100+ Basketball Drills To Up Your Game

Basketball drills to hone your agility skills are listed below.

• Lane Agility Drill
• Agility Ladder Drill
• Figure-eight Drill
• Weave and Shoot
• Zip-Zag Drill

Lane Agility Drill

The drill involves placing the cones around the hoop and accelerating from either side of the line to the next corner.

Rapidly switch to the defense and shuffle to the next corner before backpedaling to the third end and swapping to the breakdown while jumbling to the initial end.

Agility Ladder Drill

This drill can be performed by alternating feet on the holes, hopping outside and inside, and executing single-leg jumps.

Figure-eight Drill

In a dribbling position, go around the cone's one side, moving diagonally on the second cone's other side, and turn 180 degrees to repeat the movements in reverse.

Weave and Shoot

The drill is executed with two companions by passing and crossing the ball through the court, weaving across until a player makes a basket.

Zig-zag Drill

The execution of the drill requires sprinting and inverting directions rapidly through cones, using the whole width and length of the court.

Following drills can be practiced as a basketball beginner.

• Triple Threat Footwork Drill
• One Ball Drill
• B.E.E.F. Drill
• Two Ball Drill
• Direct Drive Basics Drill

Triple Threat Footwork Drill 

At first, a player on the free throw lane jogs to half-court, and then the second player repeats the motion with his stepping foot after the first player reaches about 19 to 20 feet.

One Ball Drill

The trick is to look up, spread the palm, and dribble down. About 20 dribbles should be done with each hand. This drill helps the kids get familiar with the ball and build a base for dribbling.

B.E.E.F. Drill

The B stands for Balance, E for Elbow in, E for Eyers on the Rim, and F for follow-through. The feet should be kept shoulder-width apart, the elbow fully perpendicular to the ground, and the eyes on the rim while practicing the shot.

Follow through by snapping the wrist, pushing down with the middle, thumb, and index fingers, and holding that position until the ball contacts the hoop.

Two Ball Drill

Here, two balls are dribbled about 20 times together. The balls are alternated between the hands while remaining calm and maintaining a relaxed shoulder and body.

Direct Drive Basics Drill

Take a big step forward with the stepping foot, maintain a low stance, and hold that position. The turning foot must be straight, and the imaginary ball must be in front, ready to dribble.

Below are some drills to hone those skills for the guards in basketball:

• Elbow Pull-Ups
• Fly-By Shooting
• Stationary Two-Ball Dribbling
• Suicide Shooting
• 2-Minute Floaters

Elbow Pull-Ups

This drill is executed when a player makes pull-up shots moving between the two elbows and using one or two dribbles. Repeat the process with the other elbow until you make about 20 shots.

Fly-By Shooting

The execution of the drill is done by making a pump fake and then dribbling to the right or left once before shooting a three-pointer.

Stationary Two-Ball Dribbling

The drill includes double pounding at ankle, waist, and shoulder height alongside wall dribbling, alternating, one low/one high, v-dribble, three dribbles, two ball figure eight, and kills.

Suicide Shooting

To execute the drill, make a pull-up shot after dribbling to the free-throw line from the baseline. Repeat the process by running a conditioning suicide with the ball each from the center line, opposite free-throw line, and opposite baseline.

2-Minute Floaters

The drill involves picking a starting position outside the three-point line and attacking the rim to finish the basket with a floater. The attack is repeated to finish with a floater from anywhere outside the three-point line.

The list of drills for honing the basketball drilling skills is provided below.

• Ballhandling Circuit
• Corkscrew Ballhandling Drill
• Cone Crossover Drill
• Yo-Yo Dribbling Drill
• The Arc Finishing Drill

Ballhandling Circuit

The drill is performed by undertaking ball wraps around the head, waist, both legs, and individual legs in a variation of 30 seasons each before changing direction.

Dibble in a figure 8 pattern around and through the legs to complete the circuit, and repeat the process from opposite directions to complete the circuit.

