Drillbeginner · U8+

Mikan Drill — Basketball Drill

Named for George Mikan, the Hall-of-Fame center who reportedly took hundreds of these every day under coach Ray Meyer at DePaul in the 1940s, the Mikan drill is the sport's oldest big-man finishing routine. A player stands beneath the basket and finishes on alternating sides — right hand, then left — catching each make out of the net and going straight back up without a single dribble.

Its genius is the metronome. Because the reps never stop, the drill trains soft touch off the glass, the inside-hand finish, and the rebound-and-chin habit all at once, while quietly building the calf and wrist endurance a post player needs to keep rising through contact late in games. Guards use it too — comfort finishing with either hand at the rim is not a position-specific skill.

Objective

Groom ambidextrous finishing under the rim — soft touch off the backboard, quick second jumps, and equal comfort with both hands — through continuous, non-dribble reps.

Setup

Area

Under one basket

Players

1 per basket; a full team rotates across every hoop

Equipment

1 ball per player, a basket with a backboard

Duration

3–5 minutes per set

How it works

  1. 1

    Start on the right side of the rim

    Stand under the basket on the right side holding the ball in two hands. Drop-step toward the rim and bank a right-handed layup high off the top corner of the painted square, then let the ball drop straight through the net — no dribble, ever.

  2. 2

    Rebound and cross under

    Catch the ball out of the net before it touches the floor, chin it tight with elbows flared, and step across underneath the rim to the left side in one continuous motion, staying square to the backboard.

  3. 3

    Finish left-handed

    Go right back up off the inside foot and bank a left-handed layup off the opposite top corner of the square. The finishing hand stays high and the off-hand shields, exactly as it would with a defender on your hip.

  4. 4

    Repeat continuously for reps or time

    Alternate right, left, right, left with no pause — 10 to 20 makes per set, or a 30–45 second clock. Land ready to jump again; the drill lives or dies on how fast the second jump leaves the floor.

  5. 5

    Progress to hook finishes

    Once layups are automatic, swap them for baby hooks: same alternating pattern, but finish with a right-hand hook going right and a left-hand hook going left, extending the release point a little higher each set.

Coaching points

Variations

Reverse Mikan

Finish on the far side of the rim each time, using the backboard as a shield between the ball and an imaginary shot-blocker — trains reverse layups off both hands.

Power Mikan

Land on two feet and go straight back up strong instead of gliding side to side, adding a controlled up-and-under or rip-through to simulate finishing through a body.

Toss-back Mikan

Toss the ball off the backboard to yourself before each finish and catch it in the air, so the drill also rehearses tip-in and putback timing.

Build it in Coach Board

Build a single-hoop close-up on a Coach Board half court and animate one player token weaving right-to-left-to-right under the rim with a ball marker, so young players see the alternating-hand pattern and the tight path beneath the basket before they ever pick up a ball. Drop tags on each top corner of the square to mark exactly where the ball should strike the glass.

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Frequently asked questions

Who invented the Mikan drill?

It is named after George Mikan, the dominant center of the 1940s and 50s, and is credited to his coach Ray Meyer as a way to build Mikan's finishing with both hands. Mikan reportedly took hundreds of reps a day, and the routine has carried his name ever since as the standard first finishing drill for players of any size.

What does the Mikan drill improve?

Soft touch off the backboard with both hands, quick second-jump timing, and the rebound-and-finish rhythm that scores putbacks. Because the reps are continuous it also conditions the legs and wrists, so a post player can keep going up strong through contact in the closing minutes of a game.

How many reps of the Mikan drill should you do?

Most coaches prescribe makes rather than attempts — 10 to 20 clean makes, or a 30 to 45 second clock, done two or three times through. The quality of the second jump and the backboard touch matters far more than raw volume, so end the set if the footwork starts to break down.

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Animate this drill for your team.

Set it up once on a Coach Board tactical board, press play, and share the animation with your squad in one click.

Open Coach Board