All coaches know how valuable practice time is. Most high school coaches have limited practice time due to limited facilities and multiple teams needing space. One idea for those in this situation is to incorporate combination drills into your practice regiment. These exercises can not only save time, but can also contribute to the development of individual and team skills through repetition.
Exercises for a trainer are a lot like the pens on your desk at work. Open the drawer and you will see all kinds of different pens. Not only are they different, but you favor some over others and honestly, you have A LOT. What are you going to do with all those thoughts, Coach? Take a look the next time you’re looking for a pen and I bet you’ll grab the same, one favorite pen instead of the dozens of others. Like drills, we are comfortable with certain drills and have probably used them in practice for years. You will most likely continue to use those pet drills for years to come as they have been good for you.
In your entire catalog of drills, how many combo drills do you have? How often do you use these multipurpose activities? Are some of them basic for you that you use every day? These are good questions to answer for yourself as you go through your practice exercises.
In this article I will cover some of the best combination exercises that I have seen in my many years as a trainer. I’ll refer to them by name, but won’t break them down technically. On my website, you will be able to access each of these, or request clarification for your own purposes.
The best combination exercises I have seen:
1. All-in-one Drill Shell–The traditional Shell Drill may just be the beginning of defensive drill. By adding various elements to it, you can make it the best defensive combo drill in your catalogue.
2. The ultimate pole drill:This exercise combines a dozen parts for a complete pole. This is the best I’ve seen for post players.
3. Defensive drill 11 in one:The root of this drill goes back decades. I first saw it in 1978 at the University of Iowa with Lute Olson. This exercise combines about 6 separate exercises into one.
4. 11 Fastbreak Man–These favorite trainers can be changed to suit your needs. It remains one of the best “pass, dribble and shoot” drills of all time.
5. 3 times and out–This drill reveals the toughest players out of others. The coach can create teams of 3 differently at each practice. Each team must make three saves in a row before leaving the drill, as the offensive units change with each possession.
For details on these exercises, please visit my training website or email me.