Purpose
To improve defensive footwork and conditioning
Drill Setup
- Players spread out in the half court
- Coach stands in front of group facing the team
How it Works
- Drill leader yells ‘Stance!’ and players drop down into fundamental defensive stance.
- Drill leader then yells ‘Pepper!’ and players begin to ‘pepper’ the ground, firing their feet up and down as quickly as they can while still maintaining their defensive stance.
- Periodically, leader will yell ‘Left!’ or ‘Right!’, cueing the players to quickly rotate 90 degrees in that direction before jumping right back into forward facing pepper.
- Continue for 60 seconds, rest, repeat for 2 more reps
Coaching Tips
- You can also add more commands like ‘Shot!’ or ‘Ball!’, making players challenge a jump shot or dive for a loose ball and get right back into Pepper.
- Emphasize the importance of staying in a good defensive stance, with knees bent, head up, arms wide and palms up.