Age group: U12
Focus: Finishing
Duration: 48 minutes
Drills: 7
More games are won at the rim than at the arc. Build the toolkit: layups both hands, power finishes, second-jump putbacks.
Pairs, 5 metres apart. 20 chest passes, 20 bounce passes, 20 overhead passes, 20 one-handed push passes (10 each hand).
Fundamentals warm-up every coach should run every practice. Countless turnovers prevented.
Classic finishing drill named after George Mikan. Player alternates left-hand and right-hand layups under the rim continuously, no dribble.
Builds touch around the basket and trains the off-hand for live finishes.
Two lines: half-court with balls, wing without. Ball line dribbles in for a layup. Wing follows for rebound, outlets to next shooter.
Classic continuous warm-up. Done right, it's daily reps. Done lazy, it's wasted time.
Post player on the block, ball entered from the wing. Catch with two hands, sense the defender's position, drop-step middle, finish with a power layup off two feet.
Fundamental post move that works at every level — the bigger the player, the harder it is to stop.
Post player on the block. Four moves rotated through, in succession: drop-step to power layup, jump hook, up-and-under, turnaround jumper. 5 makes of each before moving on.
Full arsenal of post moves in one drill. Teaches reading the defender from the post.
Three players in a triangle near the rim. Continuous passes; every catch followed by an immediate layup attempt, no dribble, no holding.
Fast-paced finishing under chaos. Touch and quick decision-making.
End-of-practice: 30 seconds each, toe touches, quad stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch, lunge stretch, cobra back stretch, shoulder rolls. Total 4 minutes.
Most coaches skip it. Don't. Recovery starts here. Players who stretch consistently miss less practice from soreness.