Tip the Cone Basketball Drill

Combine elements of offense and defense with this drill for a great workout with the ball.

Help improve stamina and your ability to move the ball while incorporating proper stance with the “Tip the Cone” drill. College basketball coach Donnie Arey breaks down the drill so you can execute it before or during practice. No matter your skill level, small changes can make this exercise more useful for you and your team.

You want to start in a good athletic stance. Your knees should be bent, back straight and your action hand out to your side in one direction. You should be able to turn your chin in both directions with ease. This will help with visibility when moving between the cones.

BEGINNER

Take two cones and place them about three feet apart from one another.

Start this drill on the inside of one cone and get into athletic stance. Then, place the basketball on the ground between your feet. This placement is meant to help you learn not to cross your feet or kick your heels together.

Put your fingertips on the ball and roll it to the other cone as you shuffle your feet. When you reach the cone, knock it over, alternate your hand placements and shuffle back to the starting point. Head back toward the cone that’s knocked over and place it in its original spot. Go back and forth and do this a few times.

INTERMEDIATE

For the next round, you’ll follow the same steps, but instead of moving the ball with your fingertips, you’re going to perform a crab dribble. Remember to keep your stance low, and break down the dribble as you start to tip the cone. This will help you protect the ball in a game.

ADVANCED

If you’re ready to kick things up a notch, try the advanced version of this drill.

For this stage you’ll need a coach or teammate. The movements and actions will remain as before, but your partner will be moving the cone to different positions on the court. It becomes your job to pick the cone back up and move it back to its original position, all while still dribbling and maintaining a proper stance. This drill should last about 30 seconds.

From there, have your partner dribble as they pick up and move the cone. While they’re doing that, work on skills like crossovers before and after you pick the cone back up.

Incorporate this drill into your basketball routine to help play your best on the court. You can also work on your basketball skills with drills like the Rolling Thunder Drill and the Crab Trap Drill.