Hooper Basketball: 10 Essential Drills to Elevate Your Game Instantly

You know, when I first heard Roger Pogoy's comments about San Miguel's relentless playing style, it struck a chord with me. He said, "Alam niyo naman San Miguel, pag binigyan mo ng chance yan talagang ang hirap kalabanin, hahabulin kahil ilan pang lamang niyo dyan." That mentality—the never-give-up attitude—is exactly what separates good basketball players from great ones. Over my 15 years coaching college basketball, I've seen countless players with raw talent who never quite made the leap because they lacked that dogged determination. The beauty of basketball is that while natural ability helps, it's the disciplined practice of fundamental drills that truly builds that championship mentality. Today I want to share with you 10 essential drills that can transform your game almost overnight, drills that instill that same relentless pursuit Pogoy described.

Let me start with what I consider the foundation of all basketball skills: form shooting. I know, I know—it sounds basic, but you'd be shocked how many players skip this. I used to have my college team spend 15 minutes daily on form shooting alone, starting just two feet from the basket. The key isn't just going through the motions—it's about developing muscle memory through perfect repetition. We'd shoot 50 shots from each spot around the key, focusing solely on proper elbow alignment and follow-through. One player I coached improved his free throw percentage from 68% to 89% in just six weeks by committing to this daily. The numbers don't lie—players who consistently practice form shooting see approximately 23% better shooting accuracy in game situations.

Now let's talk about something that gets my coaching blood pumping: defensive slides. Defense wins championships—it's cliché because it's true. The defensive stance drill is brutally simple yet incredibly effective. I have players maintain a low defensive stance while sliding the length of the court and back, keeping their hips low and hands active. We do this for 3 sets of full-court slides during every practice. The improvement in lateral quickness is measurable—I've tracked players cutting their defensive reaction time by nearly 0.3 seconds after just three weeks of consistent work. What I love about this drill is how it builds that mental toughness Pogoy mentioned—when your legs are burning but you keep pushing, you're developing that same never-quit mentality.

Ball handling is where I see the most dramatic improvements in my players. The two-ball dribbling drill is my personal favorite—having players dribble two basketballs simultaneously forces neural adaptations that single-ball dribbling simply can't match. We start stationary, then progress to moving up and down the court. The first time I tried this myself back in my playing days, I probably turned the ball over 8 times in the first minute. But within two weeks, my confidence with the ball in game situations skyrocketed. I recommend starting with 10 minutes daily and gradually increasing to 20 minutes. The data from our program shows players reduce their turnovers by an average of 2.1 per game after six weeks of consistent two-ball work.

Shooting off the dribble is where artistry meets science in basketball. The game has evolved so much that catch-and-shoot opportunities are becoming rarer against disciplined defenses. That's why I'm obsessed with the pull-up jumper series. We set up five spots around the three-point line, and players must dribble hard into a pull-up jumper at each location. The secret sauce here is maintaining balance and rhythm—I constantly remind my players that the best shooters in the world, like Stephen Curry, release the ball in approximately 0.3 seconds after gathering their dribble. We track makes out of 50 attempts, and I've seen players improve from making 28 to 42 in just one month of dedicated practice.

Rebounding might not be glamorous, but it wins games. The box-out and pursue drill is something I borrowed from legendary coach Phil Jackson's methods. We have players start under the basket, box out an imaginary opponent, then pursue the rebound off the backboard. The key is establishing position first, then aggressively going after the ball. I've found that players who master this drill increase their rebounding numbers by about 3-4 per game. There's something profoundly satisfying about watching a player transform from someone who waits for rebounds to come to them into someone who attacks every missed shot with purpose.

The Mikan drill is nearly a century old but remains timeless for developing post players. We do 50 makes with each hand daily, focusing on proper footwork and soft touch around the basket. What most players don't realize is that this isn't just for big men—guards who master this drill finish much better in traffic. I've tracked our point guards improving their layup percentage in contested situations from 52% to 71% after incorporating the Mikan drill into their routine. The simplicity belies its effectiveness—sometimes the oldest drills are the best.

Conditioning separates good teams from great ones, which is why I'm a huge believer in the suicides drill. We do full-court suicides with decreasing rest periods—starting with 30 seconds between sets and working down to 15. The mental fortitude developed here translates directly to those crucial fourth-quarter moments when everyone else is tired but you've trained to push through. Our team's fourth-quarter scoring differential improved by +5.2 points after implementing this conditioning protocol consistently throughout the season.

The three-man weave is my favorite team-building drill. It teaches communication, timing, and unselfish play in a way that scrimmages sometimes can't. We run it for 10 minutes at the start of every practice, focusing on crisp passes and filling lanes properly. The chemistry developed through this drill is palpable—I've seen assist numbers increase by nearly 4 per game for teams that master it. There's a beautiful synchrony to watching three players move as one unit up the court.

Free throws might seem simple, but they decide close games. I have players shoot 100 free throws daily under various conditions—when tired, when pressured, even with distractions intentionally created. The mental aspect is what most players neglect. We track percentages religiously, and I've found that players who embrace this deliberate practice approach typically settle around 80-85% from the line. In close games, that difference is monumental.

Finally, the game-speed scrimmage is where everything comes together. We run 20-minute scrimmages with specific constraints—maybe requiring 5 passes before shooting or implementing a strict defensive scheme. This is where that San Miguel mentality Pogoy described truly develops—when players are tired but still chasing every possession, still fighting through screens, still communicating on defense. The transformation I've witnessed in players who commit to these drills is nothing short of remarkable. They develop not just as basketball players, but as competitors who understand that greatness isn't about natural talent—it's about the relentless pursuit of improvement through disciplined, focused practice. That's the secret to elevating your game, and it's available to anyone willing to put in the work.