Basketball's two-most valuable breakdown drills: No. 1, Pivot and Pass.

In my career as a basketball coach, I discovered the "Pivot and Pass" and "55-Second" Offensive Drills were the two most valuable offensive drills that we had for improving the players' techniques, performance, and time efficiency.

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As you can see in the diagrams, each drill is multi-faceted, enabling the coach to work on several realistic game techniques at the same time. Can you name a better way for producing competitiveness, physical conditioning, and valuable practice time efficiency?

The Pivot and Pass Offensive drill provides an invaluable tool with which to improve the players' most productive skills: To dribble against pressure, to pivot away from pressure, and then deliver the ball to an open teammate.

This can work against man pressure, half-court zone or trap pressure, or full-court pressure. It also enables the players to move the ball both on the perimeter and inside of the court--handle anything special that the defense can throw against them.

Before instituting the drills, you have to instill the players with a positive attitude. Make sure you are producing well rounded and fundamentally sound players. This is not just a dribbling, pivoting, and passing drill for the point guard, not just a defensive drill for the No. 2 guard, or just a drill to teach the forwards how to catch the ball or shoot it.

The Pivot and Pass Offensive drill is an all-encompassing drill that will require your players to focus on the techniques they will need to brush up on their offensive game.

After three rotations by all three of the players in each group (dribbler/passer, defender, and pass receiver/shooter), we make sure to include as many different fundamentals as possible and use the drills more than once in every practice (for just short periods of time.)

As you can see in Diag. 1, the dribblers/passers (1, 4, 7, and 10) work on the dribbling, pivoting, and passing techniques required for good ball handling.

The first technique we work on is the actual dribble used by the dribbler in approaching the defender--dribbling quickly but in a very controlled manner with the head up and the body in a semi-crouch.

The second technique is protecting the ball with the non-dribbling hand while dribbling with either hand.

A third skill is passing the ball with either hand.

A fourth vital skill is pivoting with either foot.

It is very necessary for the defense to put pressure on the ball during a game, particularly against a dribbling proponent. The time to go after the man is after you have forced him to stop his dribble. In Diag. 1, X2, X5, X8, and X11 are our first on-the-ball defenders.

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For the offense to score, the players must be able to catch the ball on the move, make a quick pivot, and put up the ball.

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Players 3, 6, 9, and 12 are the first cutters/shooters in Drill 1. Note: While 3 and 6 cut to their left to receive the ball, 9 and 12 will cut from left to right. These directions can be alternated periodically.

Diag.1 illustrates the deployment of an entire team in three-man segments so that each player can work on his own specific technique.

After a pre-designated time limit, the three offensive players (10, X11, 12), (7, X8, 9) etc., all three offensive players will rotate to their next positioning in the group.

On the first rotation, 1 will become the next defender, while 2 will become the next designated pass receiver/shooter.

3 will then rotate from first receiver/shooter to the next designated dribbler/passer, while slotting 6, 9, and 12 as the other new dribblers/passers. The newest pass receivers will become 2, 5, 8, and 11 after the first rotation of offensive personnel.

After all three players in each of the four groups have rotated through all three of the positions: (the dribbler/passer, defender, and pass receiver/shooter), the drill will be restarted but with the pass receivers/shooters now breaking in the opposite direction from which they started the drill. (In the first repetition of the drill, two of the designated groups have their shooters cut from right to left, while the other two groups cut originally from left to the right.)

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In the second repetition of the drill, all three players in each of the four separate groups will start in their initial positions, but with the actual shooters breaking from the opposite directions in which they originally started.

This repetition will now have two shooters (3 and 6) break to their right, with the (imaginary) basket still being at the sideline behind the initial dribblers/passers. That will make the shooters left shoulder, heel, and foot become the so-called "inside" shoulder and heel/foot.

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The second two groups have the first designated shooters (9 and 12) cut toward their left, so that they right side now becomes the "inside shoulder" and "inside heel foot."

