The first few minutes of practice can set the tone for everything that follows. Good basketball practice drills should do more than help players loosen up. They should get athletes moving, communicating, thinking and working on skills that matter within your system. As the coaches discuss in this TeachHoops conversation, the best opening drills connect directly to what you value as a coach and what your team needs to improve.
For some teams, that means crisp passing and constant communication. For others, it might mean finishing, footwork or learning to play under control. Either way, you don’t need an elaborate warm-up to start practice well.
Here are three basketball practice drills coaches can use to create a fast, focused and fundamentally sound start to practice.
The Importance of Opening Basketball Practice Drills
Before choosing a drill, start with one simple question: Why are you doing it? The coaches emphasize that practice design should reflect what matters within your program. In this case, passing drills work well early because they can help players become mentally focused while also getting their bodies moving and their hands ready to handle the basketball. Communication can become part of the warm-up as well.
A good opening drill can help players:
- Get physically warm without wasting time
- Sharpen passing and catching
- Communicate with teammates
- Improve footwork
- Develop game-speed habits
- Transition mentally from school or daily life into practice
- Reinforce skills your team will use later in practice
Most importantly, your warm-up shouldn’t feel disconnected from basketball. If players are going to spend 10 minutes getting ready, those minutes might as well make them better.
1. Argentina Passing Drill
The Argentina drill is a fast-moving passing exercise built around spacing, movement and communication.
In the version discussed by the coaches, players occupy nine spots around the court, with additional players waiting behind those positions if needed. Players pass in one direction, move across the court and interchange with partners as the basketball continues moving around the formation.
Once players understand the pattern, the drill should move quickly. Ideally, the next pass is arriving at nearly the same time the player reaches the next spot.
How to run the Argentina drill
- Arrange players around the court with even spacing.
- Begin with the basketball moving consistently in one direction.
- After making a pass, players cut across the court to their next position.
- Players interchange with their designated partners.
- Keep the basketball moving quickly rather than allowing players to stand and wait.
- Change directions periodically so players work both sides.
- Require players to call out a teammate’s name when passing.
One key coaching point is pace. Players should sprint to the next spot, while the ball moves quickly enough that nobody is waiting around for long. If players repeatedly arrive and stand still before receiving the ball, the passing pace probably needs to increase.
Add communication
The Argentina drill becomes even more useful when players have to communicate throughout it.
Require players to call teammates’ names before making passes. Now they’re running, locating a target, catching, passing and communicating at the same time. The coaches specifically point to the value of creating a loud gym during passing drills because players are forced to process several responsibilities together.
For youth teams or smaller groups, coaches can adjust the spacing and shorten the formation. The exact diagram matters less than maintaining even spacing, movement and a consistent passing rhythm.
2. Star Passing With Finishing
Plenty of coaches have used a star passing drill. However, adding finishing makes the drill much more useful. Players pass across the formation, follow their passes and continue moving through a star-shaped pattern. Instead of ending with passing alone, the final action leads into a finish at the basket. The result combines passing, movement, communication and scoring in one continuous sequence.
Basic setup
The basic rules are simple:
- Set players around the court in a star formation.
- Pass across the formation.
- Follow every pass.
- Continue through the pattern until the final player attacks the basket.
- Finish at the rim.
- Reverse the direction to work both sides of the floor.
Players cutting along the baseline should also move underneath the passing lane so they don’t run directly into a pass. It’s a small detail, but one that can prevent a painful interruption to practice.
Layer new skills into the drill
Once players understand the basic pattern, coaches can add different basketball actions without completely changing the drill. Possible variations include:
- Require the ball to stay off the floor
- Add a defender at the basket
- Finish with the opposite hand
- Use a one-dribble pull-up
- Add a shot fake and drive
- Add a jab step
- Finish from a backdoor cut
- Reverse the passing direction
- Require players to call names on every pass
The coaches’ larger point is worth remembering: good drills can accomplish more than one thing. Instead of running separate drills for passing, communication, finishing and defensive reads, coaches can add layers to a familiar drill based on what the team needs that day. Consequently, players spend less time learning new drill structures and more time developing actual basketball skills.
3. Pivot and Footwork Lines
The third drill is far simpler. Players form four or five lines and work through basic dribbling, jump stops, pivots and passes. It may look elementary compared with more complex basketball practice drills, but the coaches make the case that many high school players still need significant work on basic footwork.
A player might:
- Dribble forward.
- Come to a controlled jump stop.
- Execute a front pivot.
- Make a strong pass.
- Rotate to the next position.
After several repetitions, coaches can change the footwork. For example, switch from front pivots to reverse pivots. Then change the pivot foot. Later, add another basketball move before the pass.
Why simple footwork still matters
Players can sometimes hide poor footwork with speed or athleticism. Practice exposes those weaknesses quickly. The coaches note that even talented athletes may struggle once they’re required to stop, pivot, protect the basketball and execute another movement in sequence.
Reverse pivots are especially useful because they can help players create space while maintaining control of the basketball. From there, coaches can introduce:
- Shot fakes
- Step-through moves
- Rip-throughs
- Ball fakes
- One hard dribble before the pass
- Different pivot feet
- Different passing angles
Those variations keep the drill fresh while preserving the same fundamental structure. Footwork isn’t glamorous, but it shows up everywhere. Players need it to attack pressure, create passing angles, finish around defenders and stay balanced with the basketball.
Don’t Be Afraid to Modify Basketball Practice Drills
One of the best points from the conversation has little to do with any single drill. Coaches should be willing to experiment.
If you have fewer players than a drill normally requires, adjust the spacing. If a passing drill feels too easy, add communication. If players have mastered the basic version, introduce defense, finishing or decision-making.
As the coaches explain, creating drills often starts with an idea, followed by drawing it up, trying it and seeing whether it works. Instead of searching endlessly for the “perfect” drill, build variations around the skills you actually need to teach.
Match the Drill to Your Team’s Needs
No basketball practice drill belongs in your plan simply because another coach uses it. Your roster should drive your choices. If your team struggles with passing under pressure, start with movement and communication. If players don’t finish well with their weak hand, incorporate weak-hand finishes into an established drill. If poor pivots lead to turnovers, spend a few minutes every day cleaning up footwork.
The coaches repeatedly return to the same principle throughout the discussion: understand the why behind the drill and connect it to your system. Before practice, ask yourself:
- What skill does this drill improve?
- Does the drill connect to how we play?
- Are players getting enough repetitions?
- Can I add communication or decision-making?
- Are players moving at game speed?
- Can I make the drill simpler or more challenging depending on the group?
Those questions can turn an ordinary warm-up into useful practice time.
Start Practice with Purpose
The best basketball practice drills don’t have to be complicated. They need to produce purposeful repetitions. The Argentina drill can build passing, pace and communication. Star passing with finishing combines movement with scoring and can easily be expanded with additional skills. Basic pivot lines reinforce footwork that players at every level still need.
More importantly, all three drills can be adjusted to fit your players. Choose what your team needs, coach the details and keep the pace high. When the opening minutes of practice reinforce the same habits you expect during games, the warm-up becomes part of player development instead of something players simply have to get through.
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