Improve your Basketball Coaching, with great drills, techniques & training plans

The improvement of movement - Passing and Cutting

In last week's session we looked at simple ways to get your players moving with the give and go. This week's Sportplan session takes that movement one step further by looking at ways that you can get your players to run, cut, receive and shoot in this more advanced giving and going session.

The pass-and-cut is an offensive play in which a player passes to a teammate and cuts towards the basket. The use of the cut, a sharp change of pace and direction, is how attackers can break free from their defender and then look to receive a return pass from their team mate in space.

Sounds simple, and when performed correctly it is. Annoyingly though you will often find that players do not make these sharp cutting runs but instead run around like headless chickens, following the ball, which doesn't create space. To ensure your team are wiser than headless chickens on the court we've designed this session to highlight to them just how effective giving and going can be in creating goal scoring opportunities.

To start with your players we get your players to offload the ball and make a V cut run before receiving a return pass and then going on to shoot. However, we know your players are better than that and so once they've mastered the basics we're going to step up the intensity, changing the type of cuts your players are using and even applying pressure to them when they go to shoot. In a game situation the ball will not necessarily always go to the player who has made the run but what will happen is that this manoeuvre will pull defenders out of position and create space for your other players to run into.

Come the end of this session in the final game you should find yourself with a team full of skilful cutters, players who are skilled at losing their markers and creating space in which to receive the ball.

Don't be a headless chicken - full members can login and download this session now, or you can upgrade today.

Up your passing game - Give and go Basketball

This week's Sportplan session takes a fun look at passing, working in particular on the give and go. Don't just try the free drill of the week - see the bigger picture and take a look at the complete Sportplan session today!

Giving and going refers to when a player passes the ball before making a forward run with the intention of receiving the return pass. This technique is a positive attacking technique and has the added benefit of giving your team an 'extra man', making sure all your players are running forwards to create options.

This session has been especially designed to allow players of all levels and abilities to take part in this forward thinking passing training. Starting with the basics of passing you will be able to reinforce the chest pass and the bounce pass before moving onto running and passing activities. In the following drills your players will have to run forwards (no side stepping allowed) and play lateral passes to their support player before working in threes to attack the basket using more advanced running and passing plays.

Of course to put the skills into practice and see which team has really upped their passing game your players will be split into three teams, with two teams battling it out to see who can be the first one to make 10 consecutive passes. The losing side will have to take a seat and be replaced by the eager sideline team!

After using this session with your players you should see a marked improvement in your players passing and immediate movement, rather than passing and standing still they will now be more eager to pass and follow the ball up the court to continue the attack.

Up your passing game today - full members can login and download this session now, or you can upgrade today.

BELIEF in your shooting

This week's Sportplan session is an absolute must read for all coaches with young and new teams, looking at how to coach correct shooting technique and instil belief in players in front of the basket.

Why not start this session by asking your players what the score was in the highest ever scoring N.B.A. game? Amazingly the highest ever aggregate score in an N.B.A. match was 370 when the Detroit Pistons (186 points) beat the Denver Nuggets (184 points) in Denver on December 13th 1983. This was after overtime, but nonetheless it really demonstrates what a high scoring game basketball can be.

Shooting is one of the most important aspects of basketball and one that your players are sure to be very keen to try. To give your players hoop dreams we've designed this session to coach correct technique as well as shooting confidence.

B for balance - Players square their feet up to the basket.

E for elbow - Players get their elbow in an L shape facing the basket.

L for line - Line up their right foot, hand and eye.

I for index finger - Index finger lined up pointing towards the basket.

E is for extension - Players extend their arm to straight.

F is for flick - Players extend their arm and flick their wrist when fully extended to release the ball.

After coaching this session with your players you should see an improvement in their basic shooting techniques, laying the foundations for future development.

Run to the basket and shoot - full members can login and download this session now, or you can upgrade today.