mikan drill

This drill comes from the famous George Mikan

The mikan drill is a timed drill that last 30 seconds. This is a good big man drill, though everyone can benefit from this drill.

For 30 seconds you will be under the basket doing layups, while not letting the ball touch the floor and without drilling. You just make a lay up and quickly and under control take a layup from the other side. Make sure your doing a lay up on the right with your right hand then the left side is with your left hand. The object is to make as many layups that you can within 30 seconds.

Coaching Tips:
keep the ball high abover your shoulders
keep control of the ball - while not letting it hit the ground at all
get into a rhythm and routine (the more you practice the more this will come)

Now I have heard of the reverse lay-up mikan drill!

This is becoming popular where you are doing the exact same drill, but now your are working on reverse lay-ups. This is where your facing away from the basket. So you do the same thing quick reverse lay-ups with the same footwork though your doing a reverse lay-ups.

Coaching Tips:
keep the ball high abover your shoulders
keep control of the ball - while not letting it hit the ground at all
get into a rhythm and routine (the more you practice the more this will come)

Lastly, I just recently heard about this version of the advanced mikan drill. Either reverse or normal mikan drill, but this time with two balls.

1. The player starts facing away from the basket just like in a reverse mikan drill. The footwork is the same. But now the player had two balls.

2. Only one ball will be shot a time. Starting with the (ball #1) is shot then the other ball (ball No. 2) he/she holds in one of her hands (switching with each shot). So it's like this the player completes a right-handed layup with (ball #1) while (ball #2) in left hand. When he/she completes the shot. He/she will switch (ball #2) to his/her right hand while grabbing (ball #1) with her left hand and shoots the next shot with her left hand while keeping (ball #2) in her rigth hand. continue this for 30 seconds.

You can do the same with reverse lay-ups too.

1. The player starts facing away from the basket just like in a reverse mikan drill. The footwork is the same. But now the player had two balls.

2. Only one ball will be shot a time. Starting with the (ball #1) is shot then the other ball (ball No. 2) he/she holds in one of her hands (switching with each shot). So it's like this the player completes a right-handed layup with (ball #1) while (ball #2) in left hand. When he/she completes the shot. He/she will switch (ball #2) to his/her right hand while grabbing (ball #1) with her left hand and shoots the next shot with her left hand while keeping (ball #2) in her rigth hand. continue this for 30 seconds.

stud mikan drill

two ball mikan drill, but replace one of the balls with a medicine ball!

Coaching Tips:
keep the ball high abover your shoulders
keep control of the ball - while not letting it hit the ground at all
get into a rhythm and routine (the more you practice the more this will come)

Who for?
great for big men, but could be beneficial to all players.
great for the big men that have trouble catching the ball.
great for rhythm, routine, and timing.