Jr. HEAT Gym

This is your go-to resource for at-home drills, workouts and instructional tips that'll keep your game growing. Our Jr. HEAT skills coaches are taking you through a 20-minute training session that focuses on a specific part of your game. Finish strong!

Coaches CornerTips & Tricks

Ball Handling Part 1

Always listen to your coach. So before you put in the work, hear what Jr. HEAT Head Coach Tony Fiorentino has to say about Ball Handling.

Ball Handling Techniques to Remember

Keep your head up and look at the other rim when dribbling the ball up the court
Dribble at a speed that will allow you to get up the court without losing the ball
Bend your knees and keep the dribble low (no higher than you waist)
Dribble with the hand that is away from the defense
Protect the ball with your body when setting up an offense
Dribble with your fingertips, not the palm of your hand
A good ballhandler can dribble effectively with either hand

4 reasons to Dribble a Basketball

Shooting Part 1

Your shot always has room for improvement. It's all about proper techniques and repetition. Pay attention to these tips on shooting from Coach Fiorentino.

Shooting Tips to Remember

Keep Your Eyes On the Rim

Players will focus on the arc of the ball. Don't. Find the rim as early as you can, and keep your eyes focused on the target

Pay Attention To Your Balance and Your Stance

Your feet need to be shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be slightly bent.

Gripping the Basketball

Your fingers need to be spread apart enough to balance the basketball in just one hand, and the ball should sit right on your fingers. Your off-hand is on the side of the ball to balance your shooting hand and releases at the instant the ball leaves your shooting hand.

Your Release is Important

Make sure the ball is released before you reach the top of your jump. Your legs generate power and distance in your shot, use them! Bending your knees = LIFT.

Always Correct Your Shot

It's easy to slip into bad habits. And the more you do a bad habit, the more it becomes part of your game. Make sure to identify bad habits and reset your shot to work on the fundamentals of shooting.

When You're Ready to Extend Your Range

Post Moves

The game of basketball has changed over the years. One thing that hasn't changed is that your game isn't complete without a post game. Check out these tips to improve your post game from coach.

5 Tips in the Post

Low Post Position

You need to be comfortable in a down and athletic position. Young players must get used to having a wide, low stance. When you're under the basket, the stronger your base and position is, the more opportunity you will have for the shot or rebound. Good low post position doesn't necessarily mean as close to the basket as possible

Slow Down

Players have a tendency to rush their post moves when they catch the basketball on the low block or close to the basket. This can lead to bad decisions and poor shots. Understand you do have time to slow down, assess the situation, and then make your move. Being patient on the low block will result in better decisions and increased scoring from your post moves.

Use Both Hands

If you are right hand, practice finishing left, if you are left handed finish right. Work on finishing with you weak hand to make your game stronger. If you're only able to finish with your preferred hand, your scoring options are limited by 50%.

Pass out of the Post

Once you become a player who can score consistently in the low post, the defense will have no choice but to double team you to prevent you from scoring. A great player on the low post can whip a pass across court to an open teammate on the opposite wing or drop a small bounce pass off to a teammate cutting to the hoop. Your first look must be to score, but be ready to find your teammates.

Embrace Contact

When you're playing in the low post, there's going to be a lot of contact. Embrace contact and relentlessly attack your opponent to score, get to the free-throw line, and get your opponent in foul trouble. Whether it's fighting to secure position on the low post or a defender landing on you after a shot fake, contact is coming. The best post players love it.

Sprint the Floor

Drives to the Basket

Just like ball-handling and shooting, finishing can be improved by working on it daily. Check out these tips on how to improve on driving to the basket.

5 Tips in the Post

Be Versatile

If you're catching the ball off a pass or bringing it up court, your main focus should alway be to make yourself a threat. If you're a constant threat to shoot, drive, or set up a teammate, the defender will have less ways to guard you.

Become A Better Shooter

One of the best ways to improve your ability to attack the basket is to become a better shooter. If a defender respects your long-range shooting skills, they'll need to front you tighter, which leaves more potential to step through and head towards the hoop.

Attack North and South

Athletes attacking the basket by going around the defender is a common mistake in todays game. Players make it easier for the defense to slide and cut off the attack when moving east & west. Work on moves that allow you to attack the basket directly north and south.

