Championship Productions Blog

Archives by Tag 'Shooting Drills'

3 “Must-Use” Offensive Drills to Improve Inside Production

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The following drills are effective tools at improving inside production on the offensive end of the lacrosse field. After incorporating these drills into your practice plan, look for major strides in cutting, catching, and finishing with midfielders and attackmen alike.

Give and Go Drill

Put all the lacrosse balls in one spot. Get one line of players positioned up top and about 20 yards from the cage. This line starts with the ball and immediately passes it down low to a teammate. This down low player then feeds right back to the original passer as he/she is cutting towards the cage down the middle. The drill finishes with a quick shot on cage.

Notes: Put your passes right on the ear. Always be moving your feet and get the ball in and out of your sticks quickly. Be sure to make a good hard cut to the goal. When you catch the ball, get those shoulders turned and finish strong.

Flare Cut Drill

This flare cut drill is perfect when working on cuts away from the goal and to an open area. The balls will start in the back right. As the ball is exchanged behind the goal, we’ll have one guy on offense and one on defense. The offensive guy works on sealing his defender and getting to an open area for a spot feed and shot. Meanwhile, the defender will try and fight around him.

Notes: The defense will become offense and offense to the end of the line. Look to get off a quick release on your shots. There should be no delay. Look for quick reps here, one after another.

Back and Forth Shooting

This is a terrific drill for working on in-tight finishes and cutting down low among traffic.

One player will start in front of the goal about five yards away. He will face the opposite end of the field and not the cage. Next, this player will turn one way and catch the ball (from a back GLE feeder) and finish it. Immediately after the shot, he will stop, turn to the outside, and then go the other direction with a catch and shoot from a second GLE feeder.

Notes: By turning to the outside, this will really help protect the stick and force you to get the shoulder turned when catching and shooting. Look to shoot low and away. Keep the feet moving at all times. Feeders, pass the ball as soon as shooter player turns his head.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD ”Essential Skills for Inside Play” with Bobby Benson. Got any inside shooting drills that really pay dividends for your squad? Let us know by posting below or e-mail us at info@championshipproductions.com.

5 Dynamic Shooting Drills Focusing On the Princeton Offense

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Learn from Richmond head men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney as he reveals five shooting drills that are particularly effective for the Princeton Offense. After simulating a three-part cross-court shooting drill, Mooney and company also run through two-foot layups and the full-court drill “And Twos.”

Cross-Court Shooting

Richmond takes a lot of three-pointers, especially standstill threes or Sunday shots. In this three-part drill, use three balls and divide players among two lines. Be sure to emphasize getting off good shots and not as much on how hard you are moving. Shooters should get their own rebound.

Start off by coming across nice and easy at the top of the key. Catch the pass from your teammate, shoot from the top of the key, and get your own rebound. Shoot for four-and-a-half minutes at three different spots. For the next part, throw cross-court passes and have two coaches stand in the middle as if in a zone defense. Alternate each rep. Try to throw good hard overhead passes. It’s tough to do, so look to do it every day in practice. Then finish with the passing line at the top of the key. Have the guys go down and shoot a corner three. Spend 90 seconds at each spot. The goal is to hit 80 shots (adjust if necessary).

Tips: Try to teach your players to catch and shoot. When you don’t catch and shoot, you really stagnate your offense. Don’t hold onto the ball too long or stare things down. You shouldn’t always be trying to make a play with your dribble.

Two-Foot Layups

Richmond basketball has adapted this drill because of the physicality of the game. Sometimes initiating the contact down low almost gets you rewarded. The Spiders like to practice this because they have a lot of flare or drift screens in their offense and this creates a lot of opportunities to drive.

Get coaches down low to create contact for the guys. When forcing the contact, layups can be harder to make. Coaches, don’t be concerned about what hand players shoot the ball with. Coach Mooney has had players go their entire career without making an opposite hand layup, but they’ve made a heck of a lot of layups. But the key here is whether they can get the ball up to the rim and absorb a lot of contact and still make the shot.

Start off with a line of players up on the wing and beyond the three-point arc. Have the players drive against a coach down through the lane and then take it strong to the hoop for a two-foot layup against a low block defender. Look to protect the ball and go strong to the rim.

And Twos

This is a five-man full-court layup drill that typically starts out in sets of four. It’s also one of Richmond’s favorite drills. You’re looking to get four layups total. It’s called “And Twos” because if there’s a missed layup or dropped ball, or any confusion, add two more layups to it. It’s not uncommon to get up to 12 or 14 layups.

