top of page

Use 1v1's To Improve Your Basketball Game



1v1's are a great way to improve your game. Especially if you do them in a way that simulates real game action. They are also a great confidence booster if you can consistently execute your moves against a lockdown defender. Here are my tips to do 1v1's and get the most benefit out of them.


1.) Don't take heaps of time jab stepping for days or overall taking a ton of time thinking about what move to do.


You can't do that in a real game, you'll probably get benched or your teammates might get frustrated with how much clock time you're using. Instead, aim to take no more than 2 seconds to start your move. Your move doesn't have to be perfect and if it ends up creating a lot of contact with the defender, even better because that will happen in a game and you'll need to gain experience working with that contact. Pleas do not copy the 1v1's you see on YouTube where the offensive player takes 10 seconds to start a move. That shite will be useless in a real game.


2.) Once you miss your attempt or the ball is stolen, the possession is over.


This is to prevent injury and getting uselessly tired fighting for rebounds. Especially though, this is to prevent rolling ankles by landing on someone's foot.


3.) Play some games where only 3 dribbles are allowed.


In a real game with multiple levels of defense, you'll not really have a chance to get a layup each time. Limiting to 3 or even 2 dribbles really forces you to get into your offense quickly. It will feel awkward at first but you will learn fast how to get off your midrange or get a decent deep drive in a short amount of time. This translates perfectly to a real game iso situation.


4.) Play some games with unlimited dribbles.


This is also a great variation because you can get real confident in your dribble moves and executing them with contact.


5.) Barely call any fouls and commit "safe" fouls while playing.


Play hard 'D'. Don't be soft and cry about calls. Hit arms on the way up on layups, create a lot of contact on post ups as well. Obviously don't hurt each other, and obviously you'll have to get agreement with your opponent that you will both foul. But, do fouls that would happen in a game where 50% of the time a ref won't call them. This trains you to handle contact and be tough on your drives. Clearly though, don't hurt each other, make sure you give space to land for your opponent when he/she is jumping, don't push in the air, avoid all the dangerous fouls. If you don't know which fouls are dangerous and which are just annoying then just stick to 1v1's where you call all your fouls.


6.) Practice all the moves you want to practice, don't play to win, play to get better and get confidence in your moves.


If you play to only win, you will only use your solid moves and hence learn almost nothing new. Games without refs are just for practice, winning them means nothing.


And there you have it. These are my 1v1 tips. I can't stress how amazing 1v1's are for your game. It's the place where you can find your go-to moves.


Good luck!

bottom of page