--- title: "Mikan Drill: Ambidextrous Finishing at the Rim" description: "The Mikan drill builds ambidextrous finishing: alternating right- and left-hand layups and hooks off the glass under the rim, with continuous fast second jumps." url: "https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/mikan-drill" sport: "Basketball" category: "Drill" level: "beginner" dateModified: "2026-07-09" --- # 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 - **Level:** beginner (U8+) ## How it works 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. **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. **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. **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. **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 - Use the backboard on every rep — aim for the same top corner of the painted square each time so the bank angle becomes muscle memory. - Finish with the outside hand off the inside foot; catching everything with the strong hand defeats the entire purpose of the drill. - Chin every rebound with elbows wide before rising again — it rehearses protecting the ball through contact in a crowded lane. - Land on balance and reload instantly; a slow, flat-footed second jump is the most common Mikan flaw and the easiest to spot on video. ## 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. ## FAQ ### 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. ## Related - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/shell-drill.md - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/3-man-weave.md - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/17s-conditioning-drill.md --- Animate and share this drill with your team: https://my.coachboard.app