How to Master Hustle Basketball: 5 Essential Drills for Maximum Effort Plays

You know, in basketball, there’s a difference between playing hard and playing with hustle. The first is about energy; the second is about intelligent, relentless effort that changes games. It’s the dive for a loose ball that saves a possession, the extra sprint in transition that leads to a chase-down block, the offensive rebound in a crowd that breaks an opponent's spirit. I’ve always been drawn to players who embody that—guys like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, whose name became synonymous with maximum effort plays during his time in the league. His recent comments about Justin, filled with genuine concern, remind me of that ethos: “I don’t know what happened to Justin but my prayers and everything for him. I don’t wish that on no one. Hopefully, he is good and he is able to play.” That’s a hustler’s mentality right there—competitors on the court, but a fundamental respect and shared understanding of the grind and the fragility of the opportunity to play. To master hustle basketball, you need to train it like a specific skill. It’s not just about being “active”; it’s about drilling the specific movements and decisions that lead to those game-changing effort plays. Over years of coaching and playing, I’ve found that focusing on five essential drills can hardwire that mentality into your game.

Let’s start with the most fundamental: the 3-Point Closeout and Contest drill. This isn't your standard closeout. We set it up with a coach or teammate at the three-point line with a ball, and you start under the basket. On the pass out to the wing, you sprint—not jog—to close the distance, chopping your feet in the last two steps to stay under control, and then explode up with a high hand to contest without fouling. The key is maximum sprint for 21 feet, then immediate control. We do this for 8 repetitions on each side, and the goal is to get a fingertip on the ball on at least 3 of those contests. It trains that second-effort sprint after a long rebound or a quick swing pass, the kind that can deter a crucial three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Next is the Dive and Recover series. This one is brutal but so effective. Place three basketballs in a line along the sideline, each about 12 feet apart. Starting at the first, you dive forward, secure the ball with two hands as if it’s a live loose ball, quickly pivot to your backside to protect it, then pop up and make a sharp chest pass to a coach. Immediately, you sprint-slide to the next ball and repeat. The sequence is dive, secure, pivot, pass, then explosive movement to the next spot. Doing three cycles of this, with maybe 45 seconds of rest in between, builds the specific muscle memory and lung-burning stamina required for those 50/50 balls. It teaches you to not just fall on the floor, but to efficiently secure and advance the play.

For offensive hustle, nothing beats the Continuous Put-Back drill. I’m a huge believer in this for developing a nose for the ball. You start under the basket with a rebounder feeding the backboard. Your job is to jump, grab the rebound at its highest point, and immediately go back up for a finish. But here’s the hustle twist: you don’t just land. As soon as your feet hit, you immediately box out an imaginary defender, then re-establish position, and jump again for the next feed. We go for 45 seconds straight, aiming for a minimum of 15 scoring touches. It mimics the chaotic, crowded paint in a real game and conditions you for multiple efforts on a single possession. The great hustle players, think of a Dennis Rodman or a younger Tristan Thompson, they don’t just jump once; they’re ready for the second and third jump.

My personal favorite, and the one that really separates the talkers from the doers, is the Full-Court Defensive Scramble. This requires a partner. You start on defense at one baseline. Your partner, with a ball, is at the free-throw line extended. They have a head start. You must sprint to catch up, mirror their dribble down the full court, and then contest their layup or pull-up without committing a foul. But it’s not over. As soon as the shot goes up, you turn, find the ball (the coach will toss another onto the floor around half-court), and you have to sprint back to recover that loose ball before your partner does. It’s a 94-foot drill that combines chase-down block mentality with loose-ball recovery. We do 4 reps, with a full 90-second rest in between. It’s a gut check. It directly builds the stamina for those critical transition hustle plays that can swing momentum by 8 to 10 points in a matter of seconds.

Finally, there’s the Communication and Redirect drill. Hustle isn’t always physical; it’s mental and vocal. In this three-person drill, you work on defensive rotations. One offensive player drives, you help over, and then you must verbally direct traffic—“Switch!” “I’ve got ball!”—while simultaneously recovering to a new man or closing out to a shooter. The “hustle” component is in the urgency of the communication and the speed of the redirect. It’s about the effort to be in constant, intelligent motion and to keep your teammates connected. We run through 20 rotations, and the rule is your voice must be heard clearly on every single one. That vocal effort is a non-negotiable part of hustle basketball.

Mastering hustle basketball, in my view, isn’t about being the most talented player on the floor. It’s about being the most prepared to capitalize on effort-based opportunities. Drilling these scenarios—the closeout, the dive, the relentless rebound, the full-court scramble, the vocal redirect—makes that effort automatic. It builds what I call “effort muscle memory.” When you see a player like Hollis-Jefferson express such heartfelt concern for a fellow competitor, it underscores a truth: this game is a shared struggle. The hustle is a form of respect—for the game, for your opponents, and for your own preparation. By dedicating time to these five essential drills, you’re not just working harder; you’re working smarter to ensure your maximum effort has maximum impact. That’s how you truly own the hustle plays that define winning basketball.