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Individual Training

The following is an Individual Training Session that takes one (1) hour to deliver. Regardless of the standard of player, from Beginner to Elite it also serves as an opportunity for the Player and Coach to revisit the fundamentals together. This provides opportunities for initial learning, or improving a skill level. The key lesson here is if you do not acknowledge your areas for improvement, the opposition will exploit them. For these reasons, this session is a recommended pre-requisite, before progressing with team trainings. 

Sacred Cow “Fundamentals is for Beginners” 

Observe: Players (and their coaches), who ignore individual fundamentals, get exploited by the opposition. 

Problem: Elite players often neglect fundamentals, the experience being that their previous coaches have assumed their skill level. When the pressure builds across a season, it is often a basic neglected skill which determines the outcome. 

Origin:  Seemingly all coaches are in a hurry to implement their systems, and all players are eager to display their strongest talents. 

The Solution

This training session is designed for all players from point guard to centre, through demonstrating the interplay between each skill and the relevance to each position. We also deliver an emphasis in each drill on a two-foot landing called a jump stop. This is a key attribute in order to replace bad habits developed in almost all players of having a strong preference. Most players walk into the gym and stroll into warm up shots. Left-right; shoot. This habit alone halves the pivot range of options. If not acknowledged by the player, or intercepted by the coach, the quality opponent will beat you both because of it. We therefore do each drill an equal number of times in each direction, with every possible combination, in order to build confidence and chisel away at the preference for a particular move. With beginners, I welcome parent participation in these sessions, in order that they too can understand the key points well enough to observe and remind their player, and help them train independently. The athlete that emerges has the opportunity to become fundamentally flawless. 

Key Teaching Points

1. Shooting. Every player is most interested and eager to shoot the ball. So we begin with this skill, to get to know the player and  as we do so, there is always a fundamental improvement that can be observed. If you are a knowledgeable coach, accurate in your observations and the feedback is well received by the player; you have set the conditions of success for the rest of the training session. The player will now be more willing to learn fundamentals beyond shooting. The fundamentals that we observe are as detailed in the 'Shooting the Ball' chapter. 

2. Rebounding. Since shooting leads to rebounding we use this as the segway into our next skills. We ask the player to rebound a ball thrown straight onto the backboard. Observe which direction the feet face on landing. Most will land facing the baseline. We demonstrate an example of rebounding with the hand nearest to the basket, reaching for the ball first. This action creates a turn away from split line on landing. We ask the player what benefit this gives them. "Turning away from where most Defence is" and "Saving time by facing toward sideline" and "Quicker fast break outlet passes" are all good answers. Any answers that the player does not identify, we emphasise as additional benefits. It is important that we begin to build curiosity in the player, that such a simple change, can yield huge advantages for their team's success over a game and a season. 

3. Gripping Ball. Now that we have rebounded the ball, ask the player to hold the ball strongly. Often the players biceps will be engaged and shaking, we then use a fist to strike the ball out  of the players hand. If the players elbows are not engaged this will happen easily, since the bicep muscle alone tires quickly. We emphasise that we have just worked to rebound the ball and immediately lost it. We pose the question, what can we do different to grip the ball, without tiring our biceps. The solution we reveal is to grip the ball, with both elbows engaged, creating a double triangle; using our bones rather than our muscles. The hands may still look stressed even in this position, so we reveal that changing our wrist/palm angle to 90°, then uses our bones again, instead of hand strength. We demonstrate the improvement in strength, by again attempting to strike the ball using a fist. The beginner is often amazed at this unknown strength. I am always staggered at how the simple skill of holding the ball is neglected by coaches. 

