Date:
Oct 8, 2015
Here's a performance-level move that shows a player how to use change of pace to explode past a defender.
Performance Skills & Drills
Maximize fitness and competition preparation as well as individual and position-specific skills. Optimize the “engine” of skills and performance. Training to competition ratio in this phase shifts to 25:75, understanding that the competition percentage includes team-oriented practices and other competition-specific preparations.
Ball Handling & Dribbling
Date:
Sep 10, 2015
Test yourself with this performance-level ball handling drill.
Footwork & Body Control
Date:
Apr 15, 2016
When guarding an opponent who is advancing the ball up the court, do the following: pick-up, lead, and influence. Picking Up As the dribbler approaches, make sure that you are moving at the same speed and in the same general direction. If the dribbler is moving much faster than you, there is little...
Date:
Oct 22, 2015
If the jab moves the defender back, then take a shot. Otherwise, move to the basket. Here's how it's done.
Health and Safety
Date:
Jan 11, 2017
I love the English language and have always been fascinated by words. While I'm a basketball strength and conditioning coach by vocation, writing and public speaking are two of the mediums I use to disseminate my message of safe, purposeful, and innovative training techniques and concepts all over...
Date:
Dec 14, 2016
If you've played basketball for any amount of time, this probably has happened to you. You're going up for a rebound. Or you're trying to steal a pass from the other team. Or your dribbling was disrupted by a defender. Whatever the case, the ball was deflected and awkwardly struck the tip of one of...
Date:
May 18, 2016
In order to maximize potential on the court, it is imperative for basketball players to develop healthy eating habits. What a player eats determines their body fat levels as well as how much energy they have for intense workouts, practices and games. Dave Stagnita , the brilliant strength and...
Confidence
Date:
Dec 5, 2016
If you asked almost any middle school, high school, collegiate and professional coach to name the one basketball skill or character trait that is THE MOST important to the future success of a player, and most benefits the team that the player is on, many coaches (if not most) will tell you...
Date:
May 31, 2016
In addition to always finding new exercises, drills, and training techniques, a good portion of my professional development is focused on leadership. I have dozens and dozens of books, have binders full of notes and handouts, and read several weekly blogs all focused on the topic of effective...
Date:
May 4, 2016
Many teams across the country have completed their seasons. I've received hundreds of emails, Tweets, and Facebook messages asking me to outline the offseason and how much time they should take off before they resume training. So this is the first in a series of posts to help you plan your...
Passing & Receiving
Date:
Sep 2, 2015
This drill focuses on four different types of passes that all post players are going to commonly see.
Date:
Jun 8, 2010
In today's dribble drive world, players can often undervalue the effectiveness of the pass. If you are having problems with dribbling the ball too much, breaking pressure, or just need to improve overall team passing, here are two great drills that are sure to help! 3-on-3, No Dribble This is...
Off Court Training
Date:
Mar 8, 2017
In order to be your best this summer, and again next preseason, you need some rest. Most players will be going hard with individual workouts, regional tournaments, summer league games, and elite camps. I know of several players who haven't slept in their bed at home for more than a dozen times the...
Date:
Jan 11, 2017
I love the English language and have always been fascinated by words. While I'm a basketball strength and conditioning coach by vocation, writing and public speaking are two of the mediums I use to disseminate my message of safe, purposeful, and innovative training techniques and concepts all over...
Date:
Dec 14, 2016
If you've played basketball for any amount of time, this probably has happened to you. You're going up for a rebound. Or you're trying to steal a pass from the other team. Or your dribbling was disrupted by a defender. Whatever the case, the ball was deflected and awkwardly struck the tip of one of...
Rebounding
Date:
Sep 28, 2015
This performance-level drill helps players get comfortable with the differences between offensive and defensive rebounding.
Date:
Mar 24, 2015
The power forward plays a crucial role in the smooth operation of a basketball team. Power forwards must be excellent rebounders--and just as importantly, must be able to take care of the ball after securing it. Power forwards have to be able to hit open shots, since they typically aren't the focal...
Screening
Date:
Oct 13, 2015
When coming off a screen, you don't need to be in a rush to make a play. Here's how to handle the situation.
Date:
Sep 15, 2015
Here are five steps that will train your players to spot some of the screening opportunities within the flow of your offense. Step 1: Start with the basics If you have a post player, try this simple 5-on-0 drill. Place four players on the perimeter running though Pass & Cut. Tell your...
Date:
Aug 20, 2015
Youth players aren't the only ones who need to run drills in practice to get better. Here's a look at USA Basketball Men's National Team assistant coach Monty Williams putting the likes of Chris Paul and LaMarcus Aldridge through a screen drill at the Men's National Team minicamp on Aug. 11.
Shooting
Date:
Jan 13, 2017
Lots of players would like to be able to increase their shooting range and become a good 3-point shooter. We all know of examples of players, like Robert Horry , who are recruited to join teams mostly because of their ability to make 3-point shots. Big Shot Rob has seven--that's right, seven -- NBA...
Date:
Dec 22, 2015
Most parents hang kids' school papers on the refrigerator, but mine were different. Our fridge had some awful looking off-white, lined paper that had corners missing and had less ink on it now than most new paper. It wasn't some A I got on a paper in school or a 100 percent on a spelling test, but...
Team Defense
Date:
Apr 15, 2016
When guarding an opponent who is advancing the ball up the court, do the following: pick-up, lead, and influence. Picking Up As the dribbler approaches, make sure that you are moving at the same speed and in the same general direction. If the dribbler is moving much faster than you, there is little...
Date:
Feb 29, 2016
Coaches spend hours and hours orchestrating offenses while saying that defense is mostly hard work. Offense takes talent, goes the coaching saying, defense takes desire. It is true--more can be accomplished on defense with hard work over skill. But that is not to say that basketball coaches...
Date:
Sep 24, 2015
This drill starts with a 3-on-4 and helps build the communication between defenders.
Team Offense
Date:
Oct 15, 2015
Post players on defense need to be quicker on their feet and use good angles in order to keep the ball from getting to the post. Pushing and shoving isn't the answer. This drill helps players defend the post smarter.
Date:
Oct 13, 2015
When coming off a screen, you don't need to be in a rush to make a play. Here's how to handle the situation.
Date:
Sep 17, 2015
Breaking down game film (especially in the offseason) is a great way to chart trends, find correctible errors, and generally understand your team on a more intimate level – there are just some things that you can’t accurately judge (or see for that matter) in the heat of the game....