Spin Move

Skill drill

Change direction with a spin while protecting the ball.

6 min any Half court
Ball-handlingFootworkU12U14U16

Technique guide

Any group size · 1 ball each, cones

Get everyone ready

Attack the coneDribble hard at the first cone as if it's a defender. 1

● Player / attackGold: ball

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Cones spread out; players dribble toward one.

Look for: Keep the ball glued to your hip on the spin.

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

Cones spread out; players dribble toward one.

  1. Dribble at the cone, plant the outside foot.
  2. Spin, pulling the ball tight to your body.
  3. Come out of the spin and accelerate.
  4. Finish with a spin into a layup.

Suggested reset

After the spin and finish, retrieve your own ball and return outside the cone approach to the back. The next player starts only when the cone lane and basket are clear. Change spin direction after everyone has had turns; use separate stations for a larger group.

Coaching cues

  • Keep the ball glued to your hip on the spin.
  • Stay low, don't stand up.
  • Explode out of it.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: Walk through the footwork with no dribble first.

Harder: Put a live defender on the cone so the spin has to beat a real body.

Spin to Pass: Come out of the spin and hit a teammate in the corner instead of finishing.

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.

What good looks like
  • 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

  1. 1Dribble at the cone, plant the outside foot.
  2. 2Spin, pulling the ball tight to your body.
  3. 3Come out of the spin and accelerate.
  4. 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

Easier

Walk through the footwork with no dribble first.

Harder

Put a live defender on the cone so the spin has to beat a real body.

Spin to Pass

Come out of the spin and hit a teammate in the corner instead of finishing.

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