4. Rip High / Low. We next want to remove the idea that there are big player and small player skills. So we take the gripping the ball idea out of the paint and onto the perimeter. From the top of the key-way, defending the player and overguarding one side, we ask the player to swap sides with the ball. This will reveal whether the player is familiar with what is often called ripping high and ripping low. The player first needs to evaluate whether the defender (when in stance), is effectively taller or shorter. If the defender is shorter, we are best to swap sides with the ball, by 'ripping' high. Conversely, if the defender is taller, it is safer for us to rip the ball low. This is the first part to mastering this skill, the second is to link it to gripping the ball correctly throughout the rip high and low movement. Often players who are already familiar with rip high/low, do so by extending their arms, which is weak. We reveal this weakness by again striking the ball as they rip high/low and ask them what would fix it. This is why the skills are taught in this specific order. The player may recognise that gripping the ball as with the previous drill is aspirational, however not comprehend how to achieve it, since ripping the ball has been for them mostly a hand movement, not truly linked to a full body and feet movement. The only way to rip high/low and maintain the double engaged elbows throughout the movement in order to maintain grip strength, is to uniform the movement with the whole body and feet. The player is instantly transformed into a strong player, with the knowledge to withstand individual defensive pressure. The third part to this skill, is to then finish the movement with one (1) dribble, finishing with a two foot plant and jump shot.  This is important to give the player a reason to want to apply the skill and directly benefit from its mastery, since we will need this skill as a component in our later drills. The one dribble jump shot in attempting to cover a horizontal distance from the perimeter to the key-way often results in a travel by cheating with the backfoot (i.e. lifting the pivot foot, before the dribble commences). After observing the athlete, we then show that covering the distance is not achieved at the beginning of the dribble but at the end. We also explain, that to avoid a travel call, it is necessary for the first dribble to hit the floor at the same time that the front foot strikes the ground. By doing this we ask the question, whether it is physically possible to lift the rear foot, before the front foot has struck. This is why to avoid a travel, the dribble should be low and linked to the front foot, rather than the back foot. The player will then find that they initially cover less horizontal distance and are further from the key-way than when they were cheating the movement. After observing a few attempts, it is usual that the player catches the ball as the ball is rising off the floor from the first dribble. We then demonstrate the difference, that to cover a great horizontal distance, we need to move our feet fast under the dribble and not catch the ball until it begins to fall again. In this short delay, we can cover a large distance. After this is mastered, we then repeat the drill with every possible combination. e.g. 

5. Pivot Moves. Since our last drill ended in a jump stop (i.e. both feet landing simultaneously) for a jumpshot, we then expand on this attribute to demonstrate why this is advantageous, as opposed to a stride stop. The key lesson being a jump stop, maximises our choices for pivoting, as it effectively doubles the options we can choose since either foot can be our pivot. A stride stop restricts us, since it predetermines our pivot foot as the first foot is planted, and thereby it makes the read for defenders that much easier, who can then channel us and exploit this weakness. We ask the player to cut horizontally across the key way, to land with a jump stop on the split line (i.e. parallel with the sideline) to catch the ball. Again we re-emphasise the gripping the ball and the double elbow method, which should now begin to be automatically translated into every drill. We remind the player that while using both elbows is legal, swinging them is not! We then teach all the possible pivot combinations that can be achieved from this position, without utilising a dribble. The player may already know most of them. We can then fill in the gaps, with the missing moves. They include: 

We then repeat all these moves in the other direction, by cutting from the opposite side of the key, so the moves are effectively reversed. We repeat all combinations an equal number, in order to avoid a habit preference developing. The second part to this skill, is to then add a single dribble to the move. The player begins as before, but adds a dribble to the pivot move, this time with intention to have a jump stop that lands with feet parallel with the baseline. We then pose the question of what are their options. The player will often immediately recognise that all of the pivot moves that were available at the beginning are now also available at the end of the dribble. The player may need a demonstration of how to apply the same moves that were used with the feet parallel to sideline are also available with feet parallel to the baseline. 