Attack the Defenders Hip with Shoulder

Attacking the defender's hip gives you a better angle towards the basket, forces the defender to drop step, and ensures your center of gravity is low all at once. If you're tight, stiff, and standing straight up, you're easier to guard.

Study Finishes

Study every single finish you can find! Watch film, study and practice. Watch the best players in the world in the NBA, learn how they step up and finish all their attacks to the basket.

17 Things That Don't Require Talent

Shooting Part 2

Every young basketball player grows up wanting to shoot the ball like Ray Allen, Steph Curry, Glen Rice or Reggie Miller. But not every player will put in the work. Check out these tips below to elevate your shot.

9 Steps for Shooting a Basketball

Shot preparation

Start with your knees and hips slightly bent
Show target hands
Be mentally prepared to shoot

Hand Placement on the ball

Upon catching the basketball or raising up into a shot, players must be able to quickly adjust their hands to the correct positions on the basketball.

Base and Stance balance

Feet slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart
Dominant foot slightly in front
Weight equally distributed on each foot

Keep your shot pocket consistent

Keeping a consistent shot pocket ensures players are shooting the basketball the same way every time they shoot.
Since the shot pocket is often low, this will give player much better rhythm as they go up for their shot.

Pick a spot on the basket - Focus on the target

Players have 4 targets to focus on the basket

The center of the front of the rim.
The center of the back of the rim.
The first loop in the net.
The entire hoop.

Wrinkle in the wrist

The aim of this step is to get the wrist of the shooting hand bent back as far as possible (usually a little before 90 degrees).

This will give extra power to the shot and will also create the necessary backspin required to be a good shooter.

Elbow under the ball

When you're raising up for the shot, the elbow of your shooting arm should be directly under the basketball.

This requires players to have their upper and lower arm forming an "L" shape and also have their wrist bent back to 90 degrees.

Hands equal balance for the basketball

The "balance hand" is what we call the non-shooting hand.

As the name implies, its only role during the shooting motion is helping to balance the basketball on the shooting hand up until the release point.

Rhythm & follow through

Shooting with rhythm involves many parts occurring simultaneously:

The basketball is lifted up from the shot pocket.
The knees and hips straighten out as the player raises themselves into the air for power.
The elbow of the shooting arm straightens up in the air once the basketball has been lifted past shoulder height.
Near the peak of the shot, the wrist is snapped in the direction of the rim so that they fingers are pointing towards the ground. This will ensure the basketball has good backspin resulting in a "soft" shot.
Also at the peak of the shot, the balance hand will release from the basketball keeping perfectly flat. This ensures the balance hand isn't pushing the basketball.
The final two fingers to touch the basketball should be the index and middle fingers at the same time.
When you return to the ground, the rhythm of your jump shot will have guided your body forward slightly of where you took off from.When practicing, players should hold this form until the basketball has hit the rim so that they can look up and evaluate their technique.

3 Thoughts About Shooting

Ball Handling Part 2

The game of basketball is all about control of the ball. The better your handles are, the better player you are. Make sure to add these ball handling tips to elevate your game.

5 more tips on ball handling

The ball is your friend

Get use to the ball in your in hands, the more time the ball spends in your hand, the more control you have of the ball.

Dribble hard

The harder you dribble, the quicker it gets back in your hand.

See the game

Picture when and how you would use each dribble. Don't waste time working on things you wouldn't use in a game.

Dribble with a purpose

Your goal is to dribble to the basket. If you don't have an opportunity to get there, use your dribble to create a jump shot or an opportunity for a teammate.

Your comfort can hurt you

Make your game better by challenging yourself. Pick up your dribble speed to faster then you're used to, practice against bigger opponents and work on the parts of your game that aren't perfect. Pushing your practice sessions will only benefit you when it's crunch time.

Pro tips on ball handling

Basketball is a game of length

Work to get your opportunities with 1 dribble. You don't beat defenses with your dribble. You beat people with your feet; you SEPARATE from your defense with the dribble.

Basketball is a game of angles

Try to move in straight lines. Whenever you make an "East-West" move (something that takes you toward the sideline), re-capture a "North-South" path (direct line to the basket) as quickly as possible.

