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Training & Skills

Reading is step one; training is step two. Shooting, ball-handling, finishing, defense, and conditioning — step-by-step guides you can take straight to the gym, then drill with form feedback in the Level Up app.

An editorial coaching illustration shows one shooter progressing from close-range form work to a balanced game-speed jump shot.
Training & Skills

10 Basketball Shooting Drills: A Game-Speed Practice Progression

A source-backed shooting progression from close-range mechanics to movement, decisions, pressure, and fatigue-aware practice.

Jun 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Text-free overhead full-court diagram showing defenders sprinting back to protect the basket, stop the ball, and match up
Training & Skills

Basketball Transition Defense Footwork

The first three steps should protect urgent space: sprint toward the basket, stop the ball only after the rim is covered, then match up together.

Sep 4, 2026 · 8 min read
An editorial illustration shows one balanced right-handed shooter holding a relaxed follow-through as the ball travels toward the rim.
Training & Skills

How to Shoot Like Stephen Curry: A Coach's Breakdown

An evidence-backed breakdown of Curry's shot preparation, balance, footwork, dip, release, and the progression that connects them.

May 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Text-free overhead basketball diagram showing a rebounder gaining inside position and passing to an outlet teammate
Training & Skills

Basketball Rebounding: From Contact to a Secure Outlet

A rebound is not complete at the catch: train the read, legal position, pursuit, security, and first outlet as one possession.

Sep 2, 2026 · 8 min read
A defender finishes a balanced two-hands-high closeout toward a ballhandler on a bright indoor court
Training & Skills

Basketball Closeout Training: Footwork, Balance, and the Next Action

A useful closeout drill trains the read, the sprint, the controlled finish, and the defensive action that comes after the catch.

Sep 1, 2026 · 9 min read
An editorial coaching illustration shows one ball handler changing pace against one defender while keeping the dribble low and the eyes up.
Training & Skills

30-Day Basketball Ball-Handling Plan: From Control to Live Reads

A four-week plan that progresses from ball control and change of pace to perception, pressure, recovery, and retesting.

May 26, 2026 · 7 min read
Top-down basketball footwork diagram showing two ordered steps into a balanced catch-to-shot position.
Training & Skills

Basketball Shot-Preparation Footwork: Build a Balanced Catch

The release is only the visible end of a shot. Reliable shooting preparation starts earlier: seeing the pass, organizing the feet, controlling momentum, and arriving in a stance that leaves the player ready to shoot or make the next read.

Aug 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Top-down basketball half court with three position markers tracing a backdoor cut to a stride-stop catch
Training & Skills

Basketball Cutting and Finishing Footwork: Coach Kans' Guide

Mastering the timing of your cuts, catching on balance, and executing precise footwork are key skills for offensive players.

Aug 28, 2026 · 8 min read
A sports-science illustration shows one athlete moving through a countermovement, vertical takeoff, and controlled two-foot landing.
Training & Skills

How to Jump Higher for Basketball: An Evidence-Based 8-Week Plan

An evidence-led framework for strength, plyometrics, landing quality, recovery, and honest vertical-jump measurement.

May 22, 2026 · 7 min read
A basketball player leads a moving teammate with a pass during a court drill
Training & Skills

Basketball Passing on the Move: Footwork, Timing, and Reads

A pass can be accurate in an empty gym and still arrive late in a game. Moving passers need footwork they can control, moving receivers need clear timing, and both players need to read the same space.

Aug 24, 2026 · 7 min read
Two basketball players practice a box out and rebound pursuit on an indoor court
Training & Skills

Basketball Rebounding Training: Reads, Contact, and Outlets

Rebounding improves when players train the whole possession: read the shot, find a body, pursue outside their space, secure the ball, and start the next play.

Aug 20, 2026 · 6 min read
A basketball player practices a balanced layup through controlled pad contact from a coach
Training & Skills

How to Finish Through Contact in Basketball

Contact finishing is not a license to absorb random collisions. It is a progression: protect the pickup, own your balance, read the defender, and add controlled pressure without losing the next decision.

Aug 17, 2026 · 6 min read
A basketball player lowers into a balanced braking stance while controlling the ball on a bright indoor court.
Training & Skills

Basketball Deceleration Training: Stop Under Control and Create Better Options

Speed gets attention, but basketball players also need the body control to stop, re-balance, and make the next read without wasting steps.

Aug 14, 2026 · 6 min read
Bright schematic illustration of a player progressing from a left-hand dribble through cones to a left-hand layup.
Training & Skills

How to Improve Your Weak Hand in Basketball: A Development Plan That Transfers

Your off hand gets useful when it can solve a basketball problem under pressure, not when it simply survives a long stationary-dribbling session.

Aug 11, 2026 · 7 min read
Four players compete in a spaced two-on-two game as a ballhandler reads help and an open teammate.
Training & Skills

Small-Sided Basketball Games: How to Teach More Decisions in Less Space

A useful small-sided game removes bodies, not basketball. Pick one game problem, preserve live choices, and change the rules only when the constraint teaches that problem.

Aug 7, 2026 · 8 min read
Balanced passer reads a defender and a receiver cutting into a bright open passing window.
Training & Skills

How to Train Basketball Passing Under Pressure

Pressure passing is not one harder chest-pass drill. It is the ability to arrive balanced, see two players at once, move the defense, and deliver the right ball before the window closes.

Aug 4, 2026 · 8 min read
Teen ballhandler uses a low hesitation and change of pace against a balanced defender in a bright basketball gym.
Training & Skills

How to Train Change of Pace in Basketball

Change of pace is not a trick name or a race to top speed. It is the ability to make one rhythm believable, brake under control, read the defender, and leave in a different rhythm.

Aug 2, 2026 · 7 min read
Ballhandler progresses from three training cones into a live read against a defender in a bright basketball gym.
Training & Skills

How to Progress Basketball Drills for Better Game Transfer

A drill becomes more game-like when each new layer preserves the original skill objective and adds a real read—not when the setup merely gets busier.

Jul 31, 2026 · 8 min read
A basketball court diagram illustrating player footwork and movement paths with directional arrows and highlighted footprint indicators leading toward the hoop.
Training & Skills

Basketball Footwork Fundamentals: Stops, Pivots, and Balance

Master the footwork that establishes balance, including jump stops, stride stops, and pivots.

Jul 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Schematic of a right-handed player calibrating one-hand form shooting, with a close view of the slight foot offset.
Training & Skills

How to Structure a Basketball Shooting Workout for Game-Speed Success

Learn how to structure a basketball shooting workout that incorporates calibration, movement variability, and decision-making.

Jul 27, 2026 · 7 min read
Basketball player maintaining balanced shooting mechanics late in a conditioning workout
Training & Skills

How to Build Basketball Conditioning Without Losing Skill Quality

Learn how to balance basketball conditioning and skill development in practice sessions.

Jul 24, 2026 · 7 min read
A schematic basketball half court showing a progression from isolated mechanics to pressured decisions and game-speed execution.
Training & Skills

How to Build a Basketball Practice Plan: From Assessment to Game-Speed Decisions

Stop running disconnected drills. Learn how to structure a basketball practice plan that moves systematically from baseline assessment to game-speed decision-making.

Jul 14, 2026 · 6 min read

Reading is step one. Training is step two.

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