Jog & Cut
Warm up sharp changes of direction used in games.
What this drill teaches
Planting off the outside foot and cutting hard — the movement pattern under nearly everything in basketball. Doing it on a whistle, without a ball, lets players groove the low, sharp plant before a game asks for it at speed.
In games: Sharp cuts are how kids get open on game day — this replaces the rounded, jogging 'banana cut' every defender comfortably follows with a plant-and-go that creates real separation.
- A firm outside-foot plant, not a rounded curve
- Body staying low through the cut instead of popping upright
- Quick reaction to the whistle, not a slow fade into the turn
U8–U10: cuts will be rounded and upright — cone markers help. U14–U16: expect violent, low changes of direction and a genuine sprint out of each cut.
Setup
Players spread across the baseline.
Steps
- 1Jog toward the far end at half speed.
- 2On each whistle, plant a foot and cut 45 degrees.
- 3Keep your body low through each cut.
- 4Finish with a full-speed cut to the rim.
Coaching points
- Plant the outside foot to change direction.
- Stay low, don't stand up on the cut.
- Short, quick steps.
Why kids love it
It mimics how kids actually move in a game, and the whistle keeps them alert.
Variations
Add a ball and cut while dribbling.
Mark the cut points with cones so nobody has to react to a whistle.
Make every cut a V — three steps in, plant, explode back out.