Basketball Footwork Drills Without Ball. Footwork must serve a purpose; if it is good in one part of the game, it is good in all areas. That means it can control and dictate to a helpless defender on offense and create indecision in the offensive player being protected on defense.
Footwork is critical to a player’s overall performance on both offense and defense. We identified keys to developing proper footwork in beginners, intermediate, and advanced players.
Some might be tried and true concepts, while others may be introduced to you for the first time. In any case, we will provide a short outline of each one to assist you in your journey of teaching players how to develop and master their footwork for peak performance on the court.
Basketball Footwork Drills Without Ball
Here are some Basketball Footwork Drills Without Ball we would like to share with you!
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is a typical practice that most people remember from primary school gym class… but it’s also an extremely useful drill with an infinite number of variations that can assist basketball players to improve their footwork and coordination.
Jump rope exercises help players improve their balance, hand-foot coordination, and rhythm while also allowing them to practice being light on their feet. All you require is a jump rope and some open space.
Instructions:
- Everyone is familiar with the basic two techniques of jumping rope, but there are numerous variations that can help a basketball player’s footwork.
- Whatever exercise you choose, the important thing is to set a goal so that you can focus on continuous improvement over time.
- Choose a variation and then either count how so many jumps you can get in a definite amount of time or time how long it takes you to complete a certain number of jumps.
- This will encourage you to stay as light as well as quick on your feet as possible, which is vital on the basketball court.
U-Stance (Universal Stance)
Basketball Footwork Drills Without Ball: In basketball, the U-Stance puts you in the ready position and is crucial (in most sports as a whole). The breakdown of the position on the issue will unlock your players’ potential to become a threat on offense, making plays, or a solid defender who stays in the correct position while playing on or off the court.
Wide base – Feet shoulder width apart, heels up (stand on balls of feet), chin on shoulders, hips dropped back straight, head and eyes up for excellent court vision. This is referred to as “Living Low” by Jim Huber, Director of Coach Development and Head Camp Director at Breakthrough Basketball.
A broad base allows for greater mobility in all directions when catching, cutting, making dribble moves, and shooting on offense. On defense, it is the ability to play solid on and off the ball in a sequence of on-ball-deny-help-recover. Jumping awareness will also be improved for contesting shots as well as grabbing rebounds. A wide base established in the article makes a player a tough guard on offense. Players in this position will be able to move more fluently on both sides of the ball.
Both players are shown above in the U-Stance and “Living Low.”
Angles and length
To protect the ground and become more precise, players use length. As a result, they will improve their ability to attack the rim and play solid defense.
Changes in direction and speed have a direct impact on a player’s ability to use angles. With the mastery of angles, players become very involved on both ends of the game.
1-2 Stop or Jump/Hop Stop
The jump or hop stop is utilized at the end of a dribble, catching as well as receiving a pass, and transitioning into a finish or jump shot. It is used on defense to close out and get into base defensive play after moving.
The 1-2 Stop is also supported by the above breakdown. This method of stopping is faster and more explosive. Speed layups and pull-up jump shots necessitate a 1-2 stop into the finish or shooting position. Because it allows for a sharp stop as well as a quick lift off the ground into a shot, an effective 1-2 Step is known as “Stabbing of the Feet.”
Counters and Pivots
To put it simply, we teach three pivots and three counters. Why? That is all you require. All of the game’s greatest players had effortless pivots but also countermoves and then used them appropriately. The moves are listed below.
- Front: Step-Through
- Back: Sweep or Step-Through
- Drop: Back Pivot (AKA: Reverse Pivot & Inside Pivot)
The bottom line
Basketball Footwork Drills Without Ball. Finally, drills that are valuable and will aid in your ongoing development process of building a foundation in footwork for your players are provided below. As a coach, you can have a significant impact on a player’s feel for the game by making them stand out on the court by mastering as well as teaching the art of footwork.