Players must worry about who will get the rebound and who will get the outlet. So when running down the court, encourage your players to talk to each other. This drill is not scripted. The Spiders teach a lot of five-man basketball, so the emphasis is often on picking things up on the fly. There isn’t too much time for diagramming things. Rather, it’s about understanding how things work with four other guys on the floor.

Tips: There should be no dribbling in this drill. You should only focus on passes. Also, you don’t have to re-inbound the ball every time. Plus, the player who shoots the layup CANNOT get the rebound.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Chris Mooney: Team & Individual Drills for the Princeton Offense.” To check out more videos highlighting the Princeton Offense and other offensive sets, head over to our basketball library.

Filed in Basketball Newsletter • Tags: BasketballCoach eNewsletter, Chris Mooney, Drills, Issue #39, Layup Drills, Princeton Offense, Richmond Men's Basketball, Shooting Drills

All Access Williams College: Aggressive Layups and Effective Warm-Up Drills

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, June 13, 2012

In this week’s edition of All Access, we take you Williamstown, Massachusetts for a behind-the-scenes look at a Williams College men’s basketball practice. First, watch as head coach Mike Maker starts off practice with a motivating speech about the importance of being a good teammate. Eventually, the squad moves into high intensity warm-up drills, including “40 in 4″ and “Alley Shots.”

After recently wrapping up his fourth season as head men’s basketball coach at Williams, Maker has certainly made his presence felt at the Division III level. A longtime Div. I assistant for programs like West Virginia and Creighton, Maker has already led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances, earning NESCAC Coach of the Year honors in 2010. The Ephs finished 17-8 overall in 2011-12.

Inside the Huddle

We begin practice inside the huddle as Coach Maker stresses the importance of being a good teammate. Says Maker, “It’s easy when everything is going your way. But it’s very difficult to be a good teammate when things don’t go your way. It’s a hard thing to do, but it’s important to be supportive of your teammates. Put your team first and the program. Chemistry is everything.”

40 in 4 Drill

This is one of Williams’ most important shooting drills and a drill the team performs every day. It’s a combined drill where you must make 20 baskets in two minutes on each side of the floor. If the players don’t make 40 shots in four minutes, there’s a consequence for not hitting their number.

Encourage the players to be good teammates, so it’s not just a shooting drill, it’s also a conditioning drill. Have a rebounder at each basket and make sure they are constantly encouraging teammates and delivering effective passes at the same time.

Switch the shooter after one minute and change the shot depth during the drill. While some players will shoot three-pointers, others will shoot a longer two. The goal is to get warmed up and to create various game-like shots. If they don’t make their number, they have a sprint consequence. At Williams, the players get a lot of shooting in practices. According to Coach Maker, the program hangs its hat on this skill and it’s something they feel really needs to be developed.

Alley Shots

Get everyone with a ball. Basically, there are two lines, one at each basket, and with one player behind the other. Players go one at a time and dribble the ball at the top of the key. Players go hard to the rim and absorb contact while knocking down the layup. Williams believes against denile defense to drive the ball and shoot layups. That’s the team’s first option against denile.

Tips: Make sure that players are going at full speed. Get into a lean position where your head is in front of your feet and the ball is in front of your head. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Throw the ball out in front of yourself when driving to the hoop.

Next, players work on the left hand dribble with a dominant hand finish. Move to the left side of the court and go hard at the rim while absorbing contact. Next, move to the left slot area. Start with a pivot and full rotation, then dribble hard into the lane, and finish on the right side with your dominant hand.

Note: Coach Maker believes in using the dominant pivot foot. If you are right-handed, your right foot is off the floor and your left foot is on the floor. He also firmly believes in dominant side layups, no matter what side of the rim you are on.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “All Access Williams Basketball Practice with Mike Maker.” To check out more videos in our All Access catalog, click here.

Filed in Basketball Newsletter • Tags: BasketballCoach eNewsletter, Issue #38, Mike Maker, Shooting Drills, Williams Men's Basketball

3 Competitive Team Shooting Drills That Net Results

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, May 2, 2012

In this week’s Playbook Series, we break down three proven shooting drills that can make a difference for any basketball program. Read through the step-by-step breakdown of each drill before seeing them simulated live on the hardwood.

Fan Drill

Submitted by Tim Hofferber, Guymon High School, Guymon, Oklahoma

The Set-up: The ball starts in the right corner and is passed around the perimeter until it reaches the opposite corner for a shot.

The Action: After each pass, the player follows the pass to the next station. The shooter grabs the rebound, passes to the next player up in the original line, and runs to the end of that line.

