Basic Fundamentals

Basketball like every other sport requires years of practicing and perfecting the art. Although some people are known to be more naturally gifted than others, there is a valid argument that the playing field can be evened by practice and continued honing of one’s skillsets.

There is no better time to identify talents than at early ages. This lives them with time to make rookie mistakes and grow. It also allows them to experiment and pick a preferred skillset. Stating the advantages of identifying talents and honing them at an early age cannot be overemphasized.

Identifying basketball talents or scouting for one is quite easy; the hard part is nurturing that raw talent into a finished product. Teaching kids basic basketball drills and fundamentals is never an easy task and it requires patience. As a basketball coach or a coaching enthusiast working young players, you need to employ proven drills and techniques to ensure that your kids get the best knowledge.

We will take you on a journey through some of our favorite basket drills for beginners and basic fundamentals, designed specifically for kids.

Footwork Drills For Beginners
In basketball, footwork is very important. Defensively or attacking, you’d need footwork. Whether you’re making a dash to the bucket and finishing off shots, or you’re dribbling a player you require great footwork. As a defensive player, simple things like staying in front of your man, getting into formation or stealing the ball requires great footwork. Even rebounders need great footwork to get into good positions to retrieve loose balls.

As a basketball coach, you are required to spend at least 15-20 minutes on footwork drills at every practice. The coordination or balance required to perform moves like pivot, or drop step doesn’t come naturally to kids. This skillset doesn’t come naturally to kids and practice is the only way to hone it.

If you’re a big fan of NBA games, then you should remember Lebron James intro in the 2014 series. He said, basketball is a full-time commitment and to be the best, you have to work the hardest. And he is right; the past NBA greats like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Iverson and Hakeem Olajuwon all employ precise and nimble footwork.

These are our favorite footwork drills especially early in the season.
• Quick Stop Drill
• Triple Threat Position and Defensive Stance
• V Cut Drill
• Stance and Start Footwork Drill
• Red light, Green Light
• Four Corners

Ballhandling Drills For Beginners
When you hear ballhandling in basketball, then skills like passing, catching and dribbling should come to mind. As a beginner, the need to learn this skill is very important. You might want to spend about 15 minutes working this drill during every practice.

Every transition in a basketball game requires you to have good ballhandling, be on a fast break or catching the ball in the post and even grabbing rebounds. It doesn’t matter if you’re a forward, guard or center.

Take a look at our favorite ballhandling drills
• Basic Principles of Ballhandling And Dribbling
• Stationary Drills
• Dribble Drive Basics For Kids like dribble tag or tight chairs
• 4-Step Ball Handling Circuit
• Dribble Knockout
• Collision Dribbling

Shooting Drills For Beginners
Every basketball player whether offensive or defensive needs shooting skills, these fundamental is extremely important. As this is the only way to score a basketball game, kids need to really take their time to hone this skill. It doesn’t matter if it comes naturally to them or not, there are different shot techniques and shot situations that only constant practice can help nurture.

As a coach, it is your job to know which techniques you want to start with as even shooting have basics. It is best advised to start from these basics and fundamentals. You can then move on to simulating real game situations to help them get a feel of what the real thing feels like. This will also make them alert to imposing defenders in a real game. Knocking down those shots in different situations should come easy with constant practice.

These are our picks of basic shooting drills for beginners.
• Form Shooting Drill
• Three Spot Shooting Drill
• Shooting Layups – The Basics
• Shooting Basics for Youth Basketball
• Airball
• Pivot Shooting