Sharpen Basketball Passing: Essential Basketball Passing Drills & Skills
Learn the techniques and strategies that turn good passes into game-winning plays. Understand the fundamentals, learn how to pass with basic and advanced passing, improve your court vision, and become the teammate everyone relies on.
Introduction
In basketball, the ability to pass accurately and effectively is a cornerstone of team offense. A well-executed pass can create open shots, break down defenses, and lead to easy scores. Whether you’re a beginner just learning the fundamentals or an experienced player looking to refine your technique, mastering basic passing skills is crucial for elevating your game IQ and contributing to your team’s success. This page covers the learning how to make a proper pass, basic types of passes, essential passing techniques and provides practical drills you can use to improve your passing accuracy, speed, and decision-making.
Basic Types of Basketball Passes
Chest Pass
Description: The most common and fundamental pass for short to medium distances. It offers good accuracy and control.
- Technique
- Start with the ball held in front of your chest with both hands on the sides, thumbs behind the ball.
- Step forward towards your target.
- Extend your arms straight out, pushing the ball forward with your fingers.
- Snap your wrists forward and downward as you release the ball, aiming for the receiver’s chest.
- Follow through with your hands pointing towards your target.
- Key Focus: Accuracy, directness, and a firm, controlled delivery typically aiming for the numbers on your teammate’s jersey.
Bounce Pass
Description: Used to pass around defenders or to a teammate who is being closely guarded. The ball bounces once on the floor before reaching the receiver.
- Technique
- Start with the ball held in front of your chest, similar to the chest pass.
- Step forward towards your target.
- Extend your arms and push the ball downwards, aiming for a spot on the floor approximately two-thirds of the way between you and your teammate.
- Snap your wrists forward and downward, controlling the angle of the bounce.
- The ball should bounce up to the receiver’s waist or chest level.
- Key Focus: Angle of the bounce, timing, and ensuring the bounce is reachable for your teammate.
Overhead Pass
Description: Effective for passing over defenders, especially for longer distances or to initiate fast breaks.
- Technique:
- Start with the ball held above your forehead with both hands, fingers spread for control.
- Step forward towards your target.
- Extend your arms forward and upward, pushing the ball with your fingers and thumbs.
- Snap your wrists forward and downward as you release, aiming for the receiver’s chest or slightly above.
- Follow through with your hands pointing towards your target.
- Key Focus: Power, trajectory, and leading your teammate on fast breaks.
One Handed Push Pass
Description: A versatile pass used for various situations, including quick passes to the wing or baseline.
- Technique:
- Hold the ball in one hand, using your fingertips for control. Your other hand can be used for support initially.
- Step towards your target, bringing the ball slightly across your body.
- Push the ball forward using your fingers and wrist, extending your arm towards the receiver.
- Follow through with your fingers pointing towards your target.
- Key Focus: Quick release, accuracy over shorter distances, and adapting to different angles.
Advanced Basketball Passes
Step Around Pass
Description: To step around defenders on the wing. Typically a post entry pass or a pass to an open teammate on the wing.
- Technique:
- Ball is in triple threat position, ball is on hip or in overhead position
- Players use a jab step or step around pass over the defender’s leg to create space
- Bounce the pall so it hits your teammate to where he is moving (or hands in the post)
- Key Focus: Quick release, accuracy to a moving teammate or a stationary post.
Skip Pass
Description: A pass used to swing the ball cross court to quickly reverse the ball against a rotated defense.
- Technique:
- Starts with an overhead pass.
- Step towards your target
- Push the ball forward using your fingers and wrist, extending your arm towards the teammate the receiver.
- Follow through with your fingers pointing towards your target.
- Key Focus: Should only be used by players more skilled in passing. This pass should seldom be used by less experienced players.
Kickout Pass
Description: Especially effective for driving and then kicking out to shooters on the perimeter
- Technique:
- Typically starts with a drive into the paint, with shooters on the perimeter.
- Players jump stop once they get into the middle of the paint.
- Pivot and kickout to the wing. Typically a chest pass or overhead pass.
- Key Focus: Power, accuracy and collapsing the defense to free the perimeter shooters.
Post Feed Pass
Description: A pass used to feed the post.
- Technique:
- Option 1 – overhead pass or step around pass
- Hold the ball in two hands.
- Don’t stare down the post player.
- Enter the ball to the posts hands depending on where he calls for it.
- Follow through with your fingers pointing towards your target.
- Option 2 – Dump Down Pass – This is much more difficult and must be practiced
- Establish pivot foot and turn your hips so that pivot foot is on the front.
- This pass is thrown off the back shoulder similar to a quarterback hitting a short receiver.)
- Aim for the target’s hands. Post player must have created by getting into the defender before you pass
- Option 1 – overhead pass or step around pass
- Key Focus: Quick release, accuracy over shorter distances, and adapting to different angles.