Keys: Divide the team in half and place a group at each end of the floor to make it competitive. Also, decide on different shooting spots to shake up the drill a bit.

4 Out Shooting Drill

Submitted by Stacy McGehee, Vincent High School, Vincent, Alabama

The Set-up: There are two lines up at the top of the key. Players 1, 2, and 3 are stacked to the right. Players 4, 5, and 6 are stacked to the left. In the right corner, we have players 7, 8, and 9 lined up. In the left corner, we have players 10, 11, and 12 lined up.

The Action: To begin, players 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 all have basketballs. Players 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 do not. Player 1 passes to 4 and then sets a screen for 7. 7 cuts to the elbow and receives a pass from 4. 7 shoots upon receiving the pass.

The Finish: Next, player 4 screens for 10. 10 curls to the elbow and gets a pass from 2 and shoots. 7 gets his rebound and dribbles to the end of the line behind 2 and 3. Utilize many different types of shots with this drill, including layups, jumpers, jump-stops, head fakes, and more.

30-Second Rotation Drill

Submitted by James Bryant, New Caney High School, New Caney, Texas

Put 30 seconds on the clock and get three players in three different lines outside the three-point line. The first player in each line shoots, gets the rebound, and passes to the next player in their line. This drill continues until the buzzer sounds. Then rotate each line after the buzzer.

The previous drills can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Over 30 Sizzling Team Shooting Drills” by Winning Hoops. To check out more team plays and shooting drills, visit our extensive Winning Hoops collection.

Filed in Basketball • Tags: BasketballCoach eNewsletter, Shooting Drills, Winning Hoops

5 Rapid Fire Shooting Drills for a High-Powered Offense

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, May 1, 2012

This week’s team development feature focuses on improving offensive output through a series of high-intensity shooting drills and team plays. Led by Salisbury University men’s lacrosse coach Jim Berkman, the following drills focus on dodging techniques, shooting on the move, accuracy, and getting a lot of reps in a short period of time. To finish up, we’ll reveal five offensive plays from the Salisbury playbook that have paid dividends for the squad in recent years. Then look for ways to incorporate these effective plays with your own squad as well.

Shooting Drills

Hitch and Shoot – In this drill, one player will throw across for the shooter, who makes a little hitch move, quick sweep, and then shoots on cage. You should be looking to a get a good hitch every time, aiming to freeze the defenders. Try to get from 13 to 11, i.e. shooting the ball inside 11 yards after the hitch move.

Dodge, Hitch, and Shoot – This is similar to our previous drill where the passer dishes to the shooter across. The shooter then catches the ball, hitches, dodges, and fires it on cage.

Roll Back Catch and Go – This particular drills works out of Salisbury’s “22 offense.” Try to implement this drill on both the right and left sides of the field. Here’s how it works. The shooter comes across to the middle of the field, receives a pass, sprints straight for about five yards, makes a quick stutter step, and then shoots it on the run.

Roll Back, Catch, and Step Out – This is a three-man drill that reinforces Salisbury’s offense. The ball moves around the horn until a player makes a little step-out move and then releases a shot on the run.

Wing Dodge and Roll Back – This drill mimics the situation when you are driving down the side and make a dodge to try to get back to the high side. Practicing stepping away from the defender and getting your hands free. It’s key to practice this so it becomes second nature in a game. Run this drill on the right and left sides — even at the same time.

Offensive Playbook

Check out these effective offensive plays from Salisbury’s playbook and see how you can incorporate certain elements with your own squad this season.

23 – It all begins with a hard wing dodge and the ball swings to X. Next, there’s an option for an ISO from the wing. You can then swing it to the backside and get an effective pick for a quick-hitter coming off the backside. The player that picks should open to the ball.

24- The key to this play is picking the picker on the inside. Swing the ball to X, bang it right back, and then look inside for a shot.

25 – The “25″ play involves a double pick for a lefty coming off. Then there’s a re-pick on the inside for a curl. If nothing develops from those looks, you can take those guys to the ball side and swing to the backside for an ISO centering on the middie stepping off the crease.

Bishop – The key here is a wing undercut and backdoor option for a player who’s opening up the backside.

Bluejay – Finally, with “Bluejay”, there’s a double invert behind and you can make it look like you’re setting a pick with an attackman and swinging it to the backside. You then have a pick-the-picker play available on the crease.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “How to Create a Great Shooter and Individual Player” featuring Salisbury coach Jim Berkman. To find more shooting videos, check out our extensive lacrosse catalog.