If you want your team to create chaos, force turnovers, and dominate with full-court pressure, you’re in the right place.

As you plan for next season, remember the 4 factors that determine winning:

• Shooting

• Turnovers

• Rebounding

• Free Throws

Of those 4, pressing dramatically helps 3.

• You become a better shooting team because you’re getting easier shots in transition.

• You force more turnovers, creating extra possessions for you and less possessions for your opponent

• You’ll shoot more free throws as your transition attacks will draw fouls from your opponents

That’s a pretty powerful argument in favor of pressing.

But if you’re going to do it, you want to do it right. And that takes deliberate practice on the most important parts of pressing.

In this post, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at five of our favorite pressing defense drills—pulled straight from the system used by three-time state champion Coach Mike Hilmer, whose team posted a 96% win rate and reached seven straight state championship games.

These drills are aggressive, detailed, and designed to make your defense:

• Trap smarter

• Rotate faster

• Hustle harder

• And never give up on a play

Whether you’re running a run-and-jump, full-court man, or zone press, these drills will give your team the tools and toughness needed to become a relentless defensive force.

Drill #1 - Tip From Behind

This drill is a great drill to use no matter what defense you run. Whether you press or not, players will find themselves trailing the ball and many times have the opportunity to tip from behind and create something positive from a negative situation…..if you practice this.

• Players partner up on the baseline

• The offensive player has a basketball. The defensive player lines up next to them on the dribbling hand side (in this diagram, all players would be dribbling with the right hand).

• The offensive player speed dribbles to the other end.

• The defensive player is trying to tap the ball away. If the offensive player changes hands, they must wait until the ball comes back or run behind to the other side. Never tip across the offensive player’s body.

• Defenders should tip the ball up softly with their inside hand.

Tip: The defensive player MUST tip the ball with the hand that is next to the ball handler. So in the diagram above, each player would tip the ball with their left hand when the ball handler is dribbling with their right hand. This doesn’t always feel natural to players and takes practice.

Drill #2 - 2v1 Tip From Behind

This is a great drill to practice getting back in the play after getting beat. It also builds the offensive skills of speed dribbling and finishing under control while going full speed.

• 2 defenders start on the elbow.

• One offensive player is under the rim with a ball and the other is at the top of the key.

• The drill begins when 2 passes to 1 (2 is then out of the drill). 1 receives the pass and speed dribbles toward the other basket to score.

• X1 & X2 sprint on the pass and chase 1. Their goal is to tip the ball away from behind before 1 can score a layup.

• To minimize fouls, only the defender on the ball side should be attempting to tip.

Tip: Only the player on the ball side should attempt to tip the ball. The player on the other side should sprint alongside the ball handler and be ready to tip if the ball comes back to that side.

Drill #3 - Trap To A Tip

A great drill to work on multiple traps and a sprint mentality.

• Player 1 starts with the ball. Player 2 is under the rim.

• Defenders X1 & X2 are trapping player 1. The drill begins when 1 passes the ball to 2. (X1 & X2 are not allowed to touch that pass.)

• 1 is out of the drill after making the pass.

• As soon as 2 receives the pass,they dribble hard up the opposite side, trying to score.

• X1 & X2 sprint out of the trap at good angles to cut off 2 down the floor.

• If X1 and X2 are able to catch 2, they will look to trap along the sideline.

• If player 2 attempts to cross over and split the defenders, they will then chase from behind just as in the 2v1 tip from behind drill.

• X1 & X2 will look to tip the ball away before 2 can score.

Tip: This drill is great for helping players learn to take good angles when getting the ball cut off. If not, they’ll end up behind the dribbler.

Drill # 4 - 4v4 Box Middle Trap

A great drill to work on your jumps when the ball is dribbled to the middle. After the jump you get to work on your rotations in the press.

• 4 offensive players line up in a box formation.

• 4 defenders matchup with a 5th defender back at the rim. The 5th defender is there to steal any deep passes.

• The drill begins with player 1 attacking the middle of the floor.

• This cues X2 & X1 to execute a run and jump.

• X3, X4, & X5 all move with the ball.

• After the run and jump, X2 will be matched up with 1 and X1 will be guarding 2.

• Play is then live. The defense should look for other opportunities to jump and trap throughout the possession.

Tip: Remind players to jump on the line of the next pass. That makes the ball handler throw the ball over the player who is jumping the ball. This increases the likelihood of a deflection. It also forces a slower pass, allowing your defenders more time to rotate.

Drill #5 - 4v4 Box Sideline Trap

This drill works on the desired outcome of the press - a sideline trap. Players get used to their rotations and read.

• 4 offensive players line up in a box formation.

• 4 defenders matchup with a 5th defender back at the rim. The 5th defender is there to steal any deep passes.

• The drill begins with 1 attacking up the sideline.

• This should cue a trap. X1 will turn and sprint at an angle that allows them to cut off 1. X2 will sprint after 1 in an attempt to close the trap.

• X3, X4, and X5 move with the ball.

• After the initial sideline attack, play is live.

• The defense will look to create a turnover out of the trap.

• If 1 is able to pass out of the trap, the defense should look for other opportunities to jump and trap throughout the possession.

Tip: Make sure your defenders guarding players on the weak side of the floor get to the midline. They can always work back to the weak side on a skip. However, you can't give up a pass to the middle of the floor. Don’t let your players “hug” their man.

Make Sure Your Pressure Busts Pipes!

A great press doesn’t rely on just one trap or one rotation—it’s built on effort, communication, and relentless pursuit of the ball.

These five drills build habits that help your team:

• Force turnovers

• Wear down opponents

• And control the pace from tip to final buzzer

To learn more state championship pressing drills & strategies, check out The Relentless Pressure System With Mike Hilmer.

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