How to do a three man weave in basketball

How to Run the Three Man Weave Drill (and Why You Should)

Practice time is precious to a coach, regardless of age level.

No matter if you’re coaching your child’s elementary school team or preparing for the NBA Finals, every team needs some warm up activity at the beginning of practice to get blood flowing both physically and mentally.

One of the most popular warm up drills for basketball teams is the "Three Man Weave".

This drill works on passing and catching on the fast break, communication, finishing, and running the floor hard.

While it may not mimic the action of a live game, the three man weave is still a useful drill to get your players engaged at the beginning of practice, and also to reinforce basic fundamentals that every coach wants their players to use in a game.

The three man weave is a great warmup drill to run with an entire team because it can be performed in groups, but could also be used in a group as small as three.

Only one group will perform the three man weave at a time, so an entire team could do the drill with just one ball. However, it is recommended to use a second ball in order to make the transitions between groups quicker.

The 3-man weave is a drill that will require finishing at a basket on both ends of the floor.

Separate your team into 3 even lines across the baseline.

One line should form in the middle of the baseline directly underneath the basket, and the other 2 lines should form in equal distances on either side of that middle line.

Competitive middle school teams or higher should be able to form the two outside lines either where the three-point line meets the baseline, or even further out to where the sideline meets the baseline. But if you’re coaching an elementary school team, you may need to bring those lines in closer.

The player in the front of the middle line needs a basketball, and so does the second player in that same line.

The first player in each line is the first group that will perform the drill.

All other players are “out” to start the drill, but will quickly be rotated in.

The first player in the middle line can make a chest pass to either outside line to begin the drill, and then must sprint behind the player they passed to.

The player who caught the first pass must then make another chest pass to the third player and sprint behind him.

The group moves up the court with each pass, and this pattern repeats until the final bounce pass to the scorer, who must make a layup.

After making the layup, the same group runs the same drill back to the original baseline, finishing with another layup

Once the group has weaved down and back, they fill in the end of each line, and the second group is “in. ”

The three man weave should be a continuous drill.

Once the second layup is made, the next group should be starting to weave down the court.

Set a goal like “X makes in X minutes” or “less than X dropped passes” to keep everyone engaged and working together.

We’ve established how to run the three man weave, but why should your team be spending valuable practice time on it?

Simple fundamentals like passing and catching the basketball are often overlooked, and the three man weave will give your players a number of repetitions to work on both.

A drill that emphasizes making good passes, catching every pass with both hands, and finishing open layups can serve as a good reminder when used as a warm up at the beginning of practice.

The younger your team, the worse your players probably are at communicating with one another on the court.

The three man weave is an easy way to force your players to work on that communication by making them call out the name of the player they are passing to on every single pass.

The primary objective of the three man weave is to get your entire team warmed up, both mentally and physically.

This drill will get all of your players sprinting up and down the court, working together to reach a goal, and it gets everybody involved in a short amount of time.

The three man weave is a good drill to use as a warm up, but it shouldn’t be a cornerstone of your practices or something your team spends a ton of time doing.

The primary argument against using the three man weave is that the passing and cutting behind involved in the drill does not resemble game-like situations.

I wouldn’t argue with anyone who made this case.

The reality is that wide open chest passes to wide open players are few and far between within the action of a real game, as are wide open layups.

And your team will never weave up the court during a real fast break.

Ultimately, live action drills will go much further to improving your players’ individual fundamentals, and also your team’s transition game.

Which is why I recommend thinking of the three man weave as a “warm up the body” drill.

Even though the three man weave is not an action your players will use during a real game, it is still a great warm up drill that has been popular among coaches for decades.

It may not develop your players into great passers or finishers on its own, but it still warms up the muscles necessary to work on those skills, and also gets your team communicating and working together towards a goal.

When used correctly, the three man weave is a quick and easy way to get your entire team warmed up and ready to practice at full speed.

3 Man Weave, Passing, Shooting, and Close-Out Drill

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One time-tested drill that basketball players and coaches love to run is the three-man weave. This effective drill teaches footwork, conditioning, passing as well as a number of other important fundamentals. In this lesson, we will take the three-man weave and add another step to get five players involved at once while at the same time working on closing out and rebounding.

Step 1:

The drill begins at half court with the players lining up in three lines. One line in the center, one on the left and one on the right. The player in the center line begins with the ball (player #2 in the diagram). At the same time, two players begin on the baseline standing with a ball, on each side of the block.

Player #2 starts by passing to player #3 on his right side. #2 following his/her pass and cuts wide behind #3 and heads toward the basket.

Step 2:

Player #3 catches the ball and angles to the middle where he/she passes to their left to player #1. Player #3 follows their pass and cuts behind and outside of player #1.

Step 3:

At this point, player #1 should look in the pass from player #3 and jump stop near the free throw line. Upon completion of the jump stop, player #1 makes a crisp bounce pass to player #2 who is cutting hard to the basket.

