Basketball Drills for Beginners

One has to admit that there is something about basketball that gets our pulse racing and adrenaline pumping. So many of us wish to emulate the stars of NBA. But it's not an easy task to get there! Getting to the highest level requires you to start at an early age and religious practice. So if you are a greenhorn at basketball, what do you do to get yourself started?

Basic Basketball Drills

The point of these drills is to get a young player acquainted with the game. They help develop the various skills required for playing the game, like passing, shooting, dribbling, etc. It also helps the coach in discovering the core competence of a player, whether he is a good passer or a good dribbler. But initially, I suggest that the coach ought to take the players through all the basic drills, identify each player's aptitude and liking and only then get the player to go through specialized drills. So these basic exercises include all the ones which a player is expected to go through while he/she is still in the learning stage.

Shooting

• Form Shooting: This is a very basic and simple drill where a player has to stand 2 - 3 feet away from the backboard on either the left or right side of the basket. Take a shot with your shooting hand and make sure that the ball goes in using the perfect form. Rebound the ball and take the next shot. Take 15 shots from the right side and then 15 shots from the left side. Then step back another 2 - 3 feet and repeat the drill.
• Fake and One-Dribble: Here, a player tosses the ball to himself, catches it and stands in the triple threat position. Then the player makes a solid pump fake and takes a strong dribble towards the basket. The player then makes a stop and goes up for a jump shot. This drill can be done 5 times from the right side and 5 times from the left side.
• Quick Shot: In a real game, a player does not get to shoot in one's own sweet time. It is essential that a player learns to take quick shots early. Hence this is one of the best ways for beginners to improve their shooting. In this drill the player takes a form shot, but tries to increase the speed of shoot. Take 25 such quick shots and make sure to time yourself so that you can monitor your progress

Passing

• Chest Pass: It is essential to develop this very common form of passing for beginners. Two players have to stand at a distance of 6 - 8 feet. Then one player steps forward with a right foot and makes a chest pass by flicking the wrists. Each player does it 5 times with the right footstep and 5 times with the left footstep. Repeat the drill by positioning yourself 5 feet further.
• Bounce Pass: For this, two players should stand 6 - 8 feet apart. The first player takes a right step forward and shoots the ball in a way that it bounces at 2/3rd of the total distance, and the other player catches it around the waist-height. The other players do the same. Make 5 passes each with the left step forward and then the right step forward.
• Overhead Two Handed Pass: Two players stand 25 feet apart. One player makes an overhead throw and steps forward while throwing it. The other player repeats it. The important point here is accuracy. Make sure that the ball reaches the other player perfectly.

Dribbling

• Figure 8 Dribble: Stand in the triple threat position. Here the player takes the ball and dribbles it around the legs in a figure 8 motion. The ball goes from the front of the front leg, behind the front leg, around the back leg and back to the front of the front leg.
• Scissor Dribble: In a scissor dribble, the player stands in the triple threat position and sends the ball from one side to the other from between the legs. The player takes a step forward and then sends the ball back to the first side
• Full Court Speed Dribble: In this drill, the player stands at one end of the court on the back line and dribbles as fast as possible, taking the least number of steps forward. Reduce the number of steps and the amount of time taken in the next repetitions.

These were some of the simplest free basketball drills. Do not forget to warm up. You can warm up by jogging 10 rounds along the court. Also stretches and push-ups are crucial to improve the strength of a player and reduce the chances of injury.