Basketball Passing Tips & Drills

Youth Basketball Passing Tips & Drills

Though we all love to see a dazzling crossover dribbling move, a sweet jumper that tickles the twine from beyond the arc, and the monster slam from behind the ear, in the final analysis, youth basketball is a team game.

There have been many NBA players who have put up enormous individual numbers without ever winning a championship, and there are others who have multiple rings who didn't score much at all. In basketball you need to get good, high percentage shots, and to do that consistently you need to find the open man and play selfless basketball.

A smart pass often results in a very easy shot, and every good youth coach needs to emphasize the importance of passing to his or her team. Making a nice pass that turns into an easy basket is one of the best feelings you can have on the court, and these assists do more than put two points on the board.

They feed a culture of teamwork, and no team is going to be successful over the long haul unless there is a shared commitment to the team over the individual. Everyone on the floor needs to have total court awareness and look for the open player, and if you think "pass first," you are going to keep the opponent on their heels and over the course of the game you are going to get a very high percentage of good shots.

Below are some tips for proper basketball passing techniques as well as some fun drills for your youth basketball team's practice.

Youth Basketball Passing Tips 

 

1. Get the ball to a teammate who is in a good position to make something happen.
2. Anticipate the cuts of your teammates when looking to pass.
3. Pass off the fingertips, not the palms of your hands.
4. Follow through when you make a pass.
5. Use fakes to open passing lanes.
6. Focus and make crisp passes that are sharp and targeted but catchable.

Youth Basketball Passing Drills

Side Step Passing Drill 

Have half your players line up across the foul line facing the basket and another line facing them from under the basket along the end line. In pairs they make two hand chest passes to one another as they take two or three side steps until they reach the end of the gym and come back to the other side. Then start again using an overhead pass, then again practicing the bounce pass.

Circle Passing Drill 

Break the players up into groups of about five and have them form a circle just outside the half court and foul line circles. They then pass to one another diagonally, using every variation of pass, periodically widening the circle to increase the distance of the passes.

Drills For Basketball - 3 Killer Passing Drills 

Basketball Shooting Drills

Basic and Effective Youth Basketball Shooting Drills 

There is nothing more satisfying than watching a basketball leave your fingertips with the perfect backspin and arch on its way toward the hoop until you hear the sweet sound of the swish.

Like anything else it takes practice to become a good shooter, and though some people have more natural shooting ability than others, shooting drills can help any player improve their shot and become more of a scoring threat.

However, no matter how much you practice, if you are simply going through countless repetitions of shooting the ball using poor form you won't be getting much accomplished.

Below are some tips for proper basketball shooting techniques as well as some fun drills for your youth basketball team's practice. You can also find more free basketball skills & drills videos and tutorials online at websites like BasketballDribblingDrills.info

Basketball Shooting Fundamentals:

Keep your elbow aligned with your shoulder rather than allowing it to drift off to the right. If you stop and simulate that position right now you'll recognize that the correct alignment will leave your hand and fingertips correctly centered on the ball.

Square your body up to the hoop. Of course there are times when you cannot be perfectly positioned due to the ebb and flow of the game, but we call those "off balance shots" right? They are impressive when they go in because of the high difficulty level, but they are low percentage opportunities. You need to have your shoulders squared up to the basket and your elbow tucked in.

Follow through correctly. When you watch good shooters, you will always see them follow through completely with a snapping rather than a pushing motion. You release the ball with a flip of the wrist with your arm fully extended, and this results in the proper backspin. Watch bad shooters and you will see that they invariably do not extend their arms fully or release the ball with that perfect flip of the wrist.

Basketball Shooting Drills:

Wall Drill

This drill is designed to condition your players to focus on form any time they think about shooting the basketball. Your players line up facing a wall in the gym, and you instruct them to aim for a spot on the wall and try to hit it while using proper shooting form. As the ball bounces back they work on catching the "pass" in rhythm, gathering it in, and squaring up and releasing another shot using the correct shooting technique. This is something that players should be encouraged to do on their own as well.

Bank Drill

When you are close to the basket the backboard can be your best friend. This drill creates touch off the board and allows players to work on improving their off-hand shooting ability. Have players start off about three feet from the basket and utilize perfect form making a bank shot with their shooting hand. Have them shoot ten or fifteen shots and then go to the other side of the basket and do the same with their off-hand. Then they take a couple of steps back and continue repeating the drill from longer distances.

Basketball Drills & Tips : How to Shoot a Basketball Better 

Youth Basketball Drills

What You Need To Know About Youth Basketball Drills

The game of basketball can be a wonderful thing for a young individual to experience.

Now that I think about it, the game of basketball could be good for older individuals to experience as well.

Truth be told, regardless of age, anybody can savor the game of basketball. Even so, it is necessary for virtually every participating basketball player to improve their level of skill.

This write-up will focus on youth basketball drills as a method to boost the level of play for its participants.

Youth Basketball Drills:

1.Passing

Although some experts could differ on this subject, our opinion is that passing is the most important skill to learn. The teams that do well at the highest level are those who have at least one or two ballplayers that are remarkably proficient at passing.

Even though the long, 3 point shot or the spectacular dunk is what makes the highlight reels, the pass that preceded these events are much more important. The fact is, the better a person is at passing, the more useful he'll be in the view of his coach.

2.Dribbling

Each and every participant on the basketball court requires at least a minimal quantity of dribbling skill to be able to compete. However, it is especially important for backcourt players to become skilled dribblers.

Make sure you concentrate these backcourt players to dribble with either hand, and making use of their fingertips rather than their palms. It should be stated to the young basketball player that many NBA stars had to develop their offhand dribbling by training after hours. Most of them would take a basketball home and dribble with their opposite hand for hours at a time.

3.Shooting

As stated earlier, the dramatic shots from beyond 3 point range is likely to make the highlight film. However, the youthful participants should certainly be concentrating on shots from significantly closer in. You should begin with layup drills.

Training players to jump off their left foot (or inside foot) as they throw the ball towards the back board is an important skill to build up. Once the layup becomes 2nd nature, then it's time to shift the drills farther out. Free throws are one more vital aspect of basketball, and every player should be practicing them frequently.

Conclusion:

Every child should have the opportunity to experience the sport of their choosing. It is a wonderful experience that teaches teamwork and other values which are key for accomplishment in later life.  

Youth basketball drills particularly help the young basketball player to more completely develop their potential.