1 on 1 Drills to improve your game

There are some that feel playing 1 on 1 can be detrimental to your game. You can pick up bad habits of dribbling too much, taking bad shots, and not playing any defense. On the other hand playing 1 on 1 can also produce some really good habits. If you put some restrictions on the 1 on 1 game you can really improve your handle, on ball defense, conditioning, finishing around the rim, ability to create space and other skills. 

In this blog I have several 1 on 1 games that can take your skills to the next level. If you take these games serious and play them full speed you will see improvements in the skills I mentioned above. But you must be aware, you will not make the necessary strides needed if you just play 1 on 1. Make sure you are working on your game and improving your ball handling, passing, shooting, and footwork. 

Rules: Here are a few rules to implement into your 1 on 1 games. You can add these rules to any of the mentioned 1 on 1 games to make them more challenging.

1. One shot - You only get one shot. If you miss the defense now gets the ball and becomes the offense.
2. 3 Dribble limit - No dribbling around in one place. You have a 3 dribble max. If you dribble more than 3 times it's an automatic turnover. More advance skilled players can go down to 2 dribbles or even 1 dribble.
3. 5 Seconds to shoot - No holding the ball and going through a bunch of fakes. You have 5 seconds to create space and get a shot off.
4. All scores must come in the paint - No jump shots. You must put the ball on the floor and attack the defense. You have to get in the lane and score for your point to count.
5. You must pressure the ball - You can't sag off the offensive player. Whenever you are playing defense you must be at least arms length away.
6. No fouls - You have to be careful when playing by this rule. You don't want any dirty plays, but you want to be able to be physical and play through contact. 
7. Defensive stop to win plus free throw - It's one thing to throw up a lucky shot on game winner, but with this rule you have to turn around and get a defensive stop. Once you get your defensive stop you have to make the free throw.

I am sure there are other rules that you can think of to apply to any game of 1 on 1 to make the game more challenging. You can also play from different areas of the court like the wing, top of the key, elbow, or block. Below I have 5 of my favorite 1 on 1 games. So grab a partner and get after it.