How to Increase Breakaway Speed in Basketball

In almost every sport, speed rules. Basketball is no exception. If a team has players that quickly get up the court, it can lead to easy scoring opportunities. In order to build up speed you must push yourself out of your comfort zone and reach a higher level. Here I will focus on a drill called 'Buzzer Beater" that pushes players to increase their open court speed, while still maintaining control to make a layup and a pull-up jumpshot.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basketball
• Basketball Court
• Scoreboard or some type of timer

1. Set the clock or timer to 9 seconds. Revise this timeframe based on age and skill level of the players.

2. Have the player start with back foot on the baseline with a basketball.

3. On the coaches whistle, the player dribbles as quickly as possible to the basket at the other end of the court.

4. Upon reaching the other basket, the player must make a layup. If the first attempt is missed, the player must continue the layup until the basket is made.

5. Once the layup is made, the player quickly dribbles back to the other basket (where the player started).

6. Upon reaching the free-throw line, the player must take a pull-up jumpshot before the time expires. The shot must be released before the time expires. If the shot goes in, that player is recognized as a "buzzer beater."

Tips & Warnings

• Make this a competitive team drill by splitting up the team into two groups. The group with the most buzzer beaters gets a break from conditioning for that practice.
• This is a great conditioning drill, as it works the cardiovascular while also honing the gross and fine motor skills. It really prepares a player for game situation speeds.