Burst and Change Drill
Speed & Acceleration
Legend
- player
- cones
- ball
- movement path
How it works
Develop acceleration and deceleration ability by repeating burst-stop-burst sequences on the court.
What you need
- basketball
- cones
- stopwatch
Your focus
Basketball speed is rarely about pure straight-line sprinting , it is about rapid acceleration, sudden deceleration, and re-acceleration. Players who can burst to a spot, decelerate to catch a pass, and accelerate again are faster in basketball terms than simply fast straight-line runners. This drill trains the specific type of speed the game demands.
Set 3 cones at half-court, three-point line, and the block.
Player starts at baseline. Sprint to half-court cone (burst), slow to controlled pace for 1 second (decelerate), then burst to three-point cone, decelerate, burst to block for a layup.
The deceleration at each cone must be real, not a jog. Come to near-complete stop.
Complete 10 trips. Track time from baseline to layup.
Goal
Success is stopping sharp and re-accelerating without a drift step, burst, stop, burst. If you take an extra step to slow down, the deceleration wasn't controlled.
Helpful cues
- Decelerate with your body, not your mind, really slow down at the cone
- Shorten your stride to stop fast, don't brake with straight legs
- The burst out of each cone is where the clock is won or lost
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Remove the middle cone, just burst-stop-layup.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Partner passes at each deceleration point, must catch while slowing down.No account needed
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