Basketball Drills - Get Your Team on Point With This Beginner Basketball Drill

Coaching kids' basketball is a rewarding, fun experience. At times, however, it can be frustrating coming up with the right kind of basketball drills for your team. If your basketball team is composed of players who are new to the game or don't have much experience, your drills should cater to this and should focus on the basics of playing the game. Try this beginner drill to get your young players comfortable with the correct offensive stance.

Purpose of the Stance Footwork Drill

Stance is one of the most important factors of coaching kids' basketball. If your players use an incorrect offensive or defensive stance, they lose the ability to react quickly, and change direction with the flow of the game. The stance footwork basketball drill will help your players work on always having the correct stance during a game.

How the Beginner Drill Works

To begin this basketball drill, have your player assume the offensive stance, where their head is directly over their waist, their back is straight, their hands are kept above the waist, arms are close to the body, elbows are flexed, feet are about shoulder-width apart, weight is distributed evenly on the balls of the feet, and the knees are slightly flexed. Now have the player shift his or her weight too far back on their heels. Next they should lean too far forward, with their weight on their toes. After the player has made these two stance mistakes, have him or her correct their stance. This is a great way to reiterate the importance of the offensive stance in your team.

Coaching Kids' Basketball Tips

When you lead this drill, tell your players to keep the following in mind:

*The head should be over the waist to maintain balance
*The arms should be held close to the body
*The knees should be slightly flexed, and the feet should be at least shoulder-width apart
*The body's weight should be distributed on the balls of the feet

Variations of the Beginner Basketball Drill

If your team is ready for a more advanced version of this basketball drill, try a couple of these variations:

*Have your break up in couples before the drill. While one player is doing the drill, the other player should try to upset their teammate's balance by gently pushing on his or her shoulders.
*Again in couples, have your players try to upset their partner's balance by pulling him or her by one of his or her hands.

This beginner basketball drill is a great way to get your team acquainted with one another while reiterating the importance of a correct stance. It's a simple drill, but it's necessary for your team to be the best it can be.

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Coach Pat Anderson is a youth basketball coach, writer and publisher of Online-Basketball-Drills.com, the web's #1 resource for free basketball drills, plays and coaching tips.