I had a young girl a few years back. Elementary age. Working on finishing.
Started doing underhand layups.
Her parents pulled me aside. “Why would you teach her that? She’s never going to do an underhand layup in a game. That’s a waste of time.”
She wasn’t strong enough yet to finish overhand consistently. Didn’t have the coordination. Couldn’t control the ball when driving.
So we worked underhand. Built the foundation.
Six months later? Way more control when driving. Better at gathering. More coordinated on all her other layups.
The underhand work didn’t show up as underhand layups. It showed up everywhere else.
Why “But We’ll Never Use This” Is The Wrong Question
“Why are we doing this drill? It doesn’t look like a real game.”
“When would I ever have to finish like that?”
“This feels so awkward. Can’t we just practice normal shots?”
I get it. You want immediate results. You want everything you practice to show up in the next game.
But that’s not how skill development works.
Research on constraints-led approaches shows that players who train with variability and extreme scenarios develop more adaptable skills than players who just repeat comfortable movements.
Translation: that weird drill that feels pointless? It’s probably building something you’ll need later.
The Real Reason We Do The Weird Stuff
Middle school and high school group. Shooting drills where they wrapped the ball around their body before shooting. Weird hand positions. Running with the ball. Traveling on purpose.
They complained every time. “This feels nothing like a real shot.”
Then we’d go live. Into games.
They’d come back: “Holy crap, my shot felt so fast. So automatic.”
The weird stuff forced them to find solutions they wouldn’t discover doing normal reps.
Here’s The Process:
Step 1: Start with the scenario Play live. See where you struggle.
Step 2: Work on the smaller pieces Isolate what broke. Work it in extreme ways. Push to uncomfortable places.
Step 3: Reintroduce to the scenario Go back to live play. See if it transfers.
The Science Behind It
Research on skill acquisition shows learning isn’t linear. You plateau. Regress. Break down. Then breakthrough.
Studies on constraints-led coaching show that manipulating task constraints forces players to find new movement solutions.
We expose you to:
- Small spaces where you can’t use normal moves
- Multiple defenders when you’re used to 1-on-1
- Only certain ways to score
- Having to use your weak hand
We’re not recreating game situations. We’re breaking down your patterns so you can build better ones.
You’ve Seen This With Pro Players
Think about Steph Curry’s shooting development.
His dad Dell Curry didn’t just have him shoot normal three-pointers as a kid. He had him shoot from way behind the line. Shoot off weird footwork. Shoot in tiny windows with defenders in his face.
Built adaptability. Now Steph can shoot from anywhere, off any movement, under any pressure.
Giannis couldn’t shoot at all when he came into the league. Terrible form. No confidence.
They broke down his entire shot. Had him do weird drills. Shoot from close range with exaggerated follow-throughs. One-handed form shooting for months.
Looked pointless at the time. Now he’s a capable shooter who defenders have to respect.
Same with players like Kawhi Leonard developing ball handling. Blake Griffin developing a jump shot. Jimmy Butler becoming a complete player.
They all spent time doing uncomfortable work that didn’t look “game-like” but built the foundation for skills they’d use later.
[VIDEO : Pro player development transformation examples]
[VIDEO : Constraints drill examples with game application footage]
Stop Chasing The Arms Race
Everyone’s terrified of falling behind.
Other kids doing more workouts. More camps. More AAU. More private sessions.
So you chase it. Try to do everything. Never slow down to actually develop.
Result? You burn out. Or develop one-dimensional skills because you never built a foundation.
Research is clear: Early specialization leads to burnout and limited skill sets. Late bloomers who developed broadly often have better long-term outcomes.
You Have More Time Than You Think
You’re 12 and worried you’re behind? You have six years before college recruitment matters.
You’re 15 and everyone’s better? The players you’re competing against now probably won’t be the same ones at 18.
Peak growth happens at wildly different ages. Some kids at 11-12. Some at 14-16.
The kid dominating because they’re bigger? Might not be bigger in two years.
The kid struggling because they’re small? Might hit a growth spurt with way better skills than everyone else.
The Long-Term Approach Actually Works
If you do the right work. Love the game. Put in consistent time.
You’ll find your opportunities.
Maybe not next month. Maybe not next season.
But over years? The players who developed broadly and built real foundations always catch up.
And they usually pass the players who rushed.
[IMAGE : Timeline graphic showing nonlinear development with breakthrough moments]
What This Looks Like In Practice
Let’s say you struggle finishing through contact.