By calling for the players to make a designated number of passes and shots within a time limit, you can accelerate the drill and make it more competitive.

You can also arrange a contest between the defenders and the dribblers/passers: How many passes can they make or deflect within the time limit? The "winners" and "losers" can be rewarded or penalized at the conclusion of the drill.

The designated pass receivers (3, 6, 9, 12) in Diag. 1 can work first on the pre-catch and pre-shooting stance, with the coaching staff constantly calling for the (potential) shooters to "get their feet and hands ready!--get behind the ball--give the passer a target!" (See Diag. 1).

In this scenario, the pass receivers/shooters (9 and 12) are breaking to their right, with the imaginary basket directly behind the passers at the sideline. In going for the basketball, the pass receiver should try to have his "inside shoulder," the one closer to the basket, (the left shoulder in this example) facing the basket with both the "guide hand" and "shooting hand" up as a target for the passer.

The pass-receiver should always pivot off the heel of his "inside foot" (the foot closer to the basket, which is the left).

If the pass-receiver is in a stationary position, he can start with the "inside heel" already touching the floor and the rest of the foot not yet touching the floor.

If the pass receiver is on the move, he might have to chop his steps in order to get his inside heel to hit the floor (pivot) just as the ball hits the palm of the "shooting hand." The initial plant of the heel will stop the pass-receiver's momentum toward the passer.

After the shot, the shooter should be able to drop straight down to the floor without "floating" to either side. By arresting the momentum in his cut before shooting, the shooter can greatly enhance his accuracy.

Once the momentum of the cutter is halted, the inside heel will allow for a smooth, easy, and complete pivot toward the basket. In this offensive drill, the pass/receiver/shooter will "shoot" the ball at an imaginary basket back to the original passer. (1, 4, 7, and 10) who will now quickly resume working on his technique of passing to the shooter.

The men in the middle of the drill (X2, X5, X8, and X11 in Diag. 1) utilize the drill strictly as a defensive drill vs the dribblers/passers (1, 4, 7 and 10), not on the pass receiver/shooter.

The specific footwork and techniques of each passer/dribbler are demonstrated in the Four Steps shown in Diags. 2 through 5.

STEP 1, DIAG. 2:

As the dribbler approaches the defender and kills his dribble, he must take a small bunny hop and land simultaneously on both feet--allowing him to use either foot as the pivot foot.

STEP 2, DIAG. 3:

If the passer wants to attack the defender by passing laterally around the defender's left side, he should land so that the right foot (the foot directly facing the defender's left foot) becomes the free foot, making his left foot the actual pivot foot.

The passer can now use his right foot to step laterally toward the outside of the defender's left foot. While this is taking place, the passer should be protecting the ball by firmly holding it with both hands behind the free right knee. If the passer places his free foot laterally outside the defender's foot, the passer can "fake low and go high" or "fake high and go low"--passing high over the defender's left hand or passing low under the defender's right hand.

The dribbler-turned-passer should be constantly told to "protect the ball behind the knee" and to "step due east or due west." This means that the dribbler/passer should constantly attack the flanks of the defender by stepping laterally around, rather than toward the defender.

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STEP 3, DIAG. 4:

Pivot and Pass Technique: If the on-the-ball defender counters the dribbler's first lateral attack, the dribbler should "rip the ball low and hard across his shoe tops" as he executes a front pivot across the face of the defender to laterally attack his opposite side (his defender's right side).

The ball ends up on the inside of the passer's free (right) knee. If the passer's free foot (right) gets outside the defender's (right) foot, the passer must look to pass the ball around the defender ("fake high and go low" or "fake low and go high"). Coaches must strongly emphasize the protection of the ball behind the "free knee" (right) and to step "due west and/or due east" in laterally attacking the ball defender. See Diag. 4.

STEP 4, DIAG. 5:

Pivot and Pass Technique: If the ball defender reacts quickly to take this second technique away, coaches should emphasize to the offensive player (passer) to remain in his semi-crouch stance, then quickly reverse-pivot off the same (left) pivot foot and attack the ball defender's original (left) lateral side. The ball should now be back behind the outside of the knee of the free (right) foot.

