Do you want your speed & agility drills to transfer onto the court?  Since most of the movements we make during a game are based off reading other players, we need to train ourselves to react. Fortunately, reaction time is a skill that can be improved through well-designed basketball reaction drills.  

Here are five basketball reaction drills that will help you pick off passes and chase down rebounds.  Special thanks to David Stockton for helping with the video and a BIG congratulations for signing with the Sacramento Kings!  He’s a great player and even better person.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on9CqijcRjE

5 BASKETBALL REACTION DRILLS

Reaction Balls are a great tool to help improve reaction and quickness on the court. You can purchase them for under $10 online.  My players love training with them because it feels more like play than work.  Use your creativity to develop more basketball reaction drills to help in a variety of situations.  Here’s an overview of the five basketball reaction drills I use most with my players:

CLOSEOUT 2 BALL REACTION

1.  Partner 1 holds a ball in each hand with arms in a “T” formation.
2.  Parter 2 closes out from the baseline in a balanced position.
3.  Partner 1 chooses which ball to drop and Partner 2 catches it.   

SINGLE BALL REACTION

1.  Partner 1 tosses a ball at head height.
2.  Partner 2 has to catch it in one bounce.
3.  Count how many catches in a row.

BOUNCE PYRAMID

1.  Toss the ball overhead and let it bounce before catching.
2.  2nd toss: let it bounce twice.  3rd toss: let it bounce three times, etc.
3.  See how many bounces you can reach without breaking the chain. 

PARTNER WALL REACTION

1.  Partner 1 tosses the ball agains the wall.
2.  Partner 2 has to catch the ball without letting it touch the ground.
3.  Count how may catches in a row.

PARTNER 2 BALL HAND DROP

1.  Partner 1 holds a ball in each hand.
2.  Partner 2 places their hands on top of Partner 1.
3.  Partner 2 feels the ball drop and catches it before it hits the ground. If you’d like to see more basketball-specific quickness drills, visit our YOUTUBE channel.   Do you have any Reaction Ball drills that have helped improve your quickness on the court?  If so, I’d love to hear about them.