Passing Drills

Drills developed by Coach Kans, Lead Skills Coach · Meet the coaches

Good passing is decision speed and accuracy, not flash — get the ball where it needs to be, on time, on target, with either hand. Below are 16 free passing drills with video, grouped by type: lock in the fundamentals, add deceptive and off-the-dribble passes, then sharpen your touch. Train both hands evenly.

Start here — the fundamentals

Chest, bounce, and overhead passes are the base: step into them, snap with both hands, finish with your thumbs down.

• Chest passing
• Bounce pass
• Overhead passing

Deceptive & advanced passes

Move the defender's eyes — behind-the-back and one-handed passes that slip the ball through tight windows.

• Behind-the-back bounce pass
• Behind-the-back chest pass
• Baseball (outlet) pass

Passing off the dribble

Most game passes come out of a live dribble — gather and deliver without picking up your handle early.

• One-dribble passing
• Two-dribble passing
• Crossover into air pass

Touch & feel passes

Soft, well-timed deliveries — scoops and shovels that hit a cutter in stride.

• Scoop pass
• Shovel pass
• Air passing

Common mistakes to avoid

• Telegraphing — stare down your target and the defender beats the ball there; use your eyes to lie.
• Passing into traffic — a good pass leads your teammate away from the defender, not into one.
• Ignoring your weak hand — defenders attack the hand you can't pass with; drill both sides.
• Floaty bounce passes — bounce it about two-thirds of the way so it arrives fast at hip height.

Want tighter, faster passes? Train these in the Level Up Basketball app and get AI feedback on your mechanics, plus a workout that builds the reps into your game.

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