Preseason Conditioning That Prepares Players for Games

Every coach wants a team that is in better shape than the other team in the fourth quarter. The traditional way to get there was simple: run. Suicides, sprints, laps around the gym until somebody throws up. A lot of us grew up on that, and some of us still coach that way.

The problem is that basketball is not a track meet. It is stops, starts, slides, jumps and quick decisions, all while tired. Conditioning that does not look like basketball only gets you part of the way. Here is how I think about getting a team game-ready in the preseason.

A quick note before we start: every school has its own policies on conditioning, heat, hydration and athlete safety. Follow them, work with your athletic trainer if you have one, and keep an eye on players who are new to training.

Understand What Basketball Fitness Is

Basketball fitness is mostly about repeated short bursts with brief recovery. A possession might be fifteen seconds of hard work, followed by a free throw or a dead ball. Players need to be able to go hard, recover quickly and go hard again. For thirty-two minutes.

They also need to make good decisions while tired. That is the part traditional conditioning misses. A player who can run a great suicide but throws the ball away when fatigued is not game-ready.

Build Conditioning Into Drills

The most efficient way to condition is to make your drills do double duty. Some examples:

• Full court one on one. Defense and conditioning in one. Short time limits keep the intensity high.
• Continuous three on two, two on one. Transition offense and defense with constant running.
• Shell into transition. Get a stop, then sprint the ball the other way.
• Full court layup drills with a time goal. Skill work at game speed, with a team target to hit.
• Five on five with no dead balls. On a made basket, the other team inbounds immediately.

When players are running inside basketball drills, they get in shape and get better at basketball at the same time. That matters a lot when gym time is limited.

Use Work and Rest Like a Game

If you do run dedicated conditioning, match it to how basketball works. Short sprints with short rests, repeated several times, look a lot more like a game than one long run.

A simple approach is to have players sprint for roughly the length of a possession, rest for about the length of a dead ball, and repeat in sets. Build up gradually over the first couple weeks. Start with fewer reps and more rest, then tighten it up as the team gets fitter.

Practice Decisions While Tired

Some of the most valuable conditioning work involves a decision at the end. Players sprint, then have to make a pass, read a defender or shoot.

• Shoot free throws right after a hard sprint drill.
• Finish a conditioning set with a live two on one.
• Run a late-game situation at the end of practice, when legs are heavy.

Games are decided in the fourth quarter by tired players making choices. Practice that exact situation.

Do Not Use Running as Punishment

This one is a little controversial, and plenty of good coaches disagree with me. But I think using sprints as punishment teaches players that conditioning is something bad that happens when you mess up. You want players to see fitness as a weapon, something that gives them an advantage, not a consequence to avoid.

If you need consequences, there are other ways to create them: losing a drill, sitting out a scrimmage or extra free throws. Keep conditioning tied to getting better.

Do Not Forget Recovery

Hard work only pays off if players recover. That means sleep, hydration, eating enough and not stacking too many hard days in a row. High school athletes are often terrible at all four. Talk to them about it. Build lighter days into your schedule, especially before games.

Watch for signs of overuse too, like nagging soreness, shin pain or players who seem flat for days. Pushing through those early in the season can cost you a player in December.

Measure Progress

Players stay motivated when they can see improvement. Pick one or two simple tests you run at the start of the preseason and again a few weeks later. A timed full-court drill or a sprint set works fine. When players see their times drop, the hard work feels worth it.

Fitness That Looks Like Basketball

You still need your team in great shape. That has not changed. What has changed is how we get there. Build conditioning into your drills, match work and rest to the game, practice decisions while tired and protect recovery. Your team will be fitter, more skilled and better prepared for the fourth quarter.

For drills that build conditioning and skill at the same time, check out Teaching Multiple Skills in One Drill and the practice plans inside Underdog Hoops University.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best conditioning for basketball players?

Conditioning that mirrors the game works best: short bursts with brief recovery, built into basketball drills where players also have to make decisions while tired.

Should basketball coaches use running as punishment?

Coaches disagree, but using running as punishment can make players see fitness as negative. Many coaches prefer other consequences and keep conditioning tied to improvement.

How do you condition players during practice?

Use full court drills, continuous transition drills and five on five with no dead balls. These build fitness while players work on real basketball skills.