Corkscrew Ballhandling Drill

Wrap the ball around in a corkscrew manner from the ankles to the head and go down to the ankle, repeating the process in the opposite direction to complete the drill.

Cone Crossover Drill

This drill incorporates dribbling the ball at variable speed and direction through the cones. It is run by spilling from one hand to another while altering the direction between the cones.

Yo-Yo Dribbling Drill

The drill is executed with only one hand to dribble the ball back and forth beside or in front of the body, going front to back or side to side. Repeat the process with the other hand.

The Arc Finishing Drill

This drill is executed by dribbling around the cones one by one and shooting a basket with one hand. Five cones must be set up at an even distance around the three-pointer line.

Following the one-handed lay-up, recite the process around the other four cones before switching the hand to repeat the drill.

The fun basketball drills for middle school kids are listed below.

• Worm
• Home Run
• Sharks and Minnows
• All-Star Shootout
• War

Worm

The ball is rolled, and the first player to reach the ball is on offense, who will try to make a shot while the defense tries to steal or block the shot. With the shot made, missed, or stolen, the drill ends, resuming with two new players in line.

Home Run

The dribbler at the baseline will dribble around the court and to the initial point, while the shooter from the free throw line will attempt a jump shot. The team that reaches its goal first wins.

Sharks and Minnows

The minnows' goal at the baseline is to dribble from one end to the other, while the sharks, at the halfcourt, will try to knock their balls away.

All-Star Shootout

This drill is performed with two teams on either side of the court trying to make their shot from each of the spots decided by the placed cones by dribbling to the rim from the baseline.

War

The practice begins when even and odd-numbered players are called to the middle from the sidelines. 

The ball is lobbed into the air, and the first player to get the ball will try to score the basket. The players then play one-on-one until one shoots successfully to end the drill.

The basketball drills for high school students are listed below.

• The Mikan
• Two Ball Passing
• Layup Competition
• Around the World Rebounding
• 60 Point Shooter

The Mikan

The drill is about shooting ten layups off each foot on each side of the basket while maintaining the ball above the shoulders in each jump.

Two Ball Passing

The drill is performed with two people. Here, one player court passes the ball while the other chest passes, increasing distance and speed and altering the hands and passes with each pass.

Layup Competition

This team drill focuses on executing full-speed layups turn by turn and maintaining composure during breakaways.

Around the World Rebounding

High school players can execute this drill by focusing on close-outs, boxing out, and triumphing over the rebound after each shot.

60 Point Shooter

This drill is performed in a sequence of free throws, a three-point shot, and a shorter-range jumper shot each round until the player reaches 60 points. 

The drills to perform during warm-up in basketball are listed below.

• 2-1-0 Dribbling
• Tight Cone Warm Up
• 3 Wall Passing Drills
• Separation Dribble - Down and Backs
• 5/5/5 Shooting

2-1-0 Dribbling

The pivotal aspect of this drill is to dribble, smashing the ball as hard as possible while looking up and transitioning quickly from 2 dribbles to 1 and then to 0.

Tight Cone Warm Up

This drill is executed after dribbling through the cones using any combination, and once past the last cone, you must dribble toward the basket and make a shot.

3 Wall Passing Drills

This drill incorporates 25 reps of overhead wall passes, 20 reps of handling alternating wall passes, and 20 reps of hand wall passes each hand.

Separation Dribble - Downs and Backs

The drill is executed in two steps. The first step requires quickly stepping back with the top leg, staying compact and low, and pushing the ball out for a step-back crossover.

The second step of the drill requires players to utilize two dribbles to generate separation, explode backward, and attack the hip of the defender while looking up for an escape dribble.

5/5/5 Shooting

The drill is executed by taking five shots each, with left-right, right-left, and alternating footwork to the right and left side of a chair placed beforehand.

The basketball running drills or conditioning drills are listed below.

• Basic Drill
• Full Court Sprint
• Half Court Sprint
• Full Court Lay Up
• Chimney Jumps - Ladder Drill

Basic Drill

To execute this drill, run sideline to sideline for a minute, keeping track of times you cross the court while resting for a minute each.

