Alternatives to the Mikan Drill for Variable Finishing

The Mikan drill gives a player repeated finishes near the rim and not one defender. Smile 1-on-1 keeps the volume and adds the defender.

What the Mikan drill leaves out

There is no contact, no defense and no decision to make. Once players find the rhythm they rarely miss, so the drill looks great and tells you very little about how they will finish in a game.

In a game, the defender decides which finish is available. A player who has only rehearsed the same rhythmic layup against air has never had to read that.

Perception-action coupling is the link between what a player sees and what they do. Finishing on air breaks that link, because there is nothing to see.

Coach's Note: For more on perception-action coupling, start with our free online skill acquisition workshop.

Repetition without repetition at the rim

No two finishes at the rim are the same. The distance from the hoop, the defender's arms and the player's momentum change on every attempt.

So stop asking for the same footwork and hand placement on every rep. Ask for a score, and let the defender decide which finish it takes.

Different ways to finish the same layup

We want repetition without repetition: the same problem every rep, and a different solution whenever the defender asks for one. Look for these in your finishing games:

• Degeneracy: The ability to use multiple different movement solutions to achieve the same task goal.
• Degrees of Freedom: Learning to finish off one foot or two feet, using inside or outside hands.
• Body Contortion: Finding creative ways to score from awkward, non-traditional angles.

Set up your games so these finishes show up on their own. The constraints further down are a good place to start.

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21 SSGs for your next practice.

A free PDF of small-sided games you can run right away. A practical first taste of the approach.

A free PDF of small-sided games you can run right away. A practical first taste of the approach.

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Smile 1-on-1: the Mikan drill with a defender

So how do you teach finishing without the Mikan drill? Put the defender back in with a small-sided game.

We call Smile 1-on-1 the Mikan drill with a defender. Players still get lots of finishes near the rim, and now someone is trying to stop them.

How to Play "Smile 1-on-1":

1. 2 Players start in the "smile" under the basket.
2. No Stoppage: If the player misses or makes the shot, the play continues. Whoever rebounds the ball tries to score again.
3. High Score wins after a set amount of time.

Drill demonstration of Smile 1-on-1 highlighting physical contact and rebounding transitions.

Constraints to add to Smile 1-on-1

Once the game is running, change one constraint to target what your players need.

• Bursts: Offense stays for a certain amount of time. Eg., 45 seconds.
• Use Guided Defense: If live 1-on-1 is too hard, have the defender hold a medicine ball or restrict them from jumping. This is an example of task simplification.
• Add a Dribble: Offense has 1 dribble every time they gain possession.
• Change Scoring Systems: This could be specific to the player's weaknesses. eg., Weak hand scores = double points

Coach's Note: To hear more about designing these environments, listen to Episode 122 of The Transforming Basketball Podcast where we discuss building adaptable finishers with guided defenders.

Where to start

Take the Mikan drill out of your next practice and run Smile 1-on-1 instead. If live 1-on-1 is too hard, have the defender hold a medicine ball, then give them back their freedom as the finishes start to come.