Basketball Practice Drill | Drop Step Power Dribble
As a basketball player approaches the net and gets ready to execute a lay-up, the athlete’s eyes and attention will be focused on the net. But in order for the shot to land successfully, the body will also need to prepare, and this will take place as the athlete plants the feet and gets ready to fire the hip flexors and core for a powerful vertical jump.
As most athletes learn through repeated basketball practice drills, the vertical jump starts in the core, in the muscles that surround the center of gravity. As these muscles activate, the power of the jump moves down through the legs and toward the floor. As the athlete reaches up for the net and the backboard, the success of the shot will depend on strength as well as accuracy.
To build both accuracy and strength at the same time, players can rely on basketball practice drills like this one, called the Drop Step Power Dribble. This drill makes use of basketball post moves that help the player deliver the ball to the net in the form of a well-executed lay up.
The Drop Step Power Dribble accomplishes two goals at the same time, since it builds power and shooting accuracy, but it also requires very little equipment and only a few minutes to execute, so players and coaches can feel free to work it into almost any training session. Teams can add the drill to the beginning or the end of any complete basketball training workout and start seeing results within a few sessions.
Basketball Practice Drills: Setting Up the Drop Step Power Dribble
To complete this set of basketball post moves, each athlete will need an anchoring partner who can provide resistance by holding onto the end of the Reactive Stretch Cord. Every pair will also need a ball, a net, and a set of two speed and agility cones. Both the cones and the Reactive Stretch Cord can be purchased through KbandsTraining.com.
The partner executing the layups can begin the drill by strapping the Reactive Stretch Cord band around the waist and tightening it so it stays snug and in position. If the belt moves and doesn’t stay in place, the exercise won’t have as much value. Once the belt is snug, the Reactive Stretch Cord can be clipped to the D-ring, and the anchoring partner can find a grip on the cord a few inches from the connection point.
Basketball Practice Drills: Executing the Drop Step Power Drill
For some basketball practice drills involving the Reactive Stretch Cord, the anchoring partner can play a passive role, but in this drill, the partner will need to stay in motion and work hard to keep up with the athlete during each set of resisted lay ups. As the athlete moves across the floor, the partner will need to maintain a constantly shifting grip on the cord in order to provide exactly the right amount of resistance. The athlete should have the freedom to make the layup using natural movements, but enough resistance should be applied to keep the muscles firing in the core and hip flexor area.
As the player executes a vertical leap, the resistance level should be strong enough to demand extra explosiveness, but not strong enough to disrupt the body’s center of gravity. The vertical jump should be straight during each rep.
Basketball Practice Drills: The Value of Short Sets
Like many strength-focused basketball practice drills, this drill will emphasize speed and explosiveness, not endurance. So each set should stay short and intense. Each set should involve as many layup shots as the athlete can complete within a period of about ten to fifteen seconds. The athlete should invest the highest level of intensity in every single shot, and after ten to fifteen seconds, the player should rest for a full minute to a minute and a half.
Anchors should pay close attention to the range of motion involved in each rep; of the athlete isn’t able to complete the full vertical jump, the resistance level is too high, and partners should allow a little more slack in the cord.
The Kbands Reactive Stretch Cord is built with two multiflex resistance cords inside, so when the band is tightly anchored, the resistance level is strong enough to challenge even the most advanced athletes. So if the athlete completing the drill is working at an advanced level, the cord should be kept short. Less experienced athletes can be allowed a greater level of flexibility. A little more length added to the cord will still allow them the resistance they need to develop their skills.
Basketball Practice Drills: Final Notes for the Drop Step Power Dribble
This basketball practice drill can be completed in four to six total sets. As they execute this move, players should remember to keep the rest periods consistent and keep the intensity levels high. Each set and rep should be just as explosive as the last, and athletes should pay close attention to power, not endurance.
After completing this drill, coaches and players can move onto the next set of relevant basketball practice drills, which may involve ball handling exercises or overspeed training drills that help players improve their quickness on the court.
For basketball training drills that cover these skill areas and a wide range of others, coaches and players can explore the video tutorials and demonstrations available in the basketball training section of KbandsTraining.com. The basketball training section of the site is constantly growing, as are similar training sections for lacrosse, baseball, track and field, and soccer. To elevate performance on the field and take team skills to the next level, players and coaches can explore the videos and purchasing resources for resistance and suspension training equipment including the Kbands resistance training bands, the KB Duo, the KB Power Bands, and the Kbands Reactive Stretch Cord.