League Sports / Basketball / Basketball Strategy Guide

Basketball Strategy Guide

How to Practice and Play Basketball

(January 7, 2002)

The following sections are meant to educate participants and increase the overall knowledge of the game.  Remember, all of the basketball knowledge and understanding will not mean much without consistent practice. Most of this is taken from Coach Billy Donovan himself (note - his permission was sought for this).

Dribbling

Basic Fundamentals

1. Keep the ball on finger pads, not on the palm of the hand.
2. Keep your head up to see the floor. Never look at the ball.
3. Keep the ball at waist level or lower.
4. Knees should be bent with your back straight.

Moves

Two Ball Dribbling

1. One ball in each hand dribbled full court up and back simultaneously.
2. One ball in each hand dribbled full court up and back alternating dribbles.
3. This emphasizes you becoming as good with your weak hand as you are with your strong hand.

Speed Dribble

1. The ball should be pushed out in front of you while moving at top speed.
2. Keep your eyes on the net so you will see the whole floor.

Change of Pace

1. The dribbler approaches the defender and hesitates slightly.
2. As the defender relaxes, blow by him and make your play.

Hard Stutter

1. The dribbler approaches the defender and slows with short choppy steps.
2. The goal is to either back the defender up or make him stand up.
3. If he stands up, then blow by him. If he backs up, then shoot the jumper.

Behind the Back

1. The key to this dribble is that you change direction. Do not drive in a straight line.
2. The angle is best when you change direction and go from third base to first base.

Inside Out

1. The dribbler approaches the defender and brings the ball toward the middle of his body as if he were crossing over to the other hand.
2. As the defender leans, keep the ball in the same hand and blow by the defender.

Inside Out Crossover

1. The dribbler begins by using the inside-out move as above.
2. As the defender reacts to take the ball away, cross the ball over to the other hand and blow by the defender.

One on One Moves

A complete basketball player must be able to take his man one on one. This requires the development of certain skills. All these skills depend on your ability to catch the ball in the triple threat position, where you can shoot, pass, or drive. From this position you must be able to read the defense and take what is available.

Offensive Moves

1. Jump Shot
   To be a good one on one player, you need a good jump shot. To improve your jump shot, all that is required is dedicated practice. If you don't have a good shot, the defense will play off and make it difficult to drive to the basket.
2. Ball fake - Step by to the rim
   If the defender is playing tightly or runs at the offensive player out of control, the offensive player lifts the defender with a ball fake and steps by body to body and drives in a straight line to the basket for a lay-up. The offensive player must stay down as he gives the ball fake. Do not move laterally on the drive.
3. Ball fake - Pull through to the rim
   The pull through is a crossover move. The offensive player must stay low to avoid traveling. During the crossover, make a tight circle with the ball, step by and place body between the defender and the ball. The dribble must have begun before the pivot foot is moved.
   NOTE: On a drive to the rim, help defense will be waiting. A player must be able to get his shot off when being defended by someone taller. On the drive, work to get the defensive player under the rim. Forcing the defender under the rim puts him 'in jail' and makes it difficult for him to block the shot.
4. Ball fake - Step by, Jump shot
   Move is done as above, with the player stopping and pulling up after one or two dribbles for a jump shot.
5. Ball fake, Pull through, Jump shot
   Move is done as above, with the player stopping and pulling up after one or two dribble for a jump shot.
   NOTE: On the pull up jump shot, pound the ball on the last dribble as you elevate into the shot.

Foul Shooting

Foul shooting is the difference in many close games. If you want to be on the floor when the game gets tight and the crowd is going wild, you must knock down your foul shots.

Coaching Points:

• Square to basket with feet pointed at the rim.
• Right foot slightly in front for righty and left foot slightly in front for lefty.
• With knees bent, shooting elbow is tucked almost against body and hand is placed directly under the ball.
• Form a "T" with thumbs and do not allow non-shooting hand to effect the shot.
• Keep the head still and the shooting side foot and elbow all in a line toward the basket.
• As the knees straighten, release the ball and follow through with a flick of the wrist.
• Establish a routine and repeat with each shot.

There's really no secret to becoming a Great Foul Shooter:
just hours and hours of dedicated PRACTICE!!!!

Post Play

Mikan Drill

1. Start on left side of the rim facing the backboard.
2. Step with the left foot and shoot hook shot with right hand.
3. Grab the ball out of the net.
4. Step with right foot and shoot hook shot with left hand.
5. Work to make 25 in a row.