Traditional Approach:
Practice layups over and over. Maybe add a pad holder. Work on “being strong.”
Hope it translates.
Our Approach:
Week 1: Extreme disadvantage finishing
- 2-on-1 where you have to score
- Tiny restricted area
- Can only use weak hand
- Defenders allowed to foul
See where you break down. Maybe you’re gathering too late. Maybe your balance is off. Maybe you’re not protecting the ball.
Week 2: Isolate the piece that broke
If balance was the issue: single-leg landing drills. Finish on one foot. Hold the landing.
If gather was the issue: exaggerated gather footwork. Slow motion. Freeze at gather point.
If ball protection was the issue: finish with ball starting at weird positions. Behind your back. At your hip. Force yourself to protect differently.
Week 3: Reintroduce to scenario
Back to 2-on-1. But now emphasize what we worked on.
Did your balance improve? Is your gather better? Are you protecting the ball?
Week 4: Normal game situations
You’ve adapted. The skill transferred. Now it shows up when you need it.
Real Example: How This Actually Worked
I had a high school player who couldn’t finish through contact. Got stripped every time.
Traditional approach would be: practice more layups, maybe add a pad holder.
We went extreme instead.
Week 1: Made him finish 2-on-1. Two defenders allowed to foul. Tiny restricted area. Could only use weak hand.
He got destroyed. But we saw the problem: he was gathering way too late and had no body control.
Week 2: Single-leg landing drills. Freeze at the gather point. Euro-step finishing where he had to land and hold on one foot.
Looked nothing like a real layup. But it built the balance and body control he was missing.
Week 3: Back to 2-on-1. Emphasis on early gather and body control.
Immediately better. Still getting fouled but now he was finishing through it.
Week 4: Normal 1-on-1 live play.
Suddenly he’s finishing through contact consistently. The skill transferred.
The weird work in weeks 1-2 built what he needed for week 4 to work.
This Works For Everything
Shooting. Ball handling. Passing. Defense. Decision making.
Expose to extreme scenario. Find the breakdown. Work the specific piece. Reintroduce.
It’s slower than just “practicing shots.”
But it actually develops adaptable skills that work under pressure.
[VIDEO : Full progression example from constraint drill to game application]
For Parents: Trust The Process
Your kid’s working on something that doesn’t look “game-like.” Other kids are practicing “real” basketball.
You start wondering if we know what we’re doing.
Good Signs:
- They’re engaging with the challenge
- They’re problem-solving when things don’t work
- They’re competing even when it’s uncomfortable
Don’t Worry About:
- If the drill looks like a game
- If they’re “behind” kids who are bigger right now
- If progress isn’t visible every week
What You Can Do:
Ask good questions: “What were you working on?” “What felt hard?”
Don’t over-coach from the sideline.
Trust the timeline. Development takes years.
[IMAGE : Parent watching practice, or quote graphic about trusting the process]
It’s Never Too Late
People act like if you’re not elite by 14, you’re done.
That’s bullshit.
Research shows improvement can happen at any age if you focus on the right things.
I’ve worked with players who didn’t start seriously training until high school and played college ball.
Players who were average in middle school became their team’s best player as seniors.
Development is nonlinear. It doesn’t follow predictable timelines.
The players who make it? They kept developing. Built broad foundations. Adapted when things got hard.
Not just doing more. Doing the right work.
Working on weaknesses. Exposing yourself to uncomfortable situations. Building adaptable patterns instead of rigid techniques.
That takes longer. It’s messier. Doesn’t give immediate results.
But it’s what separates players who plateau from players who keep getting better.
[VIDEO : Late bloomer success story or testimonial]
What To Do This Week
Pick one thing you avoid because it’s uncomfortable.
Weak hand finishes? Off-hand dribbling? Shooting off the wrong foot? Finishing through contact?
Spend 10 minutes at the end of every practice working just that one uncomfortable thing.
Not trying to make it perfect. Just exposing yourself to it.
Make it weird. Make it extreme.
Finish only with your weak hand. Dribble in tiny spaces. Shoot from awkward positions.
See where it breaks down.
That’s where the development happens.
And six months from now, when that skill shows up in a game without you thinking about it?
You’ll understand why we do the weird stuff.
[IMAGE : Player working on uncomfortable skill, or progression comparison]
If you want help building skills that actually transfer to games, not just drills that look cool, let’s talk.
I work with players from 8 years old through pros who want to develop for the long term, not just chase short-term wins.
Grab a time on my calendar here.