JR. HEAT HOOP SCHOOL

Every week, Coach Andrew Moran of the Miami Hoop School will walk you through 3 different drills to help you refine the finer points of your game.

BALL HANDLING

Ball Handling 1

Drill Name: Ball Control Push Cross Series

Series 1:

Right Hand Push Cross (3 sets x 30 secs)
Left Hand Push Cross (3 sets x 30 secs)

Series 2:

Push Cross Behind the Back Alternating Hands (2 sets x 1 Min)

Series 3:

Push Cross Under the Legs Alternating Hands (2 sets x 1 Min)

Series 4:

1 Dribble Push Cross- Behind the Back Alternating Hands (3 sets x 30 secs)

Ball Handling 2

Drill Name: Ball Control Stationary Feet Series

Series 1:

Crossover Right to Left (3 sets x 30 secs)
Crossover Left to Right (3 sets x 30 secs)

Series 2:

Right Hand Between the Legs Behind the Back (2 sets x 1 Min)
Left Hand Between the Legs Behind the Back (2 sets x 1 Min)

Series 3:

Right Hand Double Behind the Back (3 sets x 30 secs)
Left Hand Double Behind the Back (3 sets x 30 secs)

Ball Handling 3

Drill Name: Ball Control with "Drop" Footwork Series

Series 1:

Between the Legs "Drop" Split Alternating Hands (3 sets x 30 secs)

Series 2:

Behind the Back "Drop" Split Alternating Hands (3 sets x 30 secs)

Series 3:

Right Hand Double Behind the Back (3 sets x 30 secs)
Left Hand Double Behind the Back (3 sets x 30 secs)

SHOOTING PART 1

Ball Shooting 1

Drill Name: Shooting Warm Ups Series

Series 1:

One Handed Follow Through Warm Up (15 Makes from 5 feet away)

Series 2:

Floor Taps (15 Makes from 5 feet away)

Series 3:

Left Footed Floor Taps (10 Makes from 5 feet away)
Right Footed Floor Taps (10 Makes from 5 feet away)

Ball Shooting 2

Drill Name: Pull Up Jumpers Series

Series 1:

Right Handed One Dribble Pull Ups (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)
Left Handed One Dribble Pull Ups (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)

Series 2:

Right Handed Behind The Back Speed Stop Pull Up (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)
Left Handed Behind The Back Speed Stop Pull Up (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)

Ball Shooting 3

Drill Name: Corner Drifts and Wing Lifts Shooting Series

Series 1:

Right Corner Drift Catch and Shoot (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)
Left Corner Drift Catch and Shoot (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)

Series 2:

Right Wing Lifts Catch and Shoot (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)
Left Wing Lifts Catch and Shoot (3 consecutive makes x 5 sets)

FINISHING AROUND THE RIM

Pointer 1

Drill Name: EuroStep Series

Series 1:

Right to Left EuroStep (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Left to Right EuroStep (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

Pointer 2

Drill Name: Floaters Series

Series 1:

One Footed Floater (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Two Footed Floater (10 Reps x 3 sets)

Pointer 3

Drill Name: Same Foot Finish Series

Series 1:

Right Foot Right Hand Finger Roll (10 Reps x 3 sets)

Series 2:

Left Foot Left Hand Finger Roll (10 Reps x 3 sets)

SHOOTING PART 2

V.2 Shooting 1

Drill Name: Roll Ups Series

Series 1:

Roll Up Jumpers (10 Makes from 3 feet away)

Series 2:

Roll Up Jumpers (10 Makes from Free Throw line)

Series 3:

Roll Up Jumpers (10 Makes from 3 point line)

V.2 Shooting 2

Drill Name: Square Up Shooting Series

Series 1:

One Dribble Split Drop Jumper (10 Makes from Free Throw line)
One Dribble Split Drop Jumper (10 Makes from 3 point line)

Series 2:

Left to Right Foot Off the Screen Jumper (10 Makes from Free Throw)
Right to Left Foot Off the Screen Jumper (10 Makes from Free Throw)

Series 3:

180 Hop Shooting Right Shoulder Turn (10 Makes from Right Elbow)
180 Hop Shooting Left Shoulder Turn (10 Makes from Left Elbow)

V.2 Shooting 3

Drill Name: Off The Dribble and Off The Catch Shooting Series

Series 1:

