Master the Double Full Inside Pivot Spin and Shot
Great shooters don't just have good arms; they have elite feet and unwavering core stability. The Double Full Inside Pivot Spin and Shot is an advanced balance drill designed to overload your equilibrium and force you to regain physical composure instantly before releasing the ball. By challenging your body's stability mechanics at the free-throw line, you train your brain to lock onto the target regardless of physical disorientation or game-speed chaos.
How to Perform This Drill
- Establish Your Base: Start at the free-throw line. Plant one foot firmly on the hardwood—this is your pivot foot. Lift your non-pivot foot slightly off the ground, balancing your entire weight on the planted leg.
- Initiate the Spin: Execute a controlled, aggressive inside pivot (turning across your body). You aim to complete a full 360-degree rotation while maintaining balance solely on your pivot foot.
- Square Up: As you complete the rotation and face the basket again, immediately arrest your momentum. Square your shoulders and hips to the rim.
- Locate and Lift: Snap your eyes to the rim the moment you face the basket. Drive upward from your planted leg into your shooting motion. Ideally, shoot off the single leg, or quickly plant the second foot for a jump shot if you are building up strength.
- Finish Strong: Release the shot with high extension and hold your follow-through. Your goal is five successful makes pivoting on the left foot, and five makes pivoting on the right.
Why This Drill Works
This drill applies the concept of progressive overload to your vestibular system (balance) and visual tracking. In a real game, you are rarely shooting from a perfect, static stance; you are constantly cutting, absorbing contact, and turning. By forcing you to execute a shot after a disorienting 360-degree spin, we make standard game movements feel slower and more stable by comparison. This drill sharpens your "target acquisition"—the ability of your eyes to find the rim and calculate distance in a split second—while strengthening the stabilizing muscles in your ankles and core.
Pro Tips
- Spot Your Target: Similar to a dancer performing a pirouette, try to "spot" the rim. Find the net with your eyes as early as possible during the final phase of your spin. Your body follows your eyes.
- Stay Low: Do not stand straight up during the pivot. Keep a functional bend in your knee and your chest up. A lower center of gravity provides better balance and allows for a more explosive upward drive into your shot.
- Engage Your Core: If you find yourself falling out of the shot or drifting sideways, your core is likely relaxed. Tighten your abdominals throughout the spin to link your lower body to your upper body for a fluid transfer of energy.