Step 4:

Player #2 finishes the lay-up and rebounds the ball. Once player #1 has passed the ball he/she cuts to the right elbow and player #3 cuts to the left elbow. Players #1 and #3 square up and create a good passing target. Player #4 makes a good chest pass to player #3 and player #5 does the same to player #1.

Players #4 and #5 follow their pass, closing out on the player they just passed to. As each player closes out, he/she yells “ball, ball, ball” and then “shot” once the ball is in the air. As soon as they yell shot, they must then box-out their shooter and rebound the make or miss.

Step 5:

In order to rotate so that everyone gets to complete a lay-up, shot, or close out, players #1 and #3 remain on the baseline with a basketball and become the passers. Player #4 goes to the middle line and players #2 and #5 fill in on the left and right, respectively.

This simple addition to the three-man weave can become a great pre-game drill because it gets 5 players involved at once and works on multiple areas of the game.

Related Pages & Resources

Multi-purpose Ballhandling Drill
Multi-purpose Offense & Shooting Drill
30 Competitive Skill Building Drills

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Slamdunk Journal :: Basketball techniques

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What techniques exist and how they differ

Let's first deal with the definition: playing techniques are skills that a professional player must possess. Sounds simple, but what exactly are the skills in basketball? What should an amateur who wants to improve the performance of his game pay attention to? Let's figure it out.

The main goal in basketball is to successfully hit the ball into the basket, and everything that happens on the court only brings the players to this moment. There are skills that basketball players work out in training to bypass rivals and make a successful shot.

Before we list them, let us remind you that basketball is a team sport, and even the most successful players do not master all the tricks perfectly. With a serious approach to training, you should decide on your position on the site and especially carefully work out the necessary techniques.

So the post must deftly pick up the ball under the hoop and throw it right into the basket. Back row players are highly regarded for their ability to pass and make accurate shots from medium to long distances. And for an attacking basketball player, it is extremely important to be able to make lightning-fast breakthroughs to the ring. All these techniques and skills are practiced in training.

What are the basic skills?

• Holding the throw. Performed with two hands. Widely spaced fingers hold the ball from both sides. One of the basic skills for any player.
• Catching the ball. Another basic skill that no basketball player can do without. But are you sure you know how to do it right?!

The easiest way to catch the ball is at chin level. To do this, you need to take a small step forward and stretch your arms towards the ball with widely spread fingers - a “funnel”. In this case, the thumbs should be directed towards each other and brought together up to 3-5 centimeters. This will save you from slipping and hitting the ball in the face if you catch it at high speed. At the moment the ball touches the fingers, you need to make a shock-absorbing movement and transfer it to the chest. When catching the ball above the head, the actions are similar, but you need to extinguish the speed of its flight from the top-front, and then transfer it to the chest in an arc.

One of the most difficult tricks is catching the ball flying behind. Such a pass is often used to quickly break through to the opponent's ring. For him, without slowing down, make a slight turn of the shoulder and head towards the ball, and then catch it with the far hand and move it to the chest with a raking movement.

Basic passing techniques:

There are several technically correct ways to pass the ball. One of the most basic is a transfer with two hands from the chest. In this position, the ball is most protected from the attacks of opponents, and besides, the transfer from the chest is the most accurate and reliable, regardless of whether it is carried out on the spot or while the player is moving.

• Two-handed downshift is more commonly used after stops and turns. During the swing, the ball is taken to the thigh, after which it is sent to another player with a sharp movement of both hands. Such a transfer is effective for beating especially tall opponents.
• One-handed passes are less accurate and more often used when speed is important. Their development should be given special attention in training in order to achieve maximum strength and accuracy.
• The shoulder pass is used when the ball needs to be passed as far and as fast as possible, and the hook pass, performed in an arcing motion, is good for passing the opponent.
• To get around a nimble and agile opponent, a rebound pass will also be good. It can be done with one or two hands. In this case, the push of the ball must be strong, and the rebound point must be closer to the receiving player.

What about dribbling?

Dribbling is the most basic thing in basketball. What makes this sport different from the rest. Simply put, dribbling is dribbling. It allows the player in possession of the ball, without violating strict basketball rules, to enter a position convenient for attacking, approach the ring and score the ball. The dribbling is carried out by elastic pushes of the ball with the fingers. It is dribbling that should be given special attention in training beginners.

Well-developed dribbling technique will teach you not only how to move on the court, but also skillfully take the ball away from your opponents, which will bring you closer to the coveted ring.

But we already wrote about how to properly throw the ball into the ring in our other article;)

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Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners

Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.

Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners

1. Hands up

In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!

2. Throw from the shield

Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!

3. Look at the ring, not at the ball

Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.

4. Dribble with your fingertips only

The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.

5. Throw with one hand

If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.

6. Do not jump when protecting the ring

Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.

7. Don't look back

When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).

8. Bring the throw to automatism

Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw at first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the ring without touching the edge.

Throw the ball with all fives and jump

Throwing Rules:

• Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
• Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
• A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
• The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
• Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.

The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).

Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.

How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball

How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.

9. Copy masters and play as a team

Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.

10. Do not throw in a straight line

The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.

11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand

This is the biggest newbie mistake!

Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time.

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