V-Cut Getting Open

🎒 Gear Needed: 1 x basketball, 2 cones, 1 ring, 1 partner (or passer) ⏱ Suggested Time: 5 - 10 minutes 👥 Participants: 1-2 players (Solo or with-partner) 📍 Space: Half-court, backyard 📊 Difficulty: Beginner

📝 Instructions

1. Set one cone at the wing (free-throw line extended, 1 metre inside the 3-point line) and another cone 2 metres inside the key along the key line.
2. The passer (or partner) stands at the top of the key with the basketball. (If practicing solo, use a self-toss with backspin toward the wing).
3. The cutter begins at the perimeter wing cone.
4. Walk your defender down toward the key cone at a controlled, deliberate pace, taking 2 to 3 walking strides into the key.
5. Once your inside shoulder makes contact with or reaches the key cone, plant your outside foot hard into the hardwood or concrete in your runners.
6. Drop your hips, push off that planted outside foot with explosive force, and sprint back out to the perimeter wing at a 45-degree angle, forming the shape of a sharp “V”.
7. Flash an open target hand (outside hand away from the defender) toward the passer.
8. Receive the chest pass, landing on both feet in a balanced jump stop facing the ring, catching directly into Triple Threat position.
9. Perform 10 cuts from the right wing, then switch sides and perform 10 cuts from the left wing.

💡 Coaching Cues

• Change of Speed: Walk slow on the way into the key to lull the defender to sleep, then explode violently like a sprinter on the way out to create separation.
• Plant and Push: Plant your outside foot with a firm, flexed ankle and push off the ball of your foot without taking extra stutter steps.
• Show a Clear Target Hand: Extend your outside hand with fingers wide to signal exactly where your passer should deliver the ball.

🔄 Variations & Progressions

• Make It Easier: Practice the cutting footwork on your own by tossing a rolling backspin pass out to the wing and sprinting to catch it in a jump stop.
• Make It Harder: Add a live defender who plays tight man-to-man on the wing, forcing the cutter to physically seal the defender before sprinting out.

📺 Video Demonstration