Mikan Drill
Groove soft finishes with both hands right at the rim.
What this drill teaches
Ambidextrous finishing at the rim. The alternating pattern builds the weak hand relentlessly without ever announcing it — most kids don't notice half their makes are left-handed.
In games: Finishing on whichever side the defence allows — a player forced left, or scrambling for a putback, scores instead of switching hands into a block or a miss.
- Opposite hand, opposite foot without pausing to reset
- Ball caught out of the net before it bounces
- Soft touch off the glass, not hard banks
U10: allow a reset dribble between shots. U14+: continuous rhythm, count makes per 45 seconds.
Equipment
1 ball, hoops
Setup
Player starts under the basket with a ball. Use as many hoops as you have to keep lines short.
Steps
- 1Shoot a right-hand layup, taking off from your left foot with the right knee driving up.
- 2Rebound out of the net before it hits the floor.
- 3Immediately shoot a left-hand layup, taking off from your right foot.
- 4Keep alternating for 45–60 seconds — count makes.
Coaching points
- Opposite hand, opposite foot — right hand off the left foot, left hand off the right.
- Use the backboard every time.
- Soft touch — no hard bank.
- Stay on the balls of your feet, keep moving.
Why kids love it
It's a beat-your-own-score challenge. Kids compete against yesterday's number and love shouting their make count.
Variations
Allow one dribble/gather between shots.
Reverse Mikan — finish on the other side of the rim each time.
Hold a second ball in the off hand the whole way through — it forces a proper one-hand finish.