The Mikan Drill (All Variations): Master Your Finishing Touch
Named after NBA legend George Mikan, this is the gold standard for developing soft touch and ambidexterity around the rim. This finishing drill is non-negotiable for players of every position—from guards driving the lane to centers owning the paint. By forcing you to alternate hands and finish from different angles, you build the coordination, wrist strength, and rhythm necessary to score consistently in traffic.
How to Perform This Drill
- Setup: Position yourself directly under the basket with a basketball. For the standard Mikan, face the baseline. For the Reverse Mikan, face the opposite sideline with your back to the baseline.
- Execute Right: Step across with your left foot and drive your right knee up, extending your right arm to lay the ball high off the backboard.
- Rebound: Catch the ball out of the net with both hands as high as possible. Do not let the ball drop below your chest.
- Execute Left: Immediately step across with your right foot, drive your left knee up, and finish with a left-handed layup off the glass.
- Reverse Variation: Once mastered, switch to the Reverse Mikan. With your back to the baseline, step backward and hook the ball over your shoulder, utilizing a reverse layup motion to spin the ball off the glass.
- Challenge: The goal is continuous motion. Aim to complete 10 made shots in a row without a miss. If you miss or lose rhythm, restart the count.
Why This Drill Works
The Mikan drill isolates the most critical aspect of inside scoring: the final touch. By removing the dribble drive, you focus entirely on your footwork, wrist action, and spatial awareness relative to the backboard. This repetition creates "muscle memory" for your weak hand, ensuring that when you drive left in a real game, you don't instinctively force a right-handed shot that gets blocked. It also builds elite conditioning and rhythm, teaching you to rebound and explode back up instantly.
Pro Tips
- Keep It High: Never bring the ball down to your waist after a rebound. In a game, guards will strip the ball immediately. Keep the ball at chin-level or higher to simulate finishing in a crowd.
- Use the Square: Aim for the top corners of the small square on the backboard. Precision here translates to a softer touch that will roll in even when contested.
- Find Your Rhythm: This is a rhythmic drill. Your feet should move like a pendulum—left-right, right-left. Don't pause between shots; the goal is fluid, continuous motion.
- Engage Your Core: On the Reverse Mikan and hook variations, you must twist your torso to find the rim. Use your core strength to stabilize your body in the air for a controlled finish.
