The Mikan drill is an alternating close-range layup drill: finish on one side of the basket, collect your rebound, then finish on the other side. You need one ball, a hoop and enough clear space to move beneath the rim.
Use it to practice both hands, takeoff footwork and controlled rebounds—not just to rack up quick makes. The drill guide published by Basketball Manitoba emphasizes using the correct hand, jumping off the opposite foot and using the backboard.
Start with the classic version. Add two-foot and reverse finishes only when you can keep your balance and control the ball.
Set up beneath the basket
Clear loose balls and other obstacles from your landing area. On a driveway, make sure you can move to both sides of the rim without running into the hoop’s base, a wall or a parked vehicle.
Stand just to the right of the rim as viewed from the court looking toward the backboard, then face the baseline. Stay close enough to shoot without reaching sideways. Hold the ball around chest height or higher.
Begin without a timer. If coordinating the shot and rebound is difficult, practice one attempt at a time, then reset. The checkpoints below are suggested practice targets, not standardized skill tests.
1. Classic Mikan drill: opposite hand and foot
Action
- On the right side, support the ball with both hands, then finish with your right hand while jumping off your left foot. Lift your right knee as you rise.
- Send the ball upward onto the backboard. Use the upper corner of the target square nearest you as a starting aiming point, as recommended in Breakthrough Basketball’s Mikan instructions.
- Land under control and collect the rebound with both hands before it hits the ground, if you can do so safely.
- Move into position on the left side as you rebound. Finish with your left hand while jumping off your right foot.
- Continue alternating: right hand–left foot, left hand–right foot.
Keep the ball at chest height or above between finishes instead of dropping it to your waist. The Lakers’ Mikan drill instructions likewise emphasize alternating sides, controlling the rebound and keeping the ball high.
Don’t add several walking steps while holding the rebound. If a miss pulls you away from the hoop, stop and reset rather than forcing the next repetition. For separate work on controlled stops and pivots, use the solo footwork progression.
Checkpoint: In a set of 10 alternating attempts, make at least four of five on each side, use the correct takeoff foot every time and finish each landing balanced. Meet that standard in two sets before increasing pace.
Common miss: the ball hits the glass hard and bounces away. Pause the continuous rhythm. Take five single attempts on that side, sending the ball up toward the target rather than throwing it straight into the board. Resume alternating when the rebound stays manageable.
2. Two-foot Mikan drill: balanced power finishes
This version changes the takeoff, not the alternating-hand pattern. Two-foot finishes are a documented Mikan variation.
Action
- Start close to the right side of the rim with both feet planted about shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees, jump upward from both feet and finish with your right hand off the glass.
- Land balanced, then move toward the left side as you rebound. Catch with both hands and land on both feet at your next finishing spot.
- Pause in that base, then jump from both feet and finish with your left hand. Continue alternating.
At first, pause before each shot. Remove the pause only when you can catch and land in your base without hurried shuffling. If you need to reposition after landing, put the ball down and reset rather than walking it into place.
Checkpoint: Complete 10 alternating attempts with a clear two-foot takeoff and balanced landing on every rep. Use the same four-of-five makes per side target before speeding up.
Correction: If you drift sideways, reset your feet nearer the finishing spot and jump upward. Don’t try to shoot while still crossing beneath the rim.
3. Reverse Mikan drill: finish while facing away
For reverse Mikans, turn to face the court, away from the backboard. This facing-away finish is another variation described by Breakthrough Basketball.
Start with a stationary, two-foot version:
- On the same physical right side used earlier, finish with your right hand, lifting the ball up and back toward the glass.
- Locate your backboard target before takeoff; don’t fling the ball backward blindly.
- Rebound, reset on the left side and repeat with your left hand. Use the two-foot catch-and-land pattern above when you begin linking shots.
Checkpoint: Make three of five stationary attempts on each side while landing balanced before linking the rebounds into a continuous sequence.
Correction: If the ball catches the underside of the rim, adjust your starting position so your release has a clear path upward. Retest with single attempts rather than adding force.
Add a timer last
Once a version passes its checkpoint, try two 30-second rounds, resting between them. Basketball Manitoba recommends short timed rounds of 30–60 seconds with made baskets counted.
Record attempts and makes for each hand separately. Increase pace only while keeping the chosen footwork and controlled landings. A higher total with rushed left-hand misses is a reason to slow down, not advance.
After the close-range work, practice a few normal approach layups from each side. Mikans isolate the finish; approach layups add the dribble, gather and movement toward the basket.