Split Step Under The Leg Dribble Jumper (10 Makes from Mid Range)

Series 2:

Split Step Behind The Back Dribble Jumper (10 Makes from Mid Range)

Series 3:

180 Double Hop Jumper (10 Makes from Mid Range)

Series 4:

Ray Allen Corner Backpedal Corner 3 (10 Makes from Corner 3 point line)

POST MOVES

Post Move 1

Drill Name: Baby Hook Shot Series

Series 1:

Strong Hand Baby Hook Shot (10 Consecutive Makes x 3 Sets)
Weak Hand Baby Hook Shot (10 Consecutive Makes x 3 Sets)

Post Move 2

Drill Name: Step Through and Back Pivot Series

Series 1:

Fake Baby Hook Step Through Finish (20 Reps Right Block)
Fake Baby Hook Step Through Finish (20 Reps Left Block)

Series 2:

Fake Baby Hook Back Pivot Finish (20 Reps Right Block)
Fake Baby Hook Back Pivot Finish (20 Reps Left Block)

Post Move 3

Drill Name: Fadeaway Series

Series 1:

Strong Shoulder Fadeaway (5 Consecutive Makes x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Strong Shoulder Fadeaway Bank Shot (5 Consecutive Makes x 3 Sets)

DRIVES TO THE BASKET

Drive 1

Drill Name: Pro Hop Series

Series 1:

Right to Left Pro Hop (10 Reps x 3 Sets)
Left to Right Pro Hop (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

Drive 2

Drill Name: Inverted Pro Hop Series

Series 1:

Right Handed Inverted Pro Hop (10 Reps x 3 Sets )
Left Hand Inverted Pro Hop (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

Drive 3

Drill Name: Inverted Euro Step Series

Series 1:

Right Handed One Step Inverted Euro (5 Reps x 3 Sets)
Left Handed One Step Inverted Euro (5 Reps x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Right Handed Extended Inverted Euro (5 Reps x 3 Sets)
Left Handed Extended Inverted Euro (5 Reps x 3 Sets)

SHOOTING PART 3

V.3 Shooting 1

Drill Name: Stepback Series

Series 1:

Weak Hand Dribble into Strong Foot Stepback (10 Reps x 3 Sets)
Punch Drag Dribble into Stepback (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

V.3 Shooting 2

Drill Name: Misdirection Jumpers Series

Series 1:

Crossover Misdirection Jumper (10 Reps x 3 Sets)
Between The Legs Misdirection Jumper (10 Reps x 3 Sets)
Behind The Back Misdirection Jumper (10 Reps x 3 Sets)

V.3 Shooting 3

Drill Name: Free Throws Series

Series 1:

Create Personal Free Throw Routine. Figure out your alignment, positioning, and find your comfort zone at the line.

Series 2:

Shoot Free Throws (5 consecutive makes)
Shoot Free Throws (10 consecutive makes)
Shoot Free Throws (20 consecutive makes)

BALL HANDLING PART 2

V.2 Ball Handling 1

Drill Name: Two Ball Warm Up Dribbling Series

Series 1:

Two Ball Pound (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)
Two Ball Alternating Pounds (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Right Hand High, Left Hand Low Dribble (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)
Left Hand High, Right Hand Low Dribble (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

Series 3:

Two Ball Pound Single CrossOver (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)
Two Ball Pound Double CrossOver (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

Series 4:

Two Ball Pound Rotating Between the Legs (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

V.2 Ball Handling 3

Drill Name: Two Ball Pin-Downs Series

Series 1:

Two Ball Pound Rotating Between the Legs (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Alternating Two Ball Pound Pin and Scoop (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

Series 3:

Alternating Two Ball Pound Pin and Scoop Between the Legs (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

V.2 Ball Handling 3

Drill Name: Speed Stop Series

Series 1:

One Dribble Alternating Speed Stops Behind the Back (20 Reps x 3 Sets)

Series 2:

Alternating Speed Stops Behind the Back into CrossOver (20 Reps x 3 Sets)
Left Hand High, Right Hand Low Dribble (30 Seconds x 3 Sets)

Learn More

If you have any questions, please email Santi Echavarria at SEchavarria@HEAT.com or fill out the form below or email with your contact information to be the first to receive any updates.