Pull-Up Jumper

Skill drill

Shoot on balance off the dribble.

8 min any Half court
ShootingBall-handlingU12U14U16

Technique guide

Any group size · 1 ball, 1 hoop

Get everyone ready

Attack off the dribbleDrive hard to make the defender move their feet. 1

● Player / attackGold: ball

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Player starts at the top of the key with a ball.

Look for: Get your feet set on the gather.

Playback options
Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×
Coach’s notes & group organisation

Player starts at the top of the key with a ball.

  1. Attack with one or two hard dribbles toward the elbow.
  2. Gather on a one-two or jump stop.
  3. Rise straight up and shoot on balance.
  4. Hold the follow-through, then rebound.

Suggested reset

At a two-player basket station, the shooter retrieves their attempt and returns the same ball to the next shooter, then waits clear of the finishing lane. For a prescribed shooting set, finish the set before swapping. With more players, split across baskets or rotate short sets; keep spare balls off the active shooting line.

Coaching cues

  • Get your feet set on the gather.
  • Rise straight up, not drifting forward.
  • Same follow-through as a set shot.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: One dribble only, shoot from close range.

Harder: Add a defender chasing from behind so the gather has to be quick.

Elbow to Elbow: Drive to one elbow and pull up, rebound, then drive to the other.

What this drill teaches

Stopping on balance with the ball at speed — the hard half of shooting off the dribble. The gather is the drill: feet organised under the body so the shot rises straight up, the same shot they've grooved standing still.

In games: Answers the game-day picture of a defender dropping back to protect the rim — the drive-and-stop scores in the space they give, and makes drop coverage pay.

What good looks like
  • Feet set on the gather, no drift or fade forward
  • Rising straight up, landing where they took off
  • The same follow-through as their set shot

U12: one dribble, close range, expect off-balance shots at first. U16: expect a quick gather under a chasing defender and elbow-to-elbow rhythm.

Equipment

1 ball, 1 hoop

Setup

Player starts at the top of the key with a ball.

Steps

  1. 1Attack with one or two hard dribbles toward the elbow.
  2. 2Gather on a one-two or jump stop.
  3. 3Rise straight up and shoot on balance.
  4. 4Hold the follow-through, then rebound.

Coaching points

  • Get your feet set on the gather.
  • Rise straight up, not drifting forward.
  • Same follow-through as a set shot.

Why kids love it

Being able to stop and shoot makes older kids much harder to guard — a real 'level-up' skill.

Variations

Easier

One dribble only, shoot from close range.

Harder

Add a defender chasing from behind so the gather has to be quick.

Elbow to Elbow

Drive to one elbow and pull up, rebound, then drive to the other.

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