NOTE: Keep the ball above your head. Do not let the ball hit the floor.

Backboard Taps

1. Begin on the right side of the backboard.
2. Throw the ball off the backboard and tap with right hand.
3. Bounce off toes and tap ball ten times. On the final tap, put the ball in the basket.
4. Repeat with left hand.

NOTE: Keep both hands above head. Tap ball at the top of the jump.

4 Different Moves

1. Begin on the left block (O). Take your defender away & then flash to the foul line with your hands up.
2. Catch an entry pass from a partner (O).
3. Work on 4 different moves:
   1. Jump-shot - player flashes up to the foul line for a jump shot.
   2. Pull-thru, lay-up - player flashes up, catches ball and pulls ball through, then steps by the defender and gets to the rim for a lay-up or dunk.
   3. Pull-thru, spin dribble, jump hook - player flashes up and receives pass, pulls the ball through and takes one dribble and then spins the opposite direction for a jump hook.
   4. Pull-thru, one dribble, up & under - player flashes up and receives pass. He then pulls ball through and takes one hard dribble to the basket (player comes to a jump stop), and then makes an up and under move to the basket.

NOTE: The term pull through refers to pulling the ball through low and hard. Use both sides of the floor.

Passing

Nothing advances the ball up the floor more quickly than a good pass. Great teams are made up of great passers. In both half court and full court situations, good passing teams put tremendous pressure on the defense. Nothing excites fans more than an unselfish team that plays well together and makes the extra pass. By working on the fundamentals listed below, you will become a better passer and a more valuable member of your team.

Coaching Points

1. Chest Pass
   The chest pass is made with two hands on the basketball. It begins with the ball held securely in the chest area, with hands placed firmly on the sides of the ball and elbows out. As you prepare to pass you should step toward your target and deliver the ball to your teammate above his waist and below his shoulders. As you release the ball, you should extend your arms and let the ball come off your finger tips. Complete the pass by following through with fingers pointing at your target and thumbs down.
2. Bounce Pass
   The bounce pass is made the same way as the chest pass except you aim at a spot on the floor so that the ball will bounce up to your teammate's waist. It is the pass you would use to get the ball by a defender's hands in a scoring area.
3. Overhead Pass
   The ball is held at head level with two hands firmly on the side. Step toward your target, release the ball and follow through with fingers pointing toward the target and thumbs down. The overhead pass may be used to outlet the ball after a rebound, pass against pressure, or get the ball to the low post.
4. Hook Pass
   The hook pass is a one handed pass used to defeat pressure or pass to the post when defended. With all one-handed passes, you must keep two hands on the ball as long as possible for control. To make a right-handed hook pass, step around the defense with the left foot and pass the ball. With the left-handed pass, step around the defense with the right foot and pass the ball.
5. Baseball Pass
   The baseball pass is thrown with one hand. To throw the baseball pass with the right hand, keep two hands on the ball as the ball is brought back beside the right ear. Step forward with your left foot, release the ball and follow through with thumb pointing to the ground.

The Jumpshot

In the game of basketball, great shooters are hard to find. If you want to be a great shooter, all you need to do is decide to get it done. First, you must perfect your fundamentals. All this requires is good coaching and hours of practice. Second, you must practice at game speed. This means you approach your shooting workout with the same intensity you approach a game. It is much better to take 100 shots at game speed than to take 500 lazy shots that a good defender would never let you shoot anyway. Finally, you must understand that working on your shooting is just like putting money in the bank. If you don't put anything into it, you can't expect to get anything out when you really need it later on.

Coaching Points

1. The ball should sit on the finger pads of your shooting hand and not on the palm.
2. Your wrist should be flexed all the way back so that you can see wrinkles where the back of your hand meets your arm.
3. Your non-shooting or guide hand should be on the side of the ball for better ball control.
4. Your elbow is bent and should be directly under the ball. If your elbow is out away from your side it will hurt your accuracy.
5. When waiting for the pass, you should be in a "ready position," knees bent, feet pointing at the basket, hands ready with fingers pointing up, prepared to receive the ball. Good defensive players recover quickly, so you must be ready to shoot the ball.
6. Eyes should be locked on your target. Some people shoot for the back of the rim and some for just over the front of the rim. Whether you concentrate on the front or back, keep your eyes on that point and DO NOT WATCH THE BALL.
7. As you jump, reach up, and release the ball with a flick of the wrist and a good follow through. The follow through will give you good reverse rotation and make your shot soft on the rim.

