Player Development · Ages 12–16
Essential Basketball Drills for Youth Players (Ages 12–16)
The drills below are the ones we run at Full Court Press. They build the habits that actually transfer to a game — handle, finish, shoot, guard, and read. Every rep gets put on film so players can see what their coach sees.
How to use this guide
Pick three drills per session. Warm up with ball-handling, work on one finishing or shooting block, then close with a defensive drill. Film one rep of each on a phone — front-facing, full body in frame — and review it the same day. The point isn't to look pretty. The point is to see yourself so the next rep is better.
6 essential basketball drills
Drill 1 · Ball-handling & weak-hand confidence
Two-Ball Stationary Series
- Setup
- Two basketballs, athletic stance, knees bent. Cycle through pound dribbles, alternating, low-low, high-low, and crossovers.
- Reps
- 30 seconds per pattern × 5 patterns. 2 rounds.
- Film cue
- Watch your eyes — head up the entire clip or it doesn't count.
Drill 2 · Finishing both hands at the rim
Mikan Drill
- Setup
- Stand under the rim. Right-hand layup, rebound, left-hand layup on the other side. Keep the ball above the shoulders between reps.
- Reps
- Make 20 in a row, then 10 reverse Mikans.
- Film cue
- Check your footwork — inside foot up, ball protected on the backboard side.
Drill 3 · Shooting off the dribble
1-2 Step Pull-Up Series
- Setup
- Start at the wing. One hard dribble, plant 1-2, rise into a pull-up. Reset, switch hands, attack opposite wing.
- Reps
- 5 spots × 5 makes per spot, both hands.
- Film cue
- Look for balance on the landing — feet should land where you took off.
Drill 4 · On-ball defense
Closeout & Slide
- Setup
- Sprint from the paint to the 3-point line, chop steps the last three, high hand contest, then defensive slide laterally to the corner.
- Reps
- 6 reps each side, full speed.
- Film cue
- Hips should be lower than the offensive player's — if you're standing tall, you got beat.
Drill 5 · Team defense & rotations
Shell Drill (4-on-4)
- Setup
- Four offensive players around the perimeter, four defenders in help position. Coach calls skip passes; defense rotates on the flight of the ball.
- Reps
- 3 minutes, then switch.
- Film cue
- Pause the tape on every pass — are you one-pass-away or two? Should you be in help?
Drill 6 · Shooting mechanics
Form Shooting Ladder
- Setup
- Start 3 feet from the rim. Make 5, take one step back. Reach the free-throw line, then reset.
- Reps
- Daily — quality over quantity.
- Film cue
- Slow the clip to 0.25x. Elbow under the ball. Follow-through frozen.
Why film review changes the work
A drill done 50 times with bad habits builds bad habits 50 times. Film is the fastest way to break that loop. At Full Court Press we put every rep on film — handle reps, finishes, shooting form, on-ball defense — and walk players through it so they can see what they're actually doing versus what they think they're doing. That gap is where development lives.
A simple weekly plan
- Monday — Handle & finish: Two-Ball Series, Mikan, 1-2 Step Pull-Up.
- Wednesday — Shooting & defense: Form Shooting Ladder, Closeout & Slide, Shell Drill.
- Friday — Live reps: Pick one drill from each block, then play.
- Saturday — Film: 20 minutes reviewing the week's clips. Note one thing to fix.
Want a coach watching the film with you?
That's exactly what Basketball Development at Full Court Press is for. Mondays & Wednesdays, 6:15–8:15 PM at South Clayton Rec Center.
Start your registration