Full Court Sprint

Sprint the court from one baseline to the other and return to the initial line in a repetition of about five times to complete the drill.

Half Court Sprint

This is a basic basketball drill where a player sprints to the half-court line from the baseline and returns in a repetition of about ten times.

Full Court Lay Up

This drill is executed by dribbling from one baseline to the opposite basket and shooting a one-handed lay-up. Alteration of the hand is recommended during each lay-up.

Chimney Jumps - Ladder Drill

The drill is performed by jumping up and into each box using both feet while working on accuracy and height. The key is to pull the knees up to the chest for each jump.

The shooting drills in basketball are listed below.

• 1- Hand Form Shooting
• Wing to Wing
• Wing Screen
• Power Layup Drill
• Jab, Pump, and Go Drill

1-Hand Form Shooting

This drill is a shooting practice with one hand, where the player executes ten wall shots and fifty basket shots while keeping the feet shoulder width apart and maintaining a stable position.

Wing to Wing

This drill is performed with a rebounder, passer, and shooter. The shooter shoots the ball, cutting back and forth between obstacles while the passer passes the ball to the shooter.

Wing Screen

Here, the player is to dribble the ball towards the wing and utilize the chair as a screen, making one explosive dribble to the hoop and pulling up a shot. The process is recited at the half-court.

Power Layup Drill

The drill is performed by dribbling into the basket, executing a two-footed quick stop, going up strong with both hands, and making a layup shot off the glass.

Jab, Pump, and Go Drill

This drill is executed by taking a jab step with the stepping foot, stepping back, pumping fake, exploding out with a hard dribble, and finishing with a one-handed layup.

The drills to practice passing in basketball are presented below.

• Flick Pass Drill
• V-Cut and Catch Drill
• 5 Man Swing
• Triangle Pass Drill
• Monkey in the Middle

Flick Pass Drill

This drill is performed by passing the ball back and forth using a flick pass with each hand. The flick pass is done by snapping the wrist and firing the ball.

V-Cut and Catch Drill

Here, the player without the ball executes a V cut by running while the player with the ball passes it to the other player to square up to the basket. The process is recited with a reversed position.

5 Man Swing

It is a passing technique where Player 1 will be right outside the three-point line with a ball. The drill begins with him passing over to player 2 or 3 as the pass goes around and circles back.

Monkey in the Middle

Here, two players play offense, and one plays defense in the middle. The drill is executed after the offensive players pass the ball back and forth, and the defense attempts interception.

Triangle Pass Drill

Three players with a ball each will bounce a pass to the player to their left on a countdown to execute this drill. The drill is repeated in the opposite direction.

The rebounding drills to practice in basketball are illustrated below.

• Recycling Drill
• Glass Cleaner Drill
• Two on Two Box Out
• 1 on 1 Post Moves Drill
• 1 Hand Tip

Recycling Drill

The drill is done by throwing the ball off the backboard, jumping towards the ball, securing the rebound with both hands, pumping fake, and finishing strong with a power layup off both feet.

Glass Cleaner Drill

This drill includes throwing the ball off the backboard from the left lane, securing the rebound, coming down with a strong base on the opposite lane line's outside, and repeating the process.

Two on Two Box Out

The drill features defense and offense on the lane on each side, blocking out and going after the rebound, respectively. The offense will score while the defense will pass the ball out.

1 on 1 Post Moves Drill

The drill is executed with two players exploding to touch the baseline from the free-throw line and racing to the ball. The first to reach the ball is on offense, and scoring ends the drill.

1 Hand Tip

This drill is performed to hone the rebounding skills by tipping the ball off the backboard with the outside hand.

The defensive drills in basketball are listed below.

• Defensive Stance - Chair Drill
• One on One Defensive Drill
• Step and Slide Drill
• Mass Sliding
• Take the Charge Drill

Defensive Stance - Chair Drill

The drill involves assuming the defensive stance while sitting in a chair, holding the stance while rising for a few seconds, sliding a step to the right and left, and sitting down.

