Many people consider George Mikan the first NBA superstar. In his career, which spanned 1948-1956, he averaged over 23 ppg, 13 rpg, and almost 3 apg.

Sadly, as time has gone on, many have forgotten his dominance.

To many, he's known for a famous drill - the Mikan drill.

If you didn't know why it's called the Mikan drill, now you do.

If you've been to camps or training before, you've likely done the drill. It's a good way to practice your one-foot layups off the backboard.

However, as you know, many times the game requires you to shoot a different type of layup.

Does that mean the Mikan drill is no longer relevant? No! It just means you need to add some variety to maximize it's effectiveness!

Below, you'll see 7 variations of the Mikan drill. If you did each one for :30, going through all of them would take you less than 4 minutes.

If you do this regularly, your finishing will improve. Add it to your warmup or use them as breaks in between higher intensity drills.

Who knows, maybe they'll help you put up numbers reminiscent of the man himself!

7 Mikan Drill Variations to Become a Better Finisher

1. Traditional Mikans
2. Reverse Mikans
3. Weakhand only Mikans
4. 2 foot, no backboard Mikans
5. Random Mikans
6. 2 ball Mikans
7. 2 ball same ball Mikans

WATCH all 7 Mikan Drill variations here:

Makes or Time? Best Way to Track Your Progress

When you perform the Mikan Drill variations, do them for time. I suggested 30 seconds, but the duration is up to you.

Then, track your makes. That forces you to perform the drill with pace. It also allows you to track your progress!

Commit to your Mikans and give yourself solutions for whatever you find at the rim!

Related Resources

Next Level Finishing Moves With Jim Huber

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