Basketball Skills & Drills

Coaches Don Meyer and Jerry Krause are the hosts and instructors for this 14-part series aimed at basketball coaches which breaks the game down into specific skills. We looked at two tapes: "Dribbling" and "Team Attitude." In "Dribbling," a few students demonstrate the basic principles of dribbling (always dribble with a purpose, keep the dribble alive, protect the ball with the body, etc.), and then practice skills associated with dribbling (ball control, speed, power dribbling, and variations--behind the back, between the legs, etc.) The other tape, "Team Attitude," is a straightforward lecture from Meyer on the importance of good awareness, teachability, tenacity, intensity, technique, unselfishness, discipline, and execution; eight principles whose first letters form the acronym "attitude." The other programs in the series are: "Field Goal Shooting (set/jumpshots)," "Field Goal Shooting (layup/three point)," "Free Throw Shooting," "Footwork," "Pass And Catch," "Get Open To Score," "Perimeter Play," "Post Play," "Setting And Using Screens," "Individual Defense," "Rebounding," and "Teaching Tips." While the two programs we watched were well done, there are other considerations. 1) There's the trade-off between separate skills addressed on separate tapes (which is good for specialized instruction) and the fact that 14 tapes take up a lot of space and cost more money (which is bad). 2) These programs--while they would be helpful to players--are targeted at basketball coaches, thereby limiting the audience. Recommended, with the above reservations. (Available from: Aylmer Press, P.O. Box 2735, Madison, WI 53701, (608) 233-2259.)