The X-Out Improvement Finishing Series

This is something that I did on Monday with my elementary group and open gym and I thought was very beneficial. It is something we will do during the winter season with the high school aged players as well. It's something that should greatly help us in being better around the rim shooters, as we need to be. 

Pete Carril, former Princeton Univ Coach, talked often about having players be able to score in a number of ways around the rim. It's something I'm trying to do with our program here. 

What we did Monday was what I call the "X-Out Improvement Finishing Series". VERY SIMPLE AND BASIC, but I think it's effective in working with kids on their scoring around the basket. What I did was have the players do the drill for one minute, rest for 15 seconds, and do the drill a second time. The goal was to make MORE SHOTS the second time than the first. 

For the drill, place a cone at each elbow. The player that is up starts with the ball at the cone in triple threat. On the coach's signal (as time starts) the player dribbles inside the cone and performs the proper finishing move. After getting the ball out of the net the dribble outside the cone on the opposite elbow, around the cone, and back to the rim to do the same finishing move. The drill runs 30-60 seconds depending on time/space constraints (don't want kids standing around). After the first go round, the players get 10-20 seconds to rest. After that they repeat the drill and the finishing move a second time. The goal the second time is to get MORE MAKES than they did the first time. The emphasis is competing against yourself and improving. That is a major part of why I like it, you are not worrying about anything but bettering yourself. 

The finishing moves I use are:

-Regular layup

-Middle Layup

-Jump Stop Power Up

-Jump Stop, Step Across, Power Up

-Reverse Layup

If you don't have a lot of time/baskets, this can be a great drill for a station with partners. One partner does the drill, one times, they switch. The rest of the players are doing other stuff and only one player isn't moving. 

I may do all of them in a single day, but for reasons of practice/workout time I normally only do 1-3 per day and rotate which ones I do during the week.

Hope this helps. Thoughts? I have a thread open on the X's and O's of Basketball Forum on ideas with finishing moves. If you could help me out that would be great.