One on One Defensive Drill

Here, the offense and defense play one-on-one, where the offense tries to cut hard to the three-point line while the defense attempts to close out on the catch.

Step and Slide Drill

Here, the players step with the front foot and slide with the back foot in a zig-zag manner from the baseline to half-court in a defensive stance.

Mass Sliding

The drill initiates with players in quick feet and low stance, making defensive movements like lateral slides, drop step slides, close-outs, charges, back-pedals, rebounds, etc., for 2-3 minutes.

Take the Charge Drill

This drill teaches players to get into the position to take charge, where players need to get low to the ground and absorb the contact into their torso and chest on offense's contact.

The transition drills to be practiced in basketball are listed here.

• One-on-One with Trailer
• 3 on 2 To 2 on 1
• Full Court Chair Series
• 5 on 3 + 2
• LOCO-Motion

One-on-One with Trailer

The drill includes two players on the outside lines fighting to secure the rolled ball and the entry of a middle line player as a trailer for the offensive player. The drill ends with a shot.

3 on 2 to 2 on 1

This includes a three-on-two man weave from half-court until a score, turnover, or rebound. The player who last touched the ball moves to defense, and the game continues to two-on-one.

Full Court Chair Series

The execution includes players at each baseline dribbling to each chair and utilizing a change of direction to pass it. They finish with a jump shot or layup each and get into the line.

5 on 3 + 2

The drill incorporates two defenders at the midcourt line waiting for the ball to cross half-court while three players try to defend five offenses. The players sprint to the middle and hustle to defense after the ball passes.

LOCO-Motion

A rebound ball is passed to a player, who comes towards the ball, jump stops, pivots, passes to the other player and follows the pass to the next line. The other player repeats the process until the last in-line player makes a layup shot.

The rule that makes this drill interesting is that the ball cannot touch the floor, indicating no bounce passes and no dribbling.

The drill is executed by three players at a time, including chest passing the ball by players 1 to 2 to 1 and finally to 3 for a layup while running from the other side of the court.

The ball is rebounded out the net before touching the floor, and the players head back in a similar sequence to score a layup on the other basket.

The drill is performed by drawing five lines from the hoop to the three-point line. Each line contains five spots at a distance of four, eight, 12, 16, and 20 feet from the hoop.

The drill is to make consecutive shots from spots 1 to 5 to advance to the next line. The goal is to complete all five lines in about two minutes.

The Rocker Shooting Drills are listed below.

• 1 Dribble Pull Up
• Step Back Jumper
• Rocker Step

1 Dribble Pull Up

The drill includes catching the ball and preparing to shoot, stepping through, and making a dribble for the pull-up jump shot.

Step Back Jumper

The drill incorporates dribbling once at the basket and stepping back to make a jump shot. The player needs to maintain a steady stance for the drill.

Rocker Step

This drill is executed by making a step-back move and exploding a dribble move forward if the defender closes out hard on the step-back.

The offensive drills in basketball are listed below.

• Euro Finishing Drill
• 1-on-1 Speed Dribble
• High Five 1-on-1 Drill
• Figure 8 Hook Shot
• Extension Footwork

Euro Finishing Drill

The exercise includes stepping to the side around the defender to avoid the charge and throwing off the blocker when a defender attempts to take charge.

1-on-1 Speed Dribble

This incorporates the defender and the ball handler sprinting towards the basket from the opposite baseline, aiming to cut or beat each other.

High Five 1-on-1

One player dribbles while the other runs toward the center from opposite baselines and meets at the free-throw line to exchange a high five. The dribbler then reaches the half-court, touches the line, and attacks the basket while the other player defends the basket.

Figure 8 Hook Shot

Curl around two chairs on each lane's side, pick the ball up, and execute a hook shot to complete the routine.

Extension Footwork

The routine includes sprinting to the chair to pick the ball up, executing footwork, and extending to the basket in a dribble per repetition using both hands alternatively.

The workout drills in basketball along with their types are listed below.