Best of The Drill: Mikan Plus

An assistant with the Seattle Storm and Lakeside, Chris Bown has made his mark with individual player development. His third column on drills is about the Mikan Plus to help players with timing on underneath shots.

Mikan Drill Plus
Requirements: One ball, one player and one coach.

Most of us have done the Mikan Drill to work on timing for players around the basket. The drill starts with the player facing the basket with one ball. They start by stepping off of the right foot and completing a left-handed layup. Before the ball hits the floor, she gets the rebound and steps off the left foot to complete a right-handed layup. The drill is continuous in this fashion.

The “Plus” comes when we change a few things:

• 1. The player starts under the basket but facing away from the basket. The footwork is the same except that the player is completing a reverse lay-up.
• 2. The player has two balls now. Only one ball will be shot (ball No. 1). The other ball (ball No. 2) she holds in one of her hands (switching with each shot). The player completes a right-handed layup with ball No. 1 while holding ball No. 2 in her left hand. When she completes the shot. she switches ball No. 2 to her right hand and grabs ball No. 1 with her left hand and shoots the next shot with her left hand while holding ball No. 2 in her right hand. The drill is continuous in this fashion.
• 3. Continue with number 2 above, but complete it with a medicine ball for ball No. 2.

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Note: I didn’t invent any of the drills that I am writing about. Some have been taken from Herb Livsey, Mark Grabow, Charlie Sands and various other coaches that I have had the pleasure of being able to watch work. I have changed some of the drills to suit my players or myself as a coach.

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Chris Bown is an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, in charge of individual player development, and with the Lakeside girls varsity basketball team. Chris also does individual training and can be reached at 206-794-9046 or . A graduate of the University of Washington, he has been the head coach for girls varsity basketball teams at Holy Names Academy, Seattle Academy and American Indian Heritage School. This is his second stint at Lakeside as an assistant to Sandy Schneider. Chris also has been a math and physical education instructor at St. Paul School and Seattle Academy.

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More Chris Bown Columns:

1-2 Follow-Thru
Tap-Pitch-Touch-Dive-Score
Penetrate & Kick
Multi-Shot
Banana Run
Ballhandling
Oiler Screen Series
Medicine Ball Passing
Oiler Three-Point
Running the W
Oiler Shooting
Basic Four
Mikan Plus
Defensive Combo
Half-Circle