🏀 Off-Ball Drills You Can Practice

Now that you’ve got the tips, here are some simple drills you can do at practice, in the driveway, or at the gym:

1. Cut & Finish Drill

• Start at the wing.

• Have a partner (or coach/parent) stand at the top with the ball.

• Fake one direction, then cut hard to the hoop.

• Catch and finish with a layup.👉 Do 10 cuts on each side.

2. Relocation Shooting

• Start in the corner.

• Imagine your teammate is driving — slide (relocate) up to the wing.

• Catch & shoot.

• Repeat on the opposite side.👉 This builds spacing awareness and catch-and-shoot rhythm.

3. Screen & Slip Drill

• Pretend to set a screen for a teammate.

• After the “screen,” quickly slip to the basket for a pass.

• Catch and finish.👉 This helps you read when to set a solid screen vs. when to cut.

4. Backdoor Cut Reaction Drill

• Stand on the wing with a defender (or a cone if you don’t have a partner).

• When your “defender” leans too far toward the ball, explode to the hoop on a backdoor cut.

• Catch and score.👉 This builds timing and teaches you to punish ball-watching defenders.

  
  

Final Tip

Practice these drills at game speed. The harder you cut, the better you’ll get at creating real scoring opportunities without even dribbling.