NOTE: A good player must shoot the ball well off both the pass and off the dribble. When shooting off the dribble, make the last dribble hard and high to help you move directly into your shot. When receiving a pass, run the ball into your hands and catch the ball with knees bent.

DRILLS FOR IMPROVEMENT - Partner Shooting

WHY PRESS?

1. Makes your team's superior conditioning a factor during the last five minutes of the game.
2. Gets everybody involved and allows you to develop quality depth and play 9 or 10 people in each game.
3. The press attacks the offense and forces the opposition to play differently than they practice.
4. It forces players to give great effort at all times and increases both game and practice intensity.
5. The press, along with up tempo offense and the 3 point shot, are components of our style of play that are enjoyed by players, fans and media.

Press Stance

1. We always play in an open stance facing the ball.
2. "Play the ball, see your man."
3. When guarding the ball, our foot closest to the middle of the floor is slightly ahead. Our hands are at the level of the ball with the palms facing the offensive player.

Key Points

1. Constant verbal communication is needed between players.
2. Stay with your man unless a "switch" can be made.
3. Trap uncontrolled speed dribble or when the ball handler crosses the top of the key.
4. Back pursuit is critical!
5. Must match up quickly and get a man to avoid giving up easy baskets even if you don't make a steal.
6. No silly fouls!

Buildup Drills from the Press

Press alignments

1.       "White" man on the ball

2.       "Blue" man off the ball

Press Buildup (1 on 1)

Rebounding

individual Technique: Defensive Rebound

1. Stand two steps back and throw the ball against the backboard
2. Jump and grab the ball at the top of your jump
3. Pull the ball down to just below your chin with elbows out
4. Land on balance and turn to the outside and find the outlet
5. Take ten rebounds on both sides

NOTE: More advanced players should turn in the air and land facing to the outside ready to make an outlet pass

Individual Technique: Rebound vs. Pressure

1. Drill begins as the one above
2. As the rebounder turns to the outside, the opposing team is pressuring the outlet pass
3. Fake the outlet pass and take one or two hard dribbles to the corner to defeat the pressure

Individual Technique: Offensive Rebound

1. Stand half way up the lane
2. Throw the ball hard off the backboard and rip the ball out of the air
3. Land on balance with ball held firmly under the chin
4. Take the ball strong to the basket and finish with a power lay-up
5. Take ten rebounds on both sides

NOTE: Add a power dribble and/or shot fake and repeat

The Lay-up

The lay-up is the easiest shot in basketball and it is also one of the most important. As with all shots, to master it requires lots of practice. Work to become the type of player your coach can depend on to make the shot when it really counts!

Coaching Points: The lay-up

1. Keep your eyes on the target. Focus your attention on the spot where you are going to place the ball.
2. Jump off the foot opposite of the shooting hand.
3. Jump as high as possible, extending your arm and releasing the ball at the height of your jump. Always use the backboard!
4. Lay the ball up softly.
5. Learn to shoot the lay-up with either hand.

Learning to shoot the lay-ups with your weak hand:

1. Begin by standing one step away from the basket.
2. Step with your strong side foot and lay the ball upon the backboard with your weak hand. Repeat until it begins to feel natural.
3. Now take two steps back. Step first with your weak side foot while dribbling one time with your weak hand, jump off your strong side leg and lay the ball up on the backboard. Repeat, as above.
4. Finally, move away from the basket 15 or 20 feet and begin working on putting two or three dribbles together. If you work hard, it won't be long before your weak hand lay-up is as tough as your strong hand lay-up.

Power Lay-ups

Power lay-ups are shot when you have the ball under the basket. You may have gotten an offensive rebound or picked up a loose ball. Because you are so close to the basket, the defense is under a lot of pressure.

Coaching Points: Power lay-ups

1. Be strong with the ball. Keep your knees bent so you will not be knocked off balance. Keep the ball under your chin, with both hands on the ball, so it will not be stolen.
2. Jump off two feet with power, but remember to shoot the ball softly off the backboard. Be ready for contact and look for the three point play.
3. If playing against a shot blocker, give a quick, hard shot fake to make him leave his feet. As he leaves his feet, jump up and through the contact and score the goal.