Spin Move
Change direction with a spin while protecting the ball.
What this drill teaches
Escaping a defender by turning your back and sealing them off — with the ball pulled tight to the hip where it can't be swiped. The cone gives a target so the plant, spin and burst get grooved before a real body arrives.
In games: When a driver gets cut off at the baseline or trapped on the sideline, the spin is the escape that protects the ball instead of coughing it up.
- Ball glued to the hip through the spin, not swung wide
- Staying low — no standing up mid-spin
- A burst of speed coming out the other side
U12: walk the footwork without a dribble first — dizzy, travelling reps are normal. U14–U16: expect the spin at speed against a live defender and the spin-to-pass read.
Equipment
1 ball each, cones
Setup
Cones spread out; players dribble toward one.
Steps
- 1Dribble at the cone, plant the outside foot.
- 2Spin, pulling the ball tight to your body.
- 3Come out of the spin and accelerate.
- 4Finish with a spin into a layup.
Coaching points
- Keep the ball glued to your hip on the spin.
- Stay low, don't stand up.
- Explode out of it.
Why kids love it
Getting past a defender with a spin feels like magic — kids beg to try it.
Variations
Walk through the footwork with no dribble first.
Put a live defender on the cone so the spin has to beat a real body.
Come out of the spin and hit a teammate in the corner instead of finishing.