Of my [tag]top basketball drills[/tag] this is one I use for teaching court vision to young point guards. Tell your [tag]point guards[/tag] to always look up toward the rim in transition, so they’re forced to see the whole court and not get focused on one player (which is when passes are too often telegraphed and stolen).

Start in the back court, running off a made or missed shot and send 8 players up the floor from the back court, to coach court vision in transition.

The coach dribbles the ball from the back court at a fast pace, with both point guards running along side or watching from the behind the play. They are to observe – from an experienced, smart players standpoint – what good court vision looks like.

As you cross half court, look to make the first pass to hit an open player (teaching them to start the offense early, when the floor is spread and/or the defense is not completely setup).

Make passes you would if you were running the court. Have your PGs point to where they would pass.

Run this a half dozen times, then let each PG take your place, alone, unguarded. This is time to teach them not to force the [tag]basketball[/tag] up the floor, but to be smart in transition.

Run this drill for about 10-15 minutes and your team will have the smartest point guards around. Don’t forget to reinforce his/her play by congratulating teammates on good cuts to the basket as well as the picks they’re setting.

Got a basketball coaching tip, drill, or idea you’d like to share with our community? Leave it in the comments box below and I’ll approve it within a day or two. And don’t forget to read my latest article on kids basketball drills.