Basketball Drills: Reaction Rebounding

Former Princeton center and current DICK’S Sporting Goods Associate Bob Garbade shares tips to help you master the art of rebounding.

The Reaction Rebounding Drill benefits centers and forwards the most and only requires one basketball and a friend or teammate.

To begin this drill, position yourself in the middle of the key with your body facing the hoop. Have a friend or teammate stand behind you outside of the key with the ball. Your friend will yell “shot” and then will throw the ball off the backboard so it ricochets. Your job will be to grab the rebound as fast as possible while maintaining a strong base. After you rebound, you’ll want to finish the play with a smooth layup. The goal of this drill is to make five layups in a row. If you miss one, you’ll have to start over.

This drill will help improve your reaction speed while also offering layup and shooting practice.