Professional-level Personal Workout

To become a big-time player, you have to work tremendously hard at becoming a better athlete and a better player.

To play at the top of your game, you need to use a basketball workout plan that will help you improve all areas of your game.

The workout detailed below will help you do just that. It is an excellent workout for all positions (guards, forwards, and centers), and works on various parts of your game.

Start off the workout with some dribbling drills to get a feel for the ball and work on your ball handling abilities, then move onto the following drills.

Ball handling drills
Remember to focus on a few key things: don't look at the ball when you dribble, make good, strong dribbles, and keep the ball on your fingertips.

Figure 8
Dribble ball in figure-8 pattern around legs in one direction. Then switch and go in the other direction. Dribble should be just a few inches off the ground. Do for 30-45 second in each direction.

Scissor dribbles
Dribble between the legs with one or two, knee high dribbles. Go in one direction, then switch to the other direction. Do for 30-45 second in each direction.

Full court drills
Zig-zag the length of the court using the following: a cross-over dribble, a between the legs dribble, and a spin dribble. Focus on staying low, not looking at the ball, and using your finger tips only.

Then move onto form shooting drills to get your shooting touch and to prepare yourself for later parts of the workout.

Close-in Form Shooting
Close-in shooting drill
Concentrate on using perfect form. Shoot with elbow in, shoot up and out, get good arch on the shot, and follow through with a strong flick of the wrist.

3-4 feet out from the basket, at 45-degree angle: shoot 10-15 bank shots with right hand
Same drill from other side, shooting with left hand, bank shots only

5-6 feet out at 45-degree angle: shoot 10-15 bank shots with right hand
Same drill from other side, shooting with left hand, bank shots only

Straight out (5-6 feet from the basket), shoot straight into basket (not bank shots). Shoot 10-15 shots.

Then move onto some inside shooting drills to work on your scoring touch from inside and around the lane.

Inside Shooting
Drop step for power move to the basket (baseline and middle)
Do a minimum of 5 moves to baseline and middle from each side of the floor.

Drop step for baby hook shot (baseline and middle)
Do a minimum of 5 moves to baseline and middle from each side of the floor.

Turnaround jumper (baseline and middle)
Do a minimum of 5 moves to baseline and middle from each side of the floor.

Mikan drill
Stand under the basket. Go up strong on right side of the basket for a right-handed hook shot. Rebound and go up on the left side for a left-handed hook shot.

Concentrate on using good form, and getting good lift on the shot. Shoot 10 shots from each side.

Next, move onto outside shooting drills to work on your jump shot.

Outside Shooting
10-12 feet out at 45-degree angle, shooting jumpers. Concentrate on using perfect form. Get off the ground, get good arch on the shot and having a strong follow through. Shoot 20 jumpers from each side of the floor.

Finally, do some rebounding drills to work on rebounding, timing, and jumping ability.

Power Rebounds
Stand six to eight feet from the backboard and toss the ball up and high off the board. Leap up and grab the rebound with two hands, coming down on balance, and turning to throw an outlet pass. Do this five times on each side of the basket.

Rebound and Put-Backs
Same drill as above, but this time grab the rebound and go up strong with the put-back shot. Shoot five shots from each side of the basket. Then add a pump fake before going up for the shot. Do the pump fake move five times from each side of the basket.

This sample basketball workout covers shooting form, inside shooting, outside shooting, dribbling, post and power moves, rebounding, timing, and jumping ability...all very key areas for improving as a player.

This is a great basketball workout for the off-season, but can also be added to your workout routine during the season. Just be careful not to over-work yourself (if you are keeping up a full practice schedule with your team).

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