How to Pass a Basketball – Use these Passing Drills
Partner Passing Drill
Utilize this Drill to Begin Your Passing Journey
- Setup: Two players stand facing each other at a comfortable distance (start with 10-15 feet). Free Throw line extended is a good distance.
- Drill: Players take turns making chest passes and bounce passes to each other, focusing on accuracy and proper technique. After a set number of repetitions (e.g., 10-15 of each), increase the distance.
- Progression: Incorporate overhead passes and one-handed push passes and step around bounce passes. Focus on hitting the target and the player receiving the pass cleanly with two hands whenever possible.
Partner Line Passing
Add movement to your passing.
- Setup: Two lines of players face each other, spaced across the free throw line extended starting at the baseline. Each player in one line has a ball and a partner.
- Drill: The first player in the line with the ball makes a chest pass their partner, and they continue back and forth to the other basket. The last pass should be a bounce pass for a layup on the opposite end.
- Progression: Incorporate different types of passes (bounce, one-handed), emphasize making a good pass, and focus on hittting the other player in the hand and passing ahead of them while they move. This can be done running forward or shuffling back and forth to the opposite end.
3 Man Weave
A traditional passing drill for players of all ages.
- Setup: Three players stand in a line at a comfortable distance (start with 10-15 feet between each).
- Drill: Players take turns making chest passes starting with a pass to the right side then following their pass behind the person they just passed to. The next player than passes to the person in front of them to the left. Always follow your pass and go behind the person you just passed to. This creates a weave formation. Last pass is a bounce pass for a layup.
- Progression: Keep the weave tight and stay in your lane. Can make this slightly longer passes as you progress.
Triangle Passing
A more advanced drill that incorporates 6 players in a relatively close circle about 10-15 feet apart.
- Setup: Teams are setup in three vs. three around the free throw lane or center circle with teammates every other person in a circle
- Drill: Ball starts with one team having the ball and then passes to either of their open teammates. Opposite team must trap the ball with two nearest players and the third defender guars the passing lane. Read the players eyes to defend the strong side. Offense must make a step around , bounce, chest or overhead pass to teammate. Must use pivots and pass fakes to find open teammate.
- Progression: Try to make consecutive passes on offense until you get them (like 10 in a row) or go for 30 seconds without turnovers. If the other team deflects the ball or creates a turnover, the other team gets the ball. Repeat with defense no playing offense.
- See our YouTube Video Here.
Advanced Passing Drills
Fast Break Layup Passing
A more advanced drill that incorporates 3 players and one ball full court.
- Setup: Teams are setup in three lanes similar to 3 Man Weave, but players always stay in their lanes. Starting with good chest passes to begin the drill always leading the player.
- Drill: Ball starts with Player in center passing to the outside as players move up the court in sync with each other (players stay in their lanes).
- Progression: Try to stay in your lane all the way up and down the court. Player in the middle (Player 1) always stays in the center and hits either player on the outside (Player 2 or Player 3) for a successful made layup in the lane. Last pass is always a bounce pass. Can do bounce passes next time through.
- See our Youtube Video Here.
Star Passing
Add movement to your passing by following your pass and getting a layup to finish.
- Setup: There are five players in this drill setup on the half court (baseline corners, half court corners, middle under basket). Ball Starts on the Baseline Under the basket.
- Drill: The first player in the line with the ball makes a chest pass diagonally to Player 1 at half court. Players move as shown in diagram. Last pass is always a bounce pass for a layup (Player 2 to start).
- Progression: Work on making a good pass, jump stopping, pivoting and facing when you pass, and then moving to next spot on court. Can reverse this drill and go opposite direction.
- See our Youtube Video Here.
5 Man Weave
An advancement of the traditional 3 Man Weave
- Setup: Five players stand in a line at a comfortable distance with the first person in the middle of the court underneath the basket. (start with 10-15 feet between each).
- Drill: Players take turns making chest passes starting with a pass to the right side then following their pass behind the person they just passed to. The next player than passes to the person in front of them to the left. Always follow your pass and go behind the person you just passed to. This creates a weave formation. Last pass is a bounce pass for a layup.
- Progression: Keep the weave tight and stay in your lane. Can make this slightly longer passes as you progress.
Double Wheel Passing
A more advanced drill to incorporate speed and movement in your passing.
- Setup: Six Players on the Half Court setup near the 3 point line (corners, wing, and under the basket and top of key) as shown.
- Drill: Ball starts with one pair each having a ball and passing to the right. After making a pass, the player sprints to exchange with player opposite of them.
- Progression: Try to make consecutive passes on offense with no drops. Start by passing to the right (clockwise). This drill will get crowded as the ball gets moving. Go for 30 seconds with no drops. Can go the opposite direction (left) and can try bounce passes. Can also try three basketballs to make this one really interesting.
- See our YouTube Video Here.
