Basketball · Position guide
How a power forward should train
Battle inside — vertical power, strength and rebounding.
The short answer
A power forward should build vertical & explosive power and strength for contact, and practise rebounding & boxing out and finishing through contact. The drills that matter most are mikan drill, box-out & pursue, pick and roll reads. 1 of them need nobody but you.
⚡ Prioritise physically
- • Vertical & explosive power
- • Strength for contact
- • Core stability
🎯 Sharpen technically
- • Rebounding & boxing out
- • Finishing through contact
- • Post positioning
Key exercises
Vertical jump
Directly trains your standing vertical leap.
Barbell back squat
The foundational lower-body strength lift — carries over to every sport.
Standing broad jump
Horizontal power that transfers to acceleration and contact.
Standing calf raise
Stiffer, stronger calves protect the Achilles and add spring.
Technical drills for a power forward
1 of these need nobody but you.
Mikan drill
FinishingOn your ownSetup: A hoop and a ball.
- 1. Finish a right-hand layup off the left foot, rebound before it lands.
- 2. Step across and finish left-handed off the right foot.
- 3. Stay under the rim, continuous, no dribble.
Volume: 4 × 20 makes
Coaching point: Use the glass every time. Footwork, not hands, is what this trains.
Make it harder: Reverse Mikan, then add a contact pad on the finish.
Box-out & pursue
ReboundingNeeds a partnerSetup: A hoop, a ball, a partner.
- 1. On the shot, find your man and make contact first.
- 2. Hold the seal, then go and get the ball at its highest point.
- 3. Land wide and chin it.
Volume: 5 × 8 reps
Coaching point: Contact then ball. Everyone who jumps first loses the rebound.
Make it harder: Two attackers, so you have to pick and seal the right one.
Pick and roll reads
PassingNeeds a partnerSetup: Two players, a ball, a hoop.
- 1. Set the screen, hold it, then roll hard to the rim.
- 2. Handler reads the defence: pull up, drive, or hit the roller.
- 3. Run each read deliberately so all three are available.
Volume: 3 reads × 8 reps each
Coaching point: Come off the screen shoulder-to-shoulder. Space between you and the screener is where the defender gets through.
Make it harder: Add live defenders and let them choose the coverage.
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