If you want to improve your ball handling and overall conditioning for basketball, do the Utah Jazz’s Stockton Drill.
John Stockton was one of the most dogged players in the 90s.
He played hard on both ends of the court. He defended his opponents with pressure and always made sure that his defender worked their butt off on the offensive end.
Gary Payton, also one of the great point guards of basketball, said that he used to hate playing against Stockton because he played with so much energy, but did everything efficiently.
He also did it on a nightly basis.
Via NBC Sports:
“For him to only play 32 minutes, come in and shoot the ball 12 times, make nine or 10 of them shots, shoot eight free throws and make seven of ’em, and then have 15 assists and four steals, that’s the reason why he’s the hardest person I ever had to guard. And that’s why I respect him very much.”
In his final season in the NBA, Stockton was a 40-year-old man averaging 10.8 points on 40.8 percent shooting, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals.
But the most impressive stats from that season were that he played -and started- 82 games and averaged 27.7 minutes per game.
Remember, he was 40.
The reason he was able to continue producing at that rate at that age, I believe, is because of his conditioning and tenacity (and yes, his mastery of the fundamentals and high IQ also played a role).
“So, how did he develop his conditioning and grit?” you may be pondering.
Well, one of the drills that helped him with his conditioning is a drill called the “Stockton Drill.”
What is the Stockton Drill?
This exercise is an overall basketball skill development drill that will help you work on your ball handling, footwork, and cardio. It is usually done at the end of practices.
It was introduced to the Utah Jazz by Jerry Sloan when he was their head coach as a pre-draft examination. The original name of this drill is called “Six Lay-Up Drill.”
However, it was changed to the “Stockton Drill” by the Jazz because John Stockton completed it in record time (28 seconds) when he was trying out for the team.
How to do the Stockton Drill
The Stockton Drill isn’t a complex exercise. “It’s a beast,” as Donovan Mitchell says, but it’s not complicated. The movements are core basketball movements and there aren’t a lot of steps to them.
But it’s hard in that it takes a lot of effort to finish the drill.
But this is how you develop determination and will.
So, here’s how to do a variation of the drill, which focuses more on conditioning, ball handling, and coordination:
Key Notes:
- Start off slow and get comfortable with the movements before speeding them up
- Stay focused throughout the exercise and pay attention to what you’re doing
- Slowly progress your way up. Start off dribbling to the free-throw line. Then once your conditioning is improved, move that line to the 3-point line, then the half-court line, then the opposite baseline
- When doing the drill from the half-court line and beyond, turn around and dribble back facing the hoop; don’t slide backwards
- When dribbling, stay low and dribble hard
- Do 5 rounds of this drill at least twice a week. Each rep or set will be 30 seconds each (or longer if you can handle it)
- If you want to challenge yourself, try to get 6 full-court runs in within 45 seconds (the pros have to do it in 30 seconds or less)
Benefits of Doing the Stockton Drill
Similar to the Mamba Mentality workout (which you can learn more about here), the Stockton Drill is great for building endurance, toughness, and basketball fundamentals.
But the key difference between the two is that the Mamba workout focuses on defensive skills, whereas this drill focuses on offensive skills.
Also, by doing it, you get to kill two birds with one stone –you develop basketball skills and build stamina with one exercise.
Final Thoughts
Stockton is one of the greatest point guards to ever play in the NBA.
He was also one of the best at his position in his final NBA season. He was a durable player that played hard every possession.
And some of the reasons why he was able to play with so much grittiness until his very last game was because of his conditioning and willpower.
Thus, if you want to improve your conditioning, you should take a page from Stockton’s playbook and do the Stockton Drill.
He did play until he was 40 after all (and he did it exceptionally).
