zags
2-on-1 Rebounding
• Basically the old hamburger drill
• Coaches can match kids up by size or sometimes have a guard go against big men or visa versa
• Coach shoots/passes and three players go every man for himself…cannot dribble more than once
Four Corner Passing
• This is a discipline and toughness drill
• Players have three things that they have to do…pass; return; and hand-off
• Players line up at the elbows and the blocks
• When players make a pass then they have to call out names
When players make a pass then they have to call out names
• Drill can go using two; three; or four balls…go clockwise or counterclockwise
o After players get the hang of this then the coach should call out changes
11-Man Drill | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Two defenders on each end…two players on each wing…three offensive players initiate the drills
against defense on one end of the floor
• Only allow one shot and then require an outlet…unless one of your main ball handlers gets the
rebound
• Man in the middle needs to get to one side of the floor or the other…this pulls the defense
• Wing men get inside the three-point line on the baseline
3-on-3 Blockout Drill | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Coach Knight teachers to hold out with the elbows extended
• Put the butt into the thigh
• Coach throws the ball out and says, “Get it!” and the defense has to hold for a four count
before going after the ball
• This drill really makes kids tougher
• Change from offense to defense quickly
2 Ball Dribbling Drill | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Players have two basketballs one in the right and one in the left
• Coach directs the players as to where to go…right; left; forward; and backward
• Then coach directs and every change requires players to change from right to left
2-on-2 Shooting | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• When the shooter catches the ball the shooter should have the shooting foot back to step into
the shot
• This drill should be done from the elbows or wherever the coach decides to shoot from
• Players shoot and follow their shot; make pass to teammate; and follow pass to then ready to
shoot after their teammate shoots and follows his shot
• Have groups shoot to ten or whatever mark you have set for the day
Two Ball Shooting | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Involves a shooter and rebounder
• Teaches players how to shoot with stamina
• Players can do a lot of things that they are directed to do by the coach
o Shot fake and go back the way you came, etc.
Post Two Ball Shooting | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Passers on the wings…one ball each
• Post player flashes (high or low) and can shoot or drive
• When the player moves on to block-block shooting the coach should call out the move to make
Keep Away Drill (Monkey in the Middle Drill) | Bob Knight: Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Offensive players are ten feet apart
• Offensive players have to wait for the defender and can use one dribble
• Offensive players cannot throw the ball over the top of the defender’s head
Semi-Circle Passing
• Passer in the lane and the group of five to six players should have two balls
o Other players should form a semi-circle around the passer
• Passer has to make passes and then receive the other ball
o Passer cannot throw the ball back to the guy he received it from and he cannot throw the ball in
a continuous line
• Players have to call out names…great for communication
• Passer has to step into the pass
Dribble Circle
• Just like dribble tag…but only with two players…much like a cock fight
• Develops stamina and toughness…especially if both players go extremely hard
5-on-0
• Coach throws the ball up on the board and rebound and an outlet pass must be made
• Coach can determine if the drill will be done in one, two, or more trips
• Call out sets for the players to run after they have crossed half-court
o Players have to communicate
• Coaches lay out expectations on offense
o Don’t throw the ball away
o Stop and talk about mistakes
High Offense | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Have four players free-throw line or above
• This puts the defense under constant pressure
• No threes in transition
• Get the ball into the paint and get to the FT line
o Make more free-throws than the opponents attempt
• This drill can be done in 2, 3, 4, etc. possessions and is conducted 5-on-0 prior to adding
defense
• Start at half-court for this drill…really a motion breakdown drill
• Do not throw the ball to the corner unless the player is wide open and is a good shooter
Four Possessions | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• Inside man should be the screener
• Do not throw the ball to the corner
• Talk about balance to your players…get the ball off the baseline…don’t crowd baseline!
• Players have a tendency to resort to the dribble vs. man, but Coach Knight actually encourages
the dribble against a zone
o Dribble against a zone every time that you catch the ball on the perimeter
o Attack a seam
• Causes the top defenders to react and move
• Dribble does more to change a zone than anything…it forces it to become something that it does
not want to be
Man Offense: Eliminate the Dribble (No Dribble Drill) | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• This drill develops cutting and spacing as well as encouraging good passes
• Players should only dribble to change position or to get to the basket
• Teams develop confidence that they can score without putting the ball on the floor
• Man/Man D…three-point line is the last line of defense for picking up the ball
o Half-court is the farthest
o Point of pick-up is dictated by how quick you are and how quick the offense is
• Post players need to hold their posts…don’t come off the block
o Other players do not come into areas where a post man is holding a post
• Don’t just run around…SEE AND REACT
• Offensive players need to get off the baseline
• No cross court passes against man-to-man defense
2-on-2/3-on-3 Screening
• Come off screens shoulder to shoulder
• 2-on-2
o Make the pass to the feeder and then screen down
o Five options on the down screen
• Down screen with the player receiving the screen coming over the top
• Defender goes high so the screener goes underneath and the player receiving the screen makes a
back cut
• Player getting the screen just flares when defender goes underneath
• Player receiving the screen actually sets the screen when the defender goes underneath…jams both
defenders and the original screener pops out
• Slip the screen and player receiving the screen pops
• 3-on-3 | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
o This part of the drill is done without a feeder…ball starts on top
o You have to set up a cut off a screen…don’t just run
o Inside guy is the player who should be the screener (except on flare screens)
o Two players not with the ball should be the ones setting up for the screening action
o Spacing should be 15ft.
4-on-4 Offense and Defense | Bob Knight Practice Planning and Drills for Mental Toughness
• This drill is much better to work on your offensive principles
o Helps with the fundamentals of screening and cutting
o Much more difficult to cover for four defenders (disadvantage)
• On offense it is better to be there a little bit late than too soon
• Have players set up the best screening angle possible
• Talk to players about READING the defense
• When you move on the court you are either screening; coming off a screen; or making a cut
• Pay attention to your defender…he will tell you where to go…don’t let him dictate though
3-on-3/4-on-4 Cut and Screen
• Have defenders switch screens
Click on the pdf link to download the basketball coaching clinic notes:
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