The Floater: Scoring Over Tall Defenders
The floater is the great equalizer for smaller guards attacking the paint and an essential weapon for any scorer navigating traffic. This high-intensity shooting drill focuses on developing the soft touch and high arc necessary to finish over rotating shot-blockers without getting your shot swatted into the stands. By combining limited dribbles with a time constraint, you will learn to execute this "tear-drop" finish with game-speed urgency, bridging the critical gap between a layup and a mid-range jumper.
How to Perform This Drill
- Setup: Start at the top of the key with a basketball, visualizing a primary defender trailing you and a help-side defender stepping up in the lane. Set 60 seconds on the clock.
- Attack: Rip the ball and take a maximum of two hard, aggressive dribbles into the paint. Alternate attacking left and right on every rep.
- Elevate: Gather the ball and take off. Practice both one-foot takeoffs (runners) and two-foot jump stops to build versatility in your finishing package.
- Execute: Release the ball high and soft before you reach the restricted area. Your goal is a high-arcing shot that drops straight down through the net.
- Recover: Sprint to rebound your own shot, dribble hard back to the top of the key, and immediately attack the opposite lane line. Aim for at least 6 makes in one minute.
Why This Drill Works
In a real game, you rarely get an uncontested path to the rim; help defense collapses quickly, forcing you to shoot over taller opponents. This drill conditions your muscle memory to release the ball at the apex of your jump with a higher trajectory than a standard jump shot. By limiting yourself to two dribbles, you learn efficiency of movement, ensuring you get into your shooting motion before the defense can recover or strip the ball.
Pro Tips
- Push, Don't Snap: Unlike a standard jump shot where you snap your wrist, a floater requires a "push" motion. Keep your wrist firm and focus on a soft touch to deaden the ball's momentum.
- Clear the Ceiling: Visualize the ball dropping out of the rafters. If your shot hits the back rim and bounces away hard, your arc is too flat. You need enough height to clear the fingertips of a 7-footer.
- Jump Vertical: Focus on jumping straight up, not forward. Drifting forward into the defender often leads to an offensive foul (charge); jumping vertically allows you to absorb contact and land safely.
- Eyes on the Target: Locate the rim early. Because the release point is different from your jumper, locking your eyes on the front of the rim is crucial for depth perception.
