The One Hand Push Pass - Everything You Wanted to Know

INTRODUCTION

This article explains all of my ideas regarding the one-hand push pass, gathered over 10 years of working with players from 4 years old to 16 years old, girls and boys. I will tell you why I teach this, how to teach this, and answer some common questions.

WHY THE ONE HAND PUSH PASS?

I still run across coaches that are teaching the two-hand chest pass (hands on either side of the ball, step forward with your left foot, turn your wrists out as you pass, etc). My question for those coaches is: Do you still teach a two-hand set shot?

I always start my players, even the 4-years olds, with the one hand push pass. Here are my reasons for teaching this way:

1. The one hand push pass is a quicker pass than a two-hand chest pass or a two hand overhead pass.

2. The pass is made from the triple threat position. This allows a player to fake a shot and make a pass, or fake a pass and take a shot, with no adjustment in the hand position on the ball.

3. When you teach the one hand push pass as I describe below, you are reinforcing many skills at the same time: triple threat position, pivoting, shooting (the technique is identical to shooting, just straight instead of up). With a limited amount of practice time, simpler is better. The fewer different things that you have to teach, the better.

TECHNIQUE OF ONE HAND PUSH PASS

The description below is for a right-handed player.

1. Stance

The right foot should be slightly in front, with the feet shoulder width apart and the knees slight bent.

2. Hand and Ball

The ball is as the right shoulder or slightly below. The right hand is behind the ball, and the left hand in on the side of the ball.

3. The Pass

The weight shifts from back to front, but feet don't move. The left hand comes off the ball, and the hand stays open. The right arm pushes the ball from the shoulder. The right hand waves good-bye as ball is released. This will generate the desired backward rotation on the ball.

CATCHING THE PASS

For every pass, there must be a player to receive the pass. The proper technique for receiving a pass is just as important to teach, especially with beginning players.

1. Stance

This is identical to the stance for passing (right foot in front, knees bent)

2. Hands

The right hand should be up, at the shoulder. The fingers are spread wide. The left hand is slightly to the side. The right hand is the target.

3. Catching the Pass

The ball is stopped with the right hand. The left hand comes to the ball to secure it. The ball is immediately brought to the triple threat position.

QUICK NOTE FROM COACH VEIT CONCERNING YOUNG PLAYERS

If you think that your players are too weak, too young, etc. to learn this, think again. I have been teaching this for the past seven years at my clinic with Pre-K through 2nd grade, and if my little girls can do this, your kids can also. With the younger kids, it is VERY IMPORTANT to stress having the right hand up to catch the pass. You want the kids to catch the pass with their hands, not their nose!

DRILLS FOR TEACHING THE ONE HAND PUSH PASS

1. Partner Passing

This is the simplest drill. Simply place two players an appropriate distance apart (the width of the free throw lane is usually fine) and pass back and forth. Stress keeping the right foot in front, having the hand up to catch the pass, and waving good-bye as the ball is released. Also emphasize passing to the target.

2. Partner Passing - Contest

After your players are comfortable passing and catching, make a contest out of it. With all of your players line up across from their partners, yell "Go!" and the first group to 20 passes wins. The key to winning in this contest is to make a good pass to the target so your partner is ready to make the pass back immediately. I like to keep the number of passes short, and have multiple contests.

3. Partner Passing - Progression

Start your partners about five feet apart. After every ten passes, they each move one step back. Continue until they reach their maximum range, then start over again.

4. Partner Passing - Pivot

The partners should be about free throw lane distance apart. After catching each pass, the player will step forward, step back, step forward, and then pass. The left foot is the pivot foot, and the right foot is used to step forward and back. This reinforces pivoting, which will be needed when a player is closely guarded.

5. Triangle Passing

Separate your players into groups of three. They should form a triangle about 10-15 feet apart. Pass the ball around the triangle, pivoting and stepping toward the receiver on each pass. This can also be turned into a contest.

6. Pivot and Pass - Groups of 3

Separate your players into groups of three. The players should be in a single line. I will put one player at the center of the court, and the other two players on the volleyball court lines. The ball starts at one of the ends. The ball is passed to the player in the middle, who then pivots and passes to the opposite player. The middle passer should catch the ball with his hand up, keep the ball and the shoulder, pivot and place the right foot down toward the opposite player, and then pass the ball. To make this more work for the outside players, after passing the ball to the middle player, they must run and touch the out-of-bounds line and come back while the pass is going to the other player. This teaches the V-cut and coming to the ball. Note again here how I am combining several skills into one drill. This maximizes use of your practice time.

7. Two Ball Passing

With partners about 10-15 feet apart, use two balls to get twice as much repetitions. You can start with one player doing bounce passes and one player doing push passes. Then you can progress to both players doing push passes, with the balls being parallel to each other. This is challenging and fun.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. What about the Bounce Pass?

I teach the bounce pass also. Once the one hand push pass is mastered, the bounce pass is taught. This is done identically, except that the ball is brought down from the shoulder to the hip before the pass.

2. Why do you have the right foot in front? Wouldn't the player be able to make a stronger pass by stepping with the left foot?

This is all about teaching the triple threat position. I want my players to always pivot on the left foot, so that they can assume the triple threat position quickly at any time. If you step with your left foot, your right foot has to be the pivot foot. If you fake the pass and pull back, then you have the wrong pivot foot to execute all of your moves from. Also, I teach the shooting the same as passing. Stepping with the left foot encourages throwing instead of shooting. Think of throwing a baseball versus throwing darts.