Basketball Big Man Drills

If you’re looking for fantastic basketball big man drills to help you master the low post, stay right where you are!

On this page, you’ll discover how to master the inside moves and dominate the paint. Dedicate yourself to these big man drills and watch your game flourish. Practice!

By the way, although we’ve called this page “Big Man” drills, every player must be good at scoring inside. Even if you’re a perimeter player, you’ll be more valuable to your team if you master the inside game, too.

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Basketball Big Man Drills

Basketball Big Man Drill #1) Hops

Basketball Drills What you have to do is keep your knees locked and just jump off the ground about an inch. You can’t bend your knees at
all. You should do it for about 1-2 minutes. Helps you jump if done correctly. It will work if you keep it up for 2 months and work hard at it. If you get better put a ball in your hands and do this basketball big man drill for a longer time.

Big Man Drill #2) Reverse Lay-Ups

Start with your back to the baseline under the basket. Take
one step, drive your opposite knee up and shoot a reverse lay-up. Rebound the ball and shoot a reverse lay-up on the opposite side. Keep going until you make 15 shots.

Basketball Big Man Drill #3) Cooks Drill

Have someone hold a punching bag or something soft under the rim. You start on either side of the court with the ball. Drive to the goal and jump into the defender to force the contact and make you score the layup. The key is to shield the defender from blocking the shot and to draw the foul. Will make you score more points.

Big Man Drill #4) Big D

First get two players set up on wings of the key two to three steps away from the baseline, set the center up in front of one and have the other one with the ball. The object is the center turns takes quick steps and gets over to defend the shot or swat. Good for double teaming as well. As the center you need to take balanced steps not to big and not to small as yuo need to be able to get there and jump as well, try not to foul. Enables big men to react quicker, helps with jumping, rejecting and taking a charge.Variations – Add an extra defender and slowly build up to rotating one side to the other.

Basketball Big Man Drill #5) Pick-Ups

This drill requires two players and two balls. It’s designed to help inside players develop strong inside moves. Place a ball at each block. The shooter aggressively picks up a ball, makes a power move and then does the same thing on the opposite side. The second player rebounds the ball and places it on the floor. The players switch positions after the shooter makes eight shots.

Big Man Drill #6) Barkley Drill

Begin on either side of the basket, jump up, hit the ball forcefully against the backboard and always maintain possession of the ball. Land balanced and then jump again. Continue for five jumps and then score. Move to the other side and repeat. This basketball big man drill will develop strong hands and explosive inside moves.

Basketball Big Man Drill #7) Hook shots

Start on the right side of the basket about 3 to 4 feet out. Do a right handed hook shot. Then go to the left side and do a left handed hook shot. Do this until you make both like make-make. Not make-miss-make. Then start on the right side again except do a left hook shot. Then go to the left side and do a right handed hook shot. Same as the other way. Start getting farther back as you make them.

Big Man Drill #8) Mikan

Similar to #7 but with a little different twist. Start in the middle of the lane about one step back from the basket. Take a step, drive your opposite knee up and take a hook shot. Rebound the ball without letting it hit the ground. Take a step and shoot a hook shot from the opposite side. Keep going until you are good on 15 shots. Don’t let the ball drop below your shoulder level.

Basketball Big Man Drill #9) Tip Drill

Throw the ball off of the backboard while holding the ball above your head on either side of the basket. Catch the ball in the air and before landing tip it off of the backboard again. Use your fingers and wrist to control the ball and keep your tipping arm fairly straight. Do about 20 of these and then score. Do on both sides of the basket. Continually tap the ball off of the backboard and then make it at a chosen number.
basketball big man dunk Basketball Big Man Drill #10) Superman Drill

This drill improves lateral quickness and hand strength. Start outside the free-throw lane, approximately at the block. Throw the ball off the board and retrieve it on the opposite side. Rebound the ball so your feet land outside the free-throw lane. Continue going back and forth across the lane for eight rebounds.

Big Man Drill #11) Jackrabbit

A good basketball big man drill for jumping lay ups. Stand to the left or right of the basket and throw the ball off the backboard. Jump up, rebound the ball with both hands and come down. Do a lay-up. Make five baskets and then repeat on other side. Make sure you use your weak hand on that side.

Basketball Big Man Drill #12) Back-to-the-Basket Moves

Start under the basket with your back toward the baseline. Throw the ball out to the edge of the free-throw lane, slightly higher than the block. Go and get the ball and execute an inside move. Rebound the ball and execute the same move on the opposite side. Work on the following moves: drop step, jump hook, turnaround jump shot, wheel to the middle and up and under (for details on the fundamentals of these five moves, check out the Inside Moves section on our basketball moves page).