Tip Drill

Fun game

Time a jump and tip the ball off the backboard into the rim.

8 min lines per hoop Half court
ShootingFootworkU12U14U16

Technique guide

lines per hoop · 1 ball per hoop

Get everyone ready

Ready under the rimStand just off the block facing the backboard. 1

● Player / attackGold: ball

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Player stands to the side of the rim with a ball.

Look for: Time the jump to the top.

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

Player stands to the side of the rim with a ball.

  1. Toss the ball high off the backboard.
  2. Jump and tip it back up with one hand at the top of your jump.
  3. Keep tipping until it drops in.
  4. Then rebound out and switch sides/hands.

Suggested reset

The active player continues tipping the same ball until it drops in, then rebounds and switches sides or hands. After a short set, secure the ball and hand it to the next waiting player. Keep the waiting line clear of the landing area; do not send a new player under a live tip.

Coaching cues

  • Time the jump to the top.
  • Fingertip control, soft touch.
  • Use the backboard.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: Catch-and-shoot instead of a live tip.

Harder: Alternate hands on every tip, then finish with the weak hand.

Partner Tips: Two players either side of the ring alternate tips off the board without letting it drop.

What this drill teaches

Jump timing and fingertip touch at the top of the reach. Keeping the ball alive off the backboard forces players to meet it at the peak of the jump with soft control — the exact body skill behind tip-ins and contested rebounds.

In games: Turns near-miss moments into points on game day — the player who can time a jump and guide a loose ball softly back in scores baskets nobody else even attempts.

What good looks like
  • The ball met at the top of the jump, not on the way down
  • Fingertip control — guided, not slapped
  • A rhythm of repeated tips instead of one-and-catch

U12: catch-and-shoot off the board is a win — real tips take time. U16: expect strings of alternating-hand tips finished with the weak hand.

Equipment

1 ball per hoop

Setup

Player stands to the side of the rim with a ball.

Steps

  1. 1Toss the ball high off the backboard.
  2. 2Jump and tip it back up with one hand at the top of your jump.
  3. 3Keep tipping until it drops in.
  4. 4Then rebound out and switch sides/hands.

Coaching points

  • Time the jump to the top.
  • Fingertip control, soft touch.
  • Use the backboard.

Why kids love it

It feels like an NBA highlight move — older kids love the challenge of stringing tips together.

Variations

Easier

Catch-and-shoot instead of a live tip.

Harder

Alternate hands on every tip, then finish with the weak hand.

Partner Tips

Two players either side of the ring alternate tips off the board without letting it drop.

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