Basketball Drills: Two Minute Drill

Click the play button to see the drill.

This is one of our game pace shooting basketball drills. We have several basketball drills that are designed to improve individual basketball shooting and dribbling skills. You can see them in our basketball videos section.

The Two Minute Drill is one of our favorite basketball shooting drills. 

It develops:

Basketball players are highly competitive people by nature; therefore it is beneficial to design baketball drills that provide an opportunity for players to compete against other players or against themselves. The competition increases the player's enthusiasm for the basketball shooting drill and results in better intensity during the training session. The Two Minute Drill requires only one player. The players compete against themselves for their best score.  However, it is extremely helpful to have someone timing the drill.

Many players practice free throws by shooting 100, 200 or possibly more in each practice session. While volume shooting is an important part of developing confidence and rhythm on free throws, this type of practice does not subject the player to the same conditions that exist while attempting free throws during a game. Pressure and fatigue are just two factors that may affect free throw percentage. To be a successful free throw shooter in games, players must be able to step to the line a make two in a row while fatigued and under pressure.

The Two Minute Drill is designed for player to do just that. Players must step to the free throw line and make two pressure free throws while fatigued. The objective of the Two Minute Drill Game is for the player to move from level one to the highest level possible. In order to advance from one level to another, the player must make a power lay-up, a spin-and-catch intermediate shot and a three point shot. The player must shoot until he/she has made each shot, even if s/he misses each one four times, the level is not completed until each of the three shots goes in. After making the three-point shot the player immediately (with no rest!) steps to the free throw line to shoot a one-and-one free throw. If the player makes both free throws he/she advances to the next level and repeats the same sequence. If the player misses a free throw he/she must remain on that level.   

The drill is timed for two minutes.  The stopwatch only runs while the player is shooting shots from the field, like a game.  It does not run during free throws.  If there is no one to time the player can wear a sport watch to time him/herself.  The timing of the drill is very significant to its effectiveness because the clock pushes the player to run hard after rebounds and to shoot shots that are more game-like.  However, if no timer is available, the player must push him/herself to go hard.  To make it competitive, the shooter can be limited to a total number of misses or to commit that the first missed free throw will end the game.

Players compete each practice session against the highest level they have ever achieved. They may also compete against other players by seeing which player reaches the highest level in a given amount of time.

The game may be altered to more benefit to post players. Post players may choose to substitute the three-point shots or the intermediate shots with jump hooks or other post moves. It is easy to come up with several other variations to keep the drill from becoming monotonous.

Here is a link to all of our basketball drills: Basketball Drills

Here are links to more Shooting Drills

Basketball Drills: Finish the Game Free Throw Drill--A competitive team drill to practice making pressure free throws at the end of the game.

Basketball Drills: Rim Flips--A basketball drill we do before every workout, practice, and game that works on shooting mechanics.

Basketball Drills: Shooting on the Line--We do this drill with our younger players to emphasize shooting the ball straight.

Basketball Drills: Beat the Pro--A fun competitive shooting game where the players doing the drill imagine that they are competing against their favorite pro or college basketball player.

Basketball Drills: Jamie Dixon Shooting Drill. Not only do I really like this drill, I think it is a good philosophy to apply to all of your shooting drills to have the players go to their rebound assignment when they shoot in a shooting drill.

Basketball Drills: Jay Wright Shooting Drill--three shooters and two passers. Your players can get a lot of shots off in a short amount of time in this drill.

Basketball Drills: Florida Screen and Roll Drill--A shooting drill to work with players on shooting off the pick and pop.

Basketball Drills: 45 spot up shots inside arc Shoot slow no pressure shots just inside the three point arc. To do this drill, the shooter needs a rebounder. An emphasis is for the shooter to get their feet set and shoot these at about the same pace as when shooting rim flips.

Basketball Drills: Mark Few: Flex for Success--some shooting drills that Mark Few uses for their flex offense. These drills apply to any screening types of screens that you use.