Again, the main three points of emphasis to the passer are:

* Protect the basketball by placing the ball behind the "free" knee.

* Step outside the defender's foot (by going east or west).

"Fake high and go low" or "Fake low and go high." If the defender counters this step, the dribbler should reverse-pivot and look to make a less contested pass to a teammate or attempt to use all three techniques again. See Diag. 5.

After the 55 seconds expire, the dribbling/pivoting/passing player (1) will switch to the defensive station, the first defender (X2) will switch to the pass-receiving station/shooting station, and the first pass-receiver/shooter (3) rotates to the dribbling/pivoting/passing station. This rotation should take less than five seconds, before the drill is resumed.

Diag. 6, the next rotation of the three players is picked up 55 seconds later. After the third 55-second time frame has concluded, the coaches can start the second round with all dribblers using a different dribbling hand and making the right foot the new pivot foot.

Three minutes will allow all three players to rotate through each position again. In just six minutes, three players have each had almost two minutes of concentrated work at all three stations--dribbling, pivoting, and passing, the defensive phase, and the pass-catching and shooting phase. See Diag. 6.

THE "55 SECOND OFFENSIVE DRILL"

Every offensive/shooting and shooting drill has definite characteristics, but all have to be made as "game-realistic" as possible by incorporating as many types of pressures (on the players) as possible.

All shooters, passers, and rebounders should always move at "game speed" in practice because they will be expected to move at that speed in games. Coaches should continually accelerate the rebounders, passers, and shooters in every shooting drill.

Every shooting drill is given a preset standard of attempts to take as well as the number they will be expected to make.

Game-simulated practice also entails rewards and penalties for winning or losing. None of the penalties should be large, just realistic. They may represent some king of running, such as push ups or sit-ups.

Competing against the clock is always rewarding, since it gives everyone a common opponent and measuring stick. The phrase, "Be quick, but don't be in a hurry," is a great one that should be used often in this drill and in games.

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Every drill must also be as time-efficient as possible, as you cannot afford to waste practice time. You can save time by incorporating other defensive units into the shooting drills, such as passing, rebounding, coming off screens, catching, and pivoting.

The passers will be required to use the same kind of throws they will employ in a game, always at the same speed.

We sometimes have our managers or coaches put their hands up in front of the shooters as dummy defenders.

Rebounders are encouraged to aggressively rebound the ball and make the kind of quick and accurate outlet passes they will use in a real game.

Every drill must also be as time-efficient as possible, as practice time cannot afford to be wasted. This can be accomplished by incorporating other offensive units into the shooting drill such as rebounding, passing, coming off screens, catching, or pivoting.

Rebounders will be encouraged to aggressively rebound the basketball and make the kind of quick and accurate outlet passes they use in a game.

Another valuable by-product of these shooting drills is physical conditioning. The "quality" and "quantity" standards set in practice are guaranteed to improve the athletes' physical training and condition.

Three players are involved in the "55 Second Offensive/Shooting Drill" (Diag. 7)--the "Passer" (2), "Shooter" (3), "Rebounder" (1). The ball is rotated three times from 1 to 2 to 3 in 55 seconds: Passer rotates to Shooter, Shooter to Rebounder, and Rebounder becomes the next Passer. See Diags. 7, 8, 9.

It should take no more than five seconds to make the transition and player rotation. In three short minutes, each player can receive almost one minute of concentrated hard work on the offensive skills of passing, catching, shooting and rebounding and outlet passing.

The best rotation is from "Passer" to "Shooter" to "Rebounder" and on to a different shooting location, where the three-man rotation starts again. It is important to notice that this drill is not only called the '55-Second Offensive/Shooting Drill" to emphasize that it is not just a shooting drill, but a rebounding and outlet passing drill, a cutting and pass receiving drill, and a passing drill.

By John Kimble, Retired Coach, Crestview (FL) High School