Elbow Attack Pull Back Basketball Drill

Great ball handlers in basketball recognize that it is not always about going full force forwards. Sometimes with an aggressive defender, you have to create space with a pullback dribble (also known as a retreat dribble) first to create space, and then you can make a move to get past the defender. The retreat dribble not only allows the player to have space to make a move, but it also makes them twice as fast.

At first glance, that statement may seem impossible, but the reason they are faster is because the defender is going to be trying to close the gap between them with their weight and momentum moving forward. At the same time, the ball handler will be making an attacking move forward. If the defender is off balance or takes a poor angle, they open up a driving angle. This basketball drill will allow the player to practice the pull back move against a dummy defender and work on making a great scoring move.

Basketball Drill Overview

Drill Name: Elbow Attack Pull Back Basketball Drill

Equipment Needed: 1 basketball and a partner (can be done with multiple players at a time).

Similar Basketball Drills and Resources

• Moves on Moves Basketball Drill

Goals of the Drill

• Work on the pull-back dribble and then scoring out of it.

Coaching Points

• Stay low in an athletic stance the whole time and look to get as much separation as you can on the pull-back dribble.
• Be explosive in your move and shoot the ball with confidence.
• You can change up the type of finishes, floater, runner, athletic finish, etc.

Basketball Drill Instructions

• The player will start at the top of the key with the ball, and a dummy defender will be guarding them.
• To start this basketball shooting drill, the player is going to drive hard to the right elbow.
• When they reach the elbow, they will use a pull-back dribble back to the top of the key, make a move, and then attack the left block.
• They will pull back dribble from the left elbow one more time to the top of the key.
• They will make another move and attack the right elbow for a pull-up jump shot at the top of the key.
• This completes one repetition.
• The next player in line can go, or the player can reset and start going to the left this time.