• Basketball drills are important at all levels of the game.basketball image by Marianna Poloskei from Fotolia.com
  
  The rules of basketball are pretty straightforward. However, perfecting the skills needed to become a dominant player takes hours of repetitive practice. As with anything, strong fundamentals help bring success. Players young and old should practice drills to learn fundamentals and increase their game.
  
  

Hot Potato

• Hot potato is a warm-up drill that helps with passing. Passing is a big part of the game that is often overlooked for fancy shooting. A good passer supports the offense. The player on the baseline passes the ball to a player on the corner then runs to his spot. The player with the ball passes to a player on another corner and runs to his spot. The second ball holder passes to the player at the opposite wing and runs to that position. The wing player passes the ball the other wing player an immediately runs to the basket. The man to the passes the basket ball back to the same player, who makes the lay-up. Start from the beginning, increasing the speed each time, like hot potato. Warm up with hot potato to loosen the arms and increase hand-eye coordination.
  
  

20-10-10

• For players to perform every second on the floor, they must be in top physical shape. The 20-10-10 is a conditioning drill that starts by dividing the team into five rows on the baseline. Five men weave down the floor to make their lay-ups. When they come back, the next line of five players go. The team must perform 20 lay-ups in a row within a 10 minute duration. If someone misses, or time runs out, the team must run 10 up and back sprints. The team must then start over. Everyone on the team contributes to the success of the drill.
  
  

Two Man Loose Ball Drill

• Every team needs tough defensive players. This drill teaches players to go after the loose balls by dropping to the floor. Players form two lines under the basket on both sides of the backboard. The coach stands in the middle then bounces the ball anywhere on the half-court. Players should go all out to get possession of the basketball. The player with the ball comes back the basket and tries to score. The other players become the defense and try to stop the basket.
  
  

Eyes Up

• This drill helps players dribble with their eyes up to nurture court awareness. This is essential to look for gaps in the defense and to be aware of their teammates. Have the team performs any dribbling drill. For example, have players stand on the end line. When the whistle starts, let them start dribbling forward into a crossover, the next step dribble between the legs, the next step a back dribble and the next step a spin dribble. Hold up random fingers while the players dribble. The players must call out the numbers, ensuring they look out while performing the dribble. Coaches can move around during the drill to make certain players look up more consistently.