12 Tips to Becoming a Better Passer
- Know who to hit in the right time at the right place - Example do not give a big man the ball in transition that may not be very good off the dribble. However, also be quicker to give it up to a player who is capable of making good decisions in transition.
- Understand the situation – Do not give a shooting guard that is quick to pull the trigger the ball in a situation where you may not want a shot.
- Focus on the pass in pick-up games – One great way to develop the pass more effectively is to really work hard during scrimmages on concepts taught.
- Watch other great passers - Watching other great passers really aids in the visualization process “Study Stockton and Nash”.
- Slow the game down - Be familiar with Otterbasketball concepts that make it much easier to read defenses and make reads.
- Understand defensive concepts - by understanding defenses better it is very easy to know each defenses weak spots and make plays and stay one play ahead of everyone else.
- Do overload drills to build speed and strength - Do passing drills daily in your workouts similar to ball-handling drills.
- Teach spacing - This is the most overlooked and possibly the most important aspect of offensive play. Teach your players what is the optimum distance they can effectively pass.
- Teach players to shorten the pass - As an aspect of spacing, taking a dribble toward a receiver will, in certain instances, improve spacing.
- Teach players how to create better angles to pass from - Example the 2 on 1 drill / feeding the post / the drive and kick / entering the ball to the wing.
- Make the easy pass - There is no need for great passes when ordinary passes will do. Pass to an open teammate, in an area he or she can catch it, away from the defense. If you cannot do that, don't throw the pass.
- Emphasize the catch - While we would all like every pass to be perfect, we all know that will not be the case. The receiver must go where he needs to go to catch the ball. This may seem unrelated but to draw a parallel, baseball players know that a great defensive 1st baseman makes great infielders. He covers up for bad throws and can make a shortstop a star. By emphasizing the catch, passers will become more confidant and receivers more aggressive.
BONUS being a great shooter negates length and makes passing much easier
Remember, your players will take on your values. If you do not value passing in your practices, they will not value passing in their games.