Basketball Rebounding Drills
        
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Rebounding take physical skill, good positioning, and a great drive to grab every ball that comes off of the rim.
If you want to be a complete basketball player, you have to be able to rebound the basketball, regardless of the position you play.
If you want to become a complete basketball player, work on these basketball rebounding drills.
Developing
great timing
A big part of being a great rebounder is timing. Knowing when to release the box out (on the defensive end of the floor) and explode up for the ball, and knowing when to explode past the defender and leap for the ball (on the offensive end) are important elements of being a great rebounder.
How can you develop your timing? With some simple, but effective drills: the put-back drill and the backboard toss drill.
Put-back
and tip-in drill
The put-back drill is a drill you can do on your own, or with teammates.
Start with the basketball in the lane, around the dotted line. Toss the
ball up off the backboard and leap up, snatch the rebound out of the air,
and go back up for a power lay-up. Next, toss the ball off the backboard
and tip the ball in with either hand while still in the air. Do these
drills from both sides of the basket. Also, when throwing the ball off
the board, vary your tosses so that sometimes it comes cleanly off the
backboard, and other times, it hits the rims or bounces off to the side.
In this way, you'll get used to adjusting to odd rebounds and odd angles.
The backboard
toss drill
This drill can also be done alone, or with teammates. In this drill, you'll
stand to one side of the basket. Toss the ball off the backboard, towards
the other side of the lane. After throwing the ball off the board, you'll
quickly step towards the other side of the lane, leaping up high to grab
the rebound, and come down strong, and on balance. Then go up strong for
a power lay-up.
These drills are effective for helping you develop your timing, while also working on balance and leg strength.
Developing
explosiveness
Good rebounders are powerful, and attack the boards with explosiveness. If you are slow to the ball, or half-heartedly go after rebounds, chances are you won't get many.
Here are a few drills to help you develop the habit of going after the ball with explosiveness and power.
Rim touch
drill
Start on one side of the basket, a few feet out. Toss the ball off the
board, then leap up, grab the rebound, and come down strong. Now, with
the ball held firmly in both hands, leap up and bang the ball against
the rim. Come back down strongly and on balance, and explode back up to
the rim for a power lay-up. If you aren't able to slap the ball against
the rim, you might be able to bang it off the backboard. If you aren't
able to do that either, that's fine. Instead of going up and hitting the
ball against the rim or backboard, simply grab the rebound off the backboard,
give a strong pump-fake, then go up strong for a power lay-up. The key
to this drill is to focus and make a conscious effort to explode up to
the rim with quickness and power.
Rapid jump
drill
This drill can be done with or without a basketball (but we'll explain
how it's done with a basketball). Start under the basket, holding the
ball firmly in both hands at chest level. You'll now jump up and slam
the ball against the backboard (or bang it against the rim) 10 times in
a row. Jump up, hit the backboard, come down strong and go right back
up and do it again. You might not be able to do this 10 times in a row,
and your last few jumps may be tough. But in time, you'll really develop
your leg strenght, stamina, and your ability to go up strong underneath.
This is a great drill.
Working on these drills will drastically improve your ability to explode off the ground so you can grab rebounds out of the air. Being a great rebounder isn't just about positioning, although great position is a key. Once you have good position, you have to be able to explode up to grab the rebound. This ability is part physical (the ability to jump quickly), but it is also part mental.
Do you have the frame of mind to aggressively go after rebounds? Do you have the fire to become a great rebounder? Do you take pride it grabbing 6 or 7, or 10 or 12 rebounds a game or are you OK with getting 1 or 2?
Rebounding is a battle. Do you have what it takes to win that battle, both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
Only you can
answer that question.
What you can learn from Charles Barkley
Rmember when Charles Barkley said "I am not a role model"? He was talking about how professional athletes shouldn't be looked at as role models for kids.
I agree with him. But I do think you should look at him as a role model when it comes to rebounding the basketball. Why? Barkely was a tenacious rebounder, who won a rebounding title...all at 6-foot 4-inches tall. 6'4" isn't very tall when you consider that many inside players in the NBA are close to 7-feet tall.
Barkely had
a nose for the ball, was driven to be a great rebounder, then went out
and made it happen. If you want a role model for going after the basketball
and being a great rebounder, Sir Charles was a great role model.
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