Top Basketball Drills:
The Circuit

Top basketball drills usually have a conditioning element - The Circuit is very much a conditioning drill. I picked up this drill from a neat little software program called Basketball Playbook. The software allows you to outline basketball plays and drills, and replay them or print them out - it is the software I have used to created the play and drill graphics on this site. The basic version is free - you can download it at Jes-Basketball.

Pre-loaded into the playbook are several basketball drills. This one - called Igor's Circuit on the software - is great for developing conditioning and dribbling skills. Players are heaving by the time they finish it, so it's a good simulation of how they'll feel towards the end of a game.

Instructions to Players

Here's what players need to focus on:

• When dribbling through the cones, it is a control dribble - players need to stay low and protect the ball
  
  
• This is a simulation - i.e., players need to treat the cones like defensive players crowding them
  
  
• The dribbling moves should be as quick as the player can handle without losing control of the ball or having to stand up out of the crouch - again, always protect the ball
  

How this Top Basketball Drill Works

The full circuit can be broken into three sections. To begin, set out cones as illustrated in the diagram to follow.

Top Basketball Drill: The Circuit
Section 1

Players line up at the baseline on the right side of the court Each of the players has a ball The player at the front of the line (#1) starts the drill by dribbling at the cones - at a control dribble speed and stance When he approaches each cone, the player jabs hard to one side, then pushes off to the other, performing a proper crossover dribble When the player moves past the last cone, he dribbles hard to the end of the court and sets the ball down on the baseline

Top Basketball Drill: The Circuit
Section 2

After setting his ball on the baseline, the player drops into defensive stance and executes a defensive slide to the half mark, then slides back to the baseline The player then slides again to the half; this time when he arrives at the half court circle, the player pulls up and jumps, two footed, as high as he can, five times When the first player begins jumping, the next player in line starts dribbling towards the cones When he finishes his five jumps, the first player slides back to the baseline, gathers his ball, and dribbles to the opposite side of the court

Top Basketball Drill: The Circuit
Section 3

On the opposite side of the court, cones are placed a little farther apart. The player dribbles - control dribble - to each of the cones, executing a reverse dribble at each cone When he passes the last cone, the player then fast breaks to the basket, concentrating on making the lay up Once he makes the basket, the player puts his ball down and drops to do 10 pushups He then picks up his ball and heads to the back of the line for his next turn

I like this top basketball drill partly because it has some good conditioning aspects to it, and partly because it simulates a game situation, in that there are many times when a player is defended closely, but manages a neat little crossover or reverse dribble, gets his man on his hip, and suddenly finds himself unguarded for a moment with a clear lane to the basket - and if he's quick, he can notch up two more points in his stats.