When the topic of basketball conditioning comes up, most players imagine Suicides, 17s, Ladders and other sprinting drills. However, don’t overlook Dot Drills. They can improve both your conditioning and other important aspects of your basketball athleticism.
Dot Drills involve dots placed in a pattern on the floor. During each drill, you must quickly jump from one dot to another. These drills will improve your conditioning; get you into game shape; and improve your foot speed, quickness and agility—overall, making you a better defender. They will be difficult at first, but if done correctly and consistently, they will help you improve your ability to outmaneuver opponents on both sides of the ball.
Perform the following three Dot Drills three to four times per week to improve your overall game. Before you begin, place five dots on the floor in the pattern shown below.

Guidelines

• Move as quickly as possible
• Perform clean reps with feet on dots
• Pick feet up just enough to avoid hopping

1. Up and Back Dot Drill

• Start with feet on A and B
• Jump and land with both feet on C
• Immediately jump and land with feet on D and E
• Perform pattern backward
• Repeat pattern for specified reps

Sets/Reps: 1×5 (up and back is one rep)
2. Right Foot Dot Drill

• Stand with right foot on C
• Jump as quickly as possible on right foot to each dot in the following sequence: D, E, C, A, B, C
• Repeat pattern for specified reps

Sets/Reps: 1×5
3. Left Foot Dot Drill

• Stand with left foot on C
• Jump as quickly as possible on left foot to each dot in the following sequence: E, D, C, B, A, C
• Repeat pattern for specified reps

Sets/Reps: 1×5
Competition: Set up two sets of dots so you can compete with a teammate. This will challenge you to move through the drills even faster to enhance their effectiveness.
Bobby Bossman is the director of basketball and head coach at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Before joining SPIRE, he co-founded and helped create the basketball academy at La Jolla Prep in San Diego. Prior to La Jolla, he was at Westwind Prep in Phoenix, where he served as head coach for their post-graduate program.