6. Post Passing. Since the last drill can be fatiguing, we then teach passing to the post from the perimeter. We first ask the player, where might the post player be. Usually players associate the post with being low (i.e. on keyway edge nearest to the basket). We then ask where might the pass to the post come from. The answer we are leading the player to discover is that since the defender can defend on either side of the post player, or indeed in front or behind; we should consider at least two passing angles to the post. For this example I use the baseline/3pt line corner, and the wing (i.e. foulline extended). Therefore in order to make either of these passing angles from these positions an equal distance, we need to place the post in the geometric centre of both. A straight line could then be drawn from the basket, through the post, to the wing, and likewise from the baseline cnr, throught he post to the centre of the foul line. We then ask, whether the triangles formed by the passing angles are identical to the cutting triangles on the keyway side. The answer we are leading to is that the keyway is not a helpful geographic reference, that the centre of this saltire formation is actually a step outside the keyway, in order to make all angles equal. We are now moving the players thinking toward the idea that the court markings are not necessarily the best reference for our setup, that the geography of our setup is a very separate geometric matter. We then ask the player to reconsider where the wing might be. The answer we are leading toward is that the wing is not the intersection of the foul line extended and 3 point line, but rather a step further out, in order to be parallel with their notional teammate in the baseline corner. We now ask the player to demonstrate passing the ball to the post. A good player will recognise all the skills taught previously in gripping the ball, ripping high/low (depending on defenders effective height) and pivoting in order to pass the ball through rather than slow and softly around the defender. Some players will need a few demonstrations, particularly to build confidence and be shown how wide their shoulders are, vs their horizontal reach, vs their horizontal reach + a pivot. Even Elite players often forget the pivot and resort to passing the ball around the perimeter, instead of forcing the issue and making the defence actually defend the post. You can have a great offensive system, but without the ability to deliver the ball reliably to the post under pressure, the system has zero value. We then add a single dribble to the move, to further emphasise the point, and demonstrate that the relationship between the passer and post player receiving is to mirror the movement. The job of the post player is to drop step when the passer makes this dribble in the same direction, so both players remain parallel. 

7. Post Moves. It naturally follows that since we have demonstrated how to pass to the post, we then teach post moves from outside the keyway, the simplest we have just covered, which is a drop-step on receiving the ball. We then review all of the other post move options available, providing that we have caught the ball in the post with both feet remaining firm, in order that we still have the choice of pivot foot. This further emphasises the importance that the pass be accurate, as a poor pass means we need to stretch to catch and this compromises our footwork and therefore halves our pivot options. When we put our hands up to catch the ball, we demonstrate creating a catch window, that i call 'Double Stop Signs', which is both hands up, with a 90° bend in each elbow. Many players have the bad habit, of putting one stretched hand up to receive, which makes it possible for a defender to easily step around and deflect the pass. Having both elbows bent, effectively widens our shoulders, and creates further distance for the defender, while also giving us clear hands ready to catch, that cannot be unduly held back. Gripping the ball strongly is again re-emphasised, and then the post moves explained, 1 x dribble in each direction to split line, or to baseline; and then with all the pivot options taught before. Highly recommended viewing is the videos below by Hakeem Olajuwon. 

8. Cutting Lines. The last drills being potentially quite technical, we then relax without the ball and ask the question of how would they normally lead to get free on the perimeter. Most players will have been taught to either lead in and lead out, by stepping a foot inside the keyway, or by executing a standard triangle leading pattern; the result most often is returning to the same position on the floor. We then propose a small change, that instead of merely placing a foot inside the keyway that they continue all of the way to split line, under the basket. From here we ask whether the original spot or the opposite side of the floor is closer. The key point that we want to inculcate is that the difference of a foot inside keyway, vs reaching split line, is small, but the options of going anywhere on the floor next is a big bonus. From here we then explore all of the different cuts to various positions on the floor that might be availbable. We then join this idea to the post passing angles that we explained earlier, and realise that this gives us a natural screen, by cutting to the wing, through the post. We make other observations with other angles, and showing that there is more than a triangle leading pattern, but actually a saltire on each side. Lastly, we ask how many different positions they have found to occur using these geographic cutting lines, and compare that with the fact that there are only four (4) other offensive players that can be occupying any of them at any one time. The result should be an attitude of initiative and freedom, instead of a feeling of being random and lost in an offence, while knowing at all times why an angle is good and how it benefits, both the passer and receiver. 

9. Dynamic Shooting. With the remaining session time, we use what is left in the tank to challenge and extend the player under fatigue. Completing the same skills as before with the 1 x dribble, jump stop, jump shot; being executed against the stop watch for a maximum score. We watch out for bad habits that may creep back in as fatigue takes over. We then fix the flaw, slowing the number of attempts down, while competing against the stop watch, and compare the accuracy. Good balance, will always yield a higher percentage, even as the shooters fatigue increases. 

The above should be taught succinctly in these nine (9) steps and be limited to a one (1) hour maximum session. While the individual skills can be revisited and truly mastered later, the intent of this session plan, is to articulate the interrelationship of all these skills to each other. This is the key key learning outcome. 

Video Tutorials

Further Reading