10 Basketball Drills to Practice at Home and Improve Fast

Practicing basketball at home is an excellent way to improve your basketball skills and stay in a good rhythm between practices. At Hill Country Hoops, we believe that consistent focused effort over a long period of time will transform players ability to perform at a high level at a much faster pace. Here are 10 drills to practice at home that will help to take your game to the next level.

1. Stationary Ball Handling

Mastering control of the basketball is an essential skill for becoming a great ball handler.

Do dribbling drills such as crossovers, figure-eights around your legs, and behind-the-back dribbles. Make sure to keep good form and when possible, increase the speed at which you dribble to improve at a faster rate.
Add another basketball to your stationary crossover drill to improve control.

Tip: Use your non-dominant hand in all of the dribbling drills so you are comfortable doing the moves with both hands.

2. Spot Shooting

Develop muscle memory for shooting from key spots on the court.

Shoot around the world at different distances. Shoot at 5 spots equally spaced from 15 away from the hoop. Then move out to the 3 point line.
Shoot 10 shots from each spot or shoot until you make 5 shots from each spot.

Tip: If you can shoot 200-300 shots day 5-6 days a week then you will dramatically improve your accuracy.

3. Full Speed dribbling drills

Once you start to master stationary moves, then set up cones to try them at full speed.

Do a combination of crossover, behind the back, and between the legs at full speed.
Set up a chair or a series of cones to represent defenders that you have to go around with the moves.

Tip: Most dribbling basketball moves are a combination of 3 moves, crossover, behind the back, and between the legs. If you can do a combination of those 3 moves at game speed then you will be able to create your own shot in the games.

4. Mikan Drill

This classic drill improves finishing around the basket with both hands at a close range.

Stand under the hoop and alternate between layups with your left and right hands making sure you don't miss.
Focus on making as many as possible in a row.

Tip: Challenge yourself to complete 20 makes in 30 seconds without missing a shot.

5. Passing Against a Wall

Passing is a critical skill that is often overlooked when it comes to practice.

Use a sturdy wall or a partner to practice chest passes, bounce passes, and overhead passes. All passes should be completed with both hands.
Aim for a specific spot on the wall or hit the other player in the same spot every time.

Tip: Practice your passes at different distances and always try to hit the same spot every time.

6. Two-Ball Dribbling

If you can handle two balls at once then one basketball will feel much easier.

High low with two balls. Dribble both balls simultaneously with one near the ground and the other as high as you can go.
Incorporate behind the back and between-the-legs dribbles with both balls.

Tip: You can start with stationary two ball drills then progress to full court dribbling.

7. Form Shooting Drill

It is always important to start each practice with some form shooting.

See a video here on how to from shooting.
Go around the rim shooting from 4-6 different spots.

Tip: Make sure you keep the same form every time you shoot.

8. Figure Eight Layups

Combine ball-handling and finishing at the rim.

Dribble through your legs in a figure-eight motion at the free-throw line and finish with a layup.
Go both directions around your legs. Finish with your left and right hand at the rim.

Tip: Always try to perform the drills at game speed.

9. Rebound Taps

Enhance your rebounding skills and your eye-hand coordination.

Stand under the hoop and tap the ball against the backboard while you jump, catching the ball with both hands each time.
Make sure to stay on balance and come all the way down with knees bent before jumping again.

Tip: Try to go faster as you get a hang of the drill.

10. Sprint-and-Shoot Drill

Work on conditioning and shooting under pressure.

Sprint to the free-throw line, shoot, retrieve your rebound, and sprint back to the free-throw line from the baseline. Repeat this movement.
This drill will help you to know what it feels like to shoot the basketball when you are tired.

Tip: Keep track of how many you make in 1 minute. Try to improve over time.

Why Home Drills Matter

At Hill Country Hoops, we encourage our players to take ownership of their development, which means they need to develop their skills outside of practice. By practicing these drills at home, players will build their confidence, improve consistency, and develop skills that will translate to the court.

Learn more about our personal training programs and take your